US Grammy award-winning singer Richard Marx performed a cover of Tom Jones' classic hit Delilah at a gig in Cardiff and told the crowd banning it wasn't the best way to tackle domestic violence.
Chicago-born Marx won heartfelt applause with his rendition of the 1968 hit during his gig at St David's Hall on Thursday, February 2. It followed the Welsh Rugby Union's decision not to play the song at the Principality Stadium during the Six Nations.
And Marx spoke of his fears about songs being banned due to their fictitious themes. The singer spoke after he had performed his own 1992 number 3 hit Hazard which tells the story of a woman who disappears after striking up a relationship with a man who is accused of orchestrating her disappearance. The song leaves it up to the listener to decide if he is guilty.
Read More: Piers Morgan ridicules Delilah ban as Wales legend describes WRU decision as 'crazy'
Marx, who had appeared on ITV's This Morning the same day, told of how while in the dressing room waiting to go on, he had heard Holly & Phil discuss the WRU's decision to ban choirs singing the song Delilah at the Principality Stadium.
Richard said, to loud applause: "I am not remotely minimising violence, or especially violence against women, but there are a lot of things that we all could be doing to help the situation, other than banning Delilah."
He then broke into an impromptu version of the song for the Welsh crowd who lapped it up, singing along with him. And at the end, as the crowd applauded, he said: "I kinda had a feeling you'd be with me on that. Tom Jones was like a lifelong hero of mine, that voice!"
The ban has been met with immediate backlash from some Wales supporters, with Wales Online's most recent poll on the issue showing that 88% of fans so far think the song shouldn't have been banned. You can vote here.
The iconic tune has become synonymous with Welsh rugby culture, and has been moulded into an unofficial match day anthem over the years. However, it was removed from the Principality's match day playlist in 2015 and will not feature in the choir's performance this weekend. You can read more on the decision here.
The 1968 hit single by Tom Jones details a male jealous lover killing his unfaithful female partner. One line reads: "I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door; she stood there laughing, I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more."
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