Tom Jones And LeAnn Rimes Turn A Classic Love Song Into A Stunning Duet On The Voice UK

LeAnn Rimes had long dreamed of singing with Tom Jones — and on The Voice UK, that wish finally became reality.

The two singers came together for “Let It Be Me,” the romantic classic most famously associated with The Everly Brothers. What began with Jones’s rich, unmistakable baritone soon became a beautifully balanced duet, with Rimes answering his lower register with her soaring soprano.

The performance was intimate rather than overly elaborate, allowing the two voices to remain at the center of the moment. Jones opened the song with the warmth and authority that have defined his career, while Rimes gradually matched him with a more yearning vocal style.

The result was a pairing that felt both nostalgic and fresh.

A Song Tom Jones Chose Himself

The duet came about after Rimes asked Jones which song he would like to perform. He suggested “Let It Be Me” — a fitting choice for a song he clearly knew well.

For Rimes, however, the significance went beyond the song itself. She had openly expressed that singing alongside Jones was something she had always wanted to do, making the performance a particularly special moment for her.

Her reaction throughout the duet said plenty. She could barely hide her smile as the two singers traded lines and eventually blended their voices together.

The audience appeared equally moved, with several viewers visibly becoming emotional during the performance.

The other coaches were watching from the sidelines as Jones and Rimes brought the ballad to life, turning a simple duet into one of the memorable musical moments of the series.

The Voice UK video of the performance was uploaded on November 13, 2024, and has since passed 1.6 million views, showing how strongly the collaboration resonated with viewers.

Fans were quick to praise the pairing, particularly Jones’s enduring vocal power and the way Rimes complemented his voice.

Tom Jones Has Never Been Short Of Memorable Duets

The collaboration with Rimes was far from Jones’s first memorable meeting with another powerhouse vocalist.

One of his other standout pairings came at the 2015 Grammy Awards, when he performed “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” with Jessie J. The performance honored songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who were among that year’s Recording Academy Trustees Award honorees.

Jones opened the song with his characteristic dramatic delivery before Jessie J answered with her own powerful vocal performance. When the two came together, their contrasting styles created another striking vocal combination.

Jones’s official website later described the Grammy performance as a revival of a classic, highlighting the dramatic intensity he brought to the song alongside Jessie J.

The Long History Behind “Let It Be Me”

Part of what makes the Rimes-Jones duet so effective is the history carried by the song itself.

“Let It Be Me” was not originally written for The Everly Brothers. It began as “Je t’appartiens,” a French-language song written by Gilbert Bécaud with lyrics by Pierre Delanoë. The English lyrics were later written by Manny Curtis, with the English-language version first recorded by singer Jill Corey in 1957 for the television anthology Climax!.

The Everly Brothers subsequently recorded their own version in 1959, with the single released in 1960. Their rendition became the best-known version of the song, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

That recording helped establish “Let It Be Me” as a lasting romantic standard, one that has continued to be revisited by singers across generations.

And decades later, Jones and Rimes found their own way into that history.

With Jones’s seasoned baritone and Rimes’s expressive soprano meeting in the middle, the performance offered exactly what a great classic duet should: two distinctive voices, one timeless melody and a moment that feels completely natural.