He may appear a little dishevelled, with grubby jeans and tattoos. But this homeless busker stops passers-by in their tracks when he starts singing Tom Jones hits in a rich baritone that sounds eerily familiar.
And that, perhaps, is no surprise, for this 29-year-old performing on the streets of a blue-collar town in New Jersey is the music legend’s illegitimate son, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Despite his father’s £155 million fortune, Jonathan Berkery relies on commuters to drop their spare change into his guitar case, where a makeshift cardboard sign implores: ‘I Need Money (Please Help).
‘With a busking repertoire that includes Delilah and It’s Not Unusual, he goes by the name ‘Jon Jones’ in tribute to his father.
But Jon – who spends his nights in a homeless shelter in Hoboken and tops up his income with a £5.50-an-hour part-time job stacking shelves – reveals he has never met his famous dad, despite his best efforts to get in touch.
He says: ‘I don’t want anything from my dad, just his recognition.
Sir Tom (pictured) denied he was Jon’s father until it was proved by a court-ordered paternity test in 1989
‘Not having a father growing up was tough. All I ever wanted was his love. People think I look and sound like a younger version of my dad.
‘I sing all his songs. People stop and stare as soon as I start singing.’
Jon was born after the Welsh superstar enjoyed a three-day fling with Katherine Berkery, then a 24-year-old model, in New York in October 1987.
Sir Tom denied he was Jon’s father until it was proved by a court-ordered paternity test in 1989, and the singer agreed to pay £1,700 a month maintenance for his upkeep until his 18th birthday.
Jon says: ‘There was never a birthday card, a single Christmas card, a call. I grew up with images of dad all around. But my calls and emails have gone unreturned. He wants nothing to do with me.’
Sir Tom only acknowledged Jon’s existence in 2008, saying: ‘It wasn’t something I planned. I was tricked. I fell for the seduction.’
It was a cruel blow for Jon, who says: ‘Those words hurt. It wasn’t my choice to be born. You don’t get to be as famous as my father without being prepared to hurt people along the way.’
Jon spends his nights in a homeless shelter in Hoboken and tops up his income with a £5.50-an-hour part-time job stacking shelves
The 29-year-old’s guitar case is used to collect money for busking
Jon says his father’s rejection led to an angry drink-and-drug-fuelled teenage rebellion and meant he ‘couldn’t form proper relationships with girls’.
Jon has even considered confronting his dad at one of his concerts or even auditioning for ITV talent show The Voice, where Sir Tom is a mentor.
The irony of his father offering advice to others is not lost on his son, who says: ‘All I want is the chance to sit down with him. I truly don’t want anything from him.’
A video of Jon’s busking can be viewed at MailOnline.
News
Strictly pro hits out at ‘harsh’ treatment of Shayne Ward and insists show ‘went wrong’
Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole has claimed that Shayne Ward received “harsh” treatment over his exit from the show. The former Strictly Professional has opened up on his views on Shayne’s…
Strictly fans spot moment Nancy loses it with Shirley as they fume over ‘fix’ elimination
Strictly Come Dancing fans spotted Nancy Xu’s furious face as they fumed at Shirley Ballas and branded the BBC a “fix”. Shayne Ward and Nancy were sadly eliminated from the dancing competition on Sunday after…
The Strictly Come Dancing judges are ‘headaching’ over Chris McCausland’s current score, as bookmakers expect him to win, but they are ‘eyeing another name’
Strictly Come Dancing star Chris McCausland has reportedly left BBC bosses with a big headache – as he remains the bookies’ favourite to win the show. The comedian, 47, – who is…
Exclusive: BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole hits out at Shirley Ballas over dance-off
Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Brendan Cole has now shared his thoughts on judge Shirley Ballas’ controversial decision that came during the most recent dance-off. Sunday night’s episode of the BBC show saw Shayne Ward,…
Shirley Ballas says she’ll quit Strictly after furious backlash as fans plot petition to oust her
Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas has been left pondering her future on the show after being hit with a wave of backlash on social media Shirley Ballas…
Everything is FAKE. An expert unexpectedly accused the autopsy report of Liam Payne of hiding something TERRIBLE, making fans “scared.”
Liam Payne’s tragic death continues to send shockwaves through the music world, with new revelations emerging regarding the circumstances surrounding his passing. According to the official toxicology…
End of content
No more pages to load