The stage of the 2001 “Pavarotti & Friends” charity concert was set for a glorious, high-camp collision of worlds as the undisputed “King of Opera,” Luciano Pavarotti, welcomed the quintessential British pop icon, Tom Jones, for a performance of “Delilah” that was as unforgettable as it was unlikely. Dressed in his signature formal wear, the colossal tenor beamed with the glee of a schoolboy, clutching a printed lyric sheet as if it were a sacred text, while Jones, radiating a potent mix of rock-and-roll swagger and respectful deference, took the lead.
Jones’s voice was in its element—a powerful, gritty, and knowing baritone that relished every dramatic twist of the tale of jealous murder, his delivery punctuated by his iconic hip-swaying physicality. The true magic, however, unfolded in their interplay; as Jones sang the vengeful chorus, Pavarotti listened with rapt attention, his face a canvas of animated, almost operatic reactions to the scandalous storyline.
When his moment arrived, Pavarotti didn’t merely sing backup; he unleashed his legendary instrument, soaring over Jones’s melody with a soaring, impossibly pure tenor “Ooooh” that transformed the pop anthem into a quasi-operatic lament, elevating the tale of a crime of passion to something mythic and monumental. The performance culminated in a shared, beaming embrace, a moment of pure, unadulterated joy between two masters from diametrically opposed musical universes, who, for three glorious minutes, found a common, thrilling language in the sheer, unbridled power of song.