Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)

Engelbert Humperdinck, born May 2, 1936 in Madras, India as Arnold George Dorsey, is a well-known pop singer. He was raised in Leicester, and adopted the stage name Engelbert Humperdinck, after the German composer of the same name. Humperdinck has sold an average of five million records a year since the mid-1960s and has established himself as one of the world's premiere live performers in a number of sold-out tours.

Early Life

Growing up with ten brothers and sisters in a working-class family, Engelbert became interested in music at age 11, when he took up playing the saxophone. Although amateur attempts at singing soon followed, Humperdinck did not commit himself to music until after he had served two years in the British armed forces, stationed in Germany during the mid-1950s. Upon his return to England, Humperdinck soon found himself singing publicly for the first time.

Early Career

His first break came in 1958, when he was tapped by a talent agent who had seen Humperdinck perform in a local talent contest. Impressed by the vocal precision of a singer lacking formal training, the agent managed to cut a deal with Decca Records. A year later, Humperdinck released his first single, "Crazy Bells," under the name Gerry Dorsey.

The sporadic Gerry Dorsey records made for Decca would only be a footnote in Humperdinck's career. The singer continued along the British club circuit with only moderate recognition until he was adopted by manager Gordon Mills. Mills, who later helped Welsh singer Tom Jones achieve fame, became Humperdinck's mentor, creating the suave image that the singer retained throughout his career. Rather than marketing his protege as a teen pin-up, Mills opted to focus upon Humperdinck's "gentlemanly" personality. It was then that Humperdinck dropped the name Gerry Dorsey to step into the name of a 19th century German opera composer. With a new image of charm and an association with high culture, Humperdinck was soon to take off.

In 1967, in a turn of events seemingly taken from a musical or film melodrama, Humperdinck was contacted to be a last minute replacement on the popular variety show Saturday Night at the London Palladium when its scheduled star, Dickie Valentine, fell ill. Humperdinck performed "Release Me," a single that had just been released on Parrot Records, and the result was almost instant stardom for the singer. The song quickly hit the number one slot on the British music charts, and this success reflected on the U.S. music charts as well. At its peak, the "Release Me" single sold an unprecedented 85,000 copies daily, but moreover, the slow, powerful ballad became Humperdinck's signature tune, and a staple among adult vocals fans.

Almost immediately, Humperdinck began to amass legions of devoted fans, many of them female. On these grounds, coupled with the fact that most of Humperdinck's recordings are love songs, some critics immediately dismissed the singer as a mere "crooner." While Humperdinck cannot be said to have made significant musical innovations, the freshness, energy, and range of Humperdinck's delivery set him apart from other show business Romeos. As Humperdinck told the Hollywood Reporter's Rick Sherwood, "if you are not a crooner it's something you don't want to be called. No crooner has the range I have-I can hit notes a bank couldn't cash. What I am is a contemporary singer, a stylized performer."

Career in the 1960's and 1970's

Throughout the rest of the 1960s and into the 1970s, Humperdinck continued to produce million-selling albums of love songs on the Parrot label, and developed increasingly more extravagant stage shows, sometimes over one hundred per year. While the mood of Top 40 radio quickly changed, Humperdinck's music, more akin to Broadway show tunes than post-Beatles rock, did not. Subsequently, Humperdinck's live performances became more crucial in reaching his fans, and the singer responded by producing lavish, energetic extravaganzas that set the standards for Las Vegas-style glamour. "I don't like to give people what they have already seen," Humperdinck was quoted as saying in a 1992 tourbook. "I take the job description of 'entertainer' very seriously! I try to bring a sparkle that people don't expect and I get the biggest kick from hearing someone say 'I had no idea you could do that!'"

By the late 1960s, Engelbert Humperdinck fan clubs had begun to sprout, first in England, later around the globe. By the next decade, the fan mania had grown to giant proportions, reportedly the largest such club in the world, with chapters including "Our World is Engelbert," "Engelbert...We Believe in You," and "Love is All for Enge." While an occasional fan ventured into the realm of obsession-several fanatics claimed to have been pregnant with the singer's offspring-Humperdinck's following of a reported eight million members guaranteed record sales with limited radio air play. "They are very loyal to me and very militant as far as my reputation is concerned," Humperdinck said of his devotees to Sherwood. "I call them the spark plugs of my success."

The release of the album After the Lovin' in 1976 was a relative watermark in Humperdinck's career. For one thing, it was the first record Humperdinck made for the Epic label, after almost a decade with Parrot. In addition, the album received a nomination for a Grammy Award, the first major nod Humperdinck had received from critical corners. Perhaps part of the reason behind Humperdinck's critical neglect stemmed from his lack of involvement with the recording of albums, whereas he had so much control over live presentation. Until the late 1980s, Humperdinck had little say in which songs were selected for each album, a fact that might have supported claims that he was little more than a pawn of his label's executives. Over the years, this arrangement slowly changed, giving Humperdinck full creative freedom. Humperdinck's albums began to cover more musical terrain than ballads alone.

1980's to present

By the 1980s, Humperdinck was fast approaching his fifth decade of life, yet he was still producing albums regularly, performing sometimes more than 200 concerts in a year, and he was still a source of attraction for his female fans. Despite all this, Humperdinck had managed to maintain a solid family life with his wife, Patricia. Perhaps a mixture of business and pleasure had contributed to this success: Humperdinck's four children are involved in their father's career in some way. A truly jet-set family, the Humperdinck/Dorsey clan shuttled between homes in England and Beverly Hills, California, where Humperdinck had purchased the Pink Palace, a lush mansion once owned by film star Jayne Mansfield.

In 1989, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Entertainer of the Year. He had met the queen of England and several American presidents. Still, he retained his element of humanism, and began major involvement in charity foundations. In addition to involvement with The Leukemia Research Fund, the American Red Cross, and the American Lung Association, Humperdinck contributed to several AIDS relief organizations. For one of these, Reach Out, Humperdinck even penned and performed an anthem for the organization's mission, called "Reach Out." As longtime friend Clifford Elson said of Humperdinck, "[h]e's a gentleman in a business that's not full of many gentlemen."

In 1992, the singer launched a gala world tour to commemorate 25 years of performing as Engelbert Humperdinck. The tour showcased a career's worth of middle-of-the-road favorites, as well as songs from a special anniversary album recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Polydor Records. Like most of Humperdinck's tours, the anniversary was almost completely sold out. By the time his 1996 record After Dark hit the stores, Humperdinck had sold 130 million records, including 23 platinum and 64 gold releases, and he showed no signs of decreasing his output. "The last twenty-five years have been an adventure, a story without a script," Humperdinck told fans in his anniversary tourbook. "I never knew what was coming next but it's been a wonderful journey. I hope the chapters of my life to follow allow me to continue to keep giving back all the love and respect that I have been given."

He is a patron of County Air Ambulance, based in the East Midlands of England.

Well Known Songs

Am I That Easy to Forget?
Release Me
The Last Waltz
After the Lovin'

External Links

http://www.engelbert.com/

This page about Engelbert Humperdinck includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about Engelbert Humperdinck
News stories about Engelbert Humperdinck
External links for Engelbert Humperdinck
Videos for Engelbert Humperdinck
Wikis about Engelbert Humperdinck
Discussion Groups about Engelbert Humperdinck
Blogs about Engelbert Humperdinck
Images of Engelbert Humperdinck

He is a patron of County Air Ambulance, based in the East Midlands of England. [3] (http://www.tomjones.com/site/about/). I hope the chapters of my life to follow allow me to continue to keep giving back all the love and respect that I have been given.".
. "I never knew what was coming next but it's been a wonderful journey. Jones's most recent album is tited "Tom Jones and Jools Holland," and was released in 2004. "The last twenty-five years have been an adventure, a story without a script," Humperdinck told fans in his anniversary tourbook. Jones can be heard singing the theme song to the cartoon show "Duck Dodgers of the 24-1/2 Century" with the Flaming Lips.

By the time his 1996 record After Dark hit the stores, Humperdinck had sold 130 million records, including 23 platinum and 64 gold releases, and he showed no signs of decreasing his output. Mr. Like most of Humperdinck's tours, the anniversary was almost completely sold out. He continues to tour and record. The tour showcased a career's worth of middle-of-the-road favorites, as well as songs from a special anniversary album recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Polydor Records. In 2004 his Sex Bomb single became a major US club hit. In 1992, the singer launched a gala world tour to commemorate 25 years of performing as Engelbert Humperdinck. In 2003, he was honoured with a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

For one of these, Reach Out, Humperdinck even penned and performed an anthem for the organization's mission, called "Reach Out." As longtime friend Clifford Elson said of Humperdinck, "[h]e's a gentleman in a business that's not full of many gentlemen.". An album of cover versions recorded as duets with contemporary artists, using their record producers, and utilising their recording methods, it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and sold over 5 million copies worldwide.[2] (http://www.tomjones.com/site/about/biog.php) In 2002, he released his latest album, Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean and included the singles Tom Jones International and Black Betty. In addition to involvement with The Leukemia Research Fund, the American Red Cross, and the American Lung Association, Humperdinck contributed to several AIDS relief organizations. His Reload album, released in 2000 became the biggest hit of his career. Still, he retained his element of humanism, and began major involvement in charity foundations. These recordings included:. He had met the queen of England and several American presidents. Following this, he started to record with a younger generation of musicians.

In 1989, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Entertainer of the Year. His recording career was revived in 1987 with his first major hit single in over a decade, A Boy From Nowhere, taken from the musical Matador. A truly jet-set family, the Humperdinck/Dorsey clan shuttled between homes in England and Beverly Hills, California, where Humperdinck had purchased the Pink Palace, a lush mansion once owned by film star Jayne Mansfield. When he appointed his grown-up son as his manager, another change of image followed, and he is now highly respected by other singers. Perhaps a mixture of business and pleasure had contributed to this success: Humperdinck's four children are involved in their father's career in some way. Jones's recording career slumped during the seventies and eighties, though his touring continued successfully. Despite all this, Humperdinck had managed to maintain a solid family life with his wife, Patricia. His early hits include:.

By the 1980s, Humperdinck was fast approaching his fifth decade of life, yet he was still producing albums regularly, performing sometimes more than 200 concerts in a year, and he was still a source of attraction for his female fans. Jones had an internationally successful television variety show from 1969-1971 titled "This Is Tom Jones.". Humperdinck's albums began to cover more musical terrain than ballads alone. Soon after, in Las Vegas, they started throwing hotel room keys. Over the years, this arrangement slowly changed, giving Humperdinck full creative freedom. Ladies would swoon and scream, and in 1968, starting at New York's Copacabana night club, some would throw their panties on stage. Perhaps part of the reason behind Humperdinck's critical neglect stemmed from his lack of involvement with the recording of albums, whereas he had so much control over live presentation. Until the late 1980s, Humperdinck had little say in which songs were selected for each album, a fact that might have supported claims that he was little more than a pawn of his label's executives. He was known for his overt sexuality in the 1960s, before this was as common as it became in subsequent years.

In addition, the album received a nomination for a Grammy Award, the first major nod Humperdinck had received from critical corners. Following several hits in the UK, he became a Las Vegas lounge singer and his image quickly changed. For one thing, it was the first record Humperdinck made for the Epic label, after almost a decade with Parrot. Jones was awarded the Best New Artist Grammy in 1965.[1] (http://www.grammy.com/awards/search/index.aspx). The release of the album After the Lovin' in 1976 was a relative watermark in Humperdinck's career. He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular amongst his peers at the time. "I call them the spark plugs of my success.". He lives in the USA, but makes regular visits to his native land of Wales.

"They are very loyal to me and very militant as far as my reputation is concerned," Humperdinck said of his devotees to Sherwood. He married and had a child at the age of sixteen, long before becoming a pop idol. Despite frequent and much publicized infidelities, including an affair with the dethroned Miss World of 1973, USA's Marjorie Wallace, he has remained married and a family man. By the next decade, the fan mania had grown to giant proportions, reportedly the largest such club in the world, with chapters including "Our World is Engelbert," "Engelbert...We Believe in You," and "Love is All for Enge." While an occasional fan ventured into the realm of obsession-several fanatics claimed to have been pregnant with the singer's offspring-Humperdinck's following of a reported eight million members guaranteed record sales with limited radio air play. He was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, Wales. By the late 1960s, Engelbert Humperdinck fan clubs had begun to sprout, first in England, later around the globe. Tom Jones (born June 7, 1940) is a Welsh pop singer with a large and powerful voice. "I take the job description of 'entertainer' very seriously! I try to bring a sparkle that people don't expect and I get the biggest kick from hearing someone say 'I had no idea you could do that!'". Tom Jones and Jools Holland (2004).

"I don't like to give people what they have already seen," Humperdinck was quoted as saying in a 1992 tourbook. The Definitive Tom Jones 1964-2002 (2003). Subsequently, Humperdinck's live performances became more crucial in reaching his fans, and the singer responded by producing lavish, energetic extravaganzas that set the standards for Las Vegas-style glamour. Greatest Hits (2003). While the mood of Top 40 radio quickly changed, Humperdinck's music, more akin to Broadway show tunes than post-Beatles rock, did not. Jones (2002). Throughout the rest of the 1960s and into the 1970s, Humperdinck continued to produce million-selling albums of love songs on the Parrot label, and developed increasingly more extravagant stage shows, sometimes over one hundred per year. Mr.

What I am is a contemporary singer, a stylized performer.". Reload (1999). No crooner has the range I have-I can hit notes a bank couldn't cash. From The Vaults (1998). As Humperdinck told the Hollywood Reporter's Rick Sherwood, "if you are not a crooner it's something you don't want to be called. The Lead And How To Swing It (1994). On these grounds, coupled with the fact that most of Humperdinck's recordings are love songs, some critics immediately dismissed the singer as a mere "crooner." While Humperdinck cannot be said to have made significant musical innovations, the freshness, energy, and range of Humperdinck's delivery set him apart from other show business Romeos. Carrying A Torch (1991).

Almost immediately, Humperdinck began to amass legions of devoted fans, many of them female. At This Moment (1989). At its peak, the "Release Me" single sold an unprecedented 85,000 copies daily, but moreover, the slow, powerful ballad became Humperdinck's signature tune, and a staple among adult vocals fans. It's Not Unusual - His Greatest Hits (1987). music charts as well. Matador - The Musical Life of El Cordobes (1987). The song quickly hit the number one slot on the British music charts, and this success reflected on the U.S. Don't Let Our Dreams Die Young (1983).

Humperdinck performed "Release Me," a single that had just been released on Parrot Records, and the result was almost instant stardom for the singer. Tom Jones Country (1982). In 1967, in a turn of events seemingly taken from a musical or film melodrama, Humperdinck was contacted to be a last minute replacement on the popular variety show Saturday Night at the London Palladium when its scheduled star, Dickie Valentine, fell ill. Darlin' (1981). With a new image of charm and an association with high culture, Humperdinck was soon to take off. Rescue Me (1979). It was then that Humperdinck dropped the name Gerry Dorsey to step into the name of a 19th century German opera composer. Do You Take This Man (1979).

Rather than marketing his protege as a teen pin-up, Mills opted to focus upon Humperdinck's "gentlemanly" personality. What A Night (1979). Mills, who later helped Welsh singer Tom Jones achieve fame, became Humperdinck's mentor, creating the suave image that the singer retained throughout his career. Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow (1977). The singer continued along the British club circuit with only moderate recognition until he was adopted by manager Gordon Mills. Tom Jones Sings 24 Great Standards (1976). The sporadic Gerry Dorsey records made for Decca would only be a footnote in Humperdinck's career. Memories Don't Leave Like People Do (1975).

A year later, Humperdinck released his first single, "Crazy Bells," under the name Gerry Dorsey. Somethin' Bout You Baby I Like (1974). Impressed by the vocal precision of a singer lacking formal training, the agent managed to cut a deal with Decca Records. Tom Jones Greatest Hits (1973). His first break came in 1958, when he was tapped by a talent agent who had seen Humperdinck perform in a local talent contest. The Body and Soul of Tom Jones (1973). Upon his return to England, Humperdinck soon found himself singing publicly for the first time. Close Up (1972).

Although amateur attempts at singing soon followed, Humperdinck did not commit himself to music until after he had served two years in the British armed forces, stationed in Germany during the mid-1950s. Live at Caesar's Palace (1971). Growing up with ten brothers and sisters in a working-class family, Engelbert became interested in music at age 11, when he took up playing the saxophone. She's A Lady (1971). Humperdinck has sold an average of five million records a year since the mid-1960s and has established himself as one of the world's premiere live performers in a number of sold-out tours. I Who Have Nothing (1970). He was raised in Leicester, and adopted the stage name Engelbert Humperdinck, after the German composer of the same name. Tom (1970).

Engelbert Humperdinck, born May 2, 1936 in Madras, India as Arnold George Dorsey, is a well-known pop singer. Live at the Flamingo Las Vegas (1969). http://www.engelbert.com/. This Is Tom Jones (1968). Engelbert Humperdinck (composer), 1854-1921. Help Yourself (1968). After the Lovin'. Delilah (1968).

The Last Waltz. 13 Smash Hits (1967). Release Me. Live at the Talk of the Town (1967). Am I That Easy to Forget?. Green Green Grass of Home (1967). From the Heart (1966).

A-Tom-ic Jones (1966). Along Came Jones (1965). Black Betty (2003). Tom Jones International (2002).

You Need Love Like I Do (2000, with Heather Small of M People). Sex Bomb (2000, with Mousse T). Mama Told Me Not To Come (2000, with Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics). Baby, It's Cold Outside (1999, with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia).

Burning Down The House (1999, with The Cardigans). I Wanna Get Back With You (1994, with Tori Amos). If I Only Knew (1994). All You Need Is Love (1993).

Delilah (1992, re-issue). Carrying A Torch (1991, with Van Morrison). Couldn't Say Goodbye (1991). Move Closer (1989).

Kiss (1988, a cover of Prince's song with The Art of Noise). I Was Born To Be Me (1987). It's Not Unusual (1987, re-issue). A Boy From Nowhere (1987).

Do You Take This Man (1979). Have You Ever Been Lonely? (1977). No One Gave me Love (1977). Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow (1977).

Baby as You Turn Away 1976). Memories Don't Leave But people Do (1975). I Got Your Number (1975). Ain't no Love (1975).

Something 'Bout You Baby I Like (1974). La La La (1973). Today I Started Loving You Again (1973). Letter To Lucille (1973).

Golden Days (1973). The Young New Mexican Puppeteer (1972). Till (1971). Puppet Man (1971).

My Way (1971). She's A Lady (1971). I (Who Have Nothing) (1970). Daughter Of Darkness (1970).

Without Love b/w The Man Who Knows Too Much (1969). Love Me Tonight b/w Hide And Seek (1969). A Minute Of Your Time b/w Looking Out Of My Window (1968). Help Yourself b/w Day By Day (1968).

Delilah b/w Smile (1968). I'm Coming Home b/w The Lonely One (1967). I'll Never Fall In Love Again b/w Things I Wanna Do (1967). Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings (1967).

Detroit City b/w If I Had You (1967). In the all-time UK best-sellers list published in 2002, it came 47th with an audited sale of 1.2 million copies. The Green, Green Grass Of Home is his biggest-selling single. The Green, Green Grass of Home b/w If I Had You (1966)
.

This And That b/w City Girl (1966). Once There Was A Time b/w Not Responsible (1966). To Make A Big Man Cry b/w I'll Never Give Away Love (1966). Thunderball b/w Key To My Heart (1966).

What's New Pussycat? b/w Rose (1965). With These Hands b/w Untrue (1965). Once Upon A Time b/w I Tell The Sea (1965). It's Not Unusual b/w To Wait For Love (1965).

Chills & Fever b/w Breathless (1964, produced by Joe Meek). Tom Jones International (2003). You Need Love Like I Do (2000, with Heather Small of M People). Sex Bomb (From 1999's Reload (perhaps the single was released in 2000?), with Mousse T).

Three Dog Night's song Mama Told Me Not To Come (2000, with Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics). Iggy Pop's song Lust for Life (1999, with The Pretenders). Baby, It's Cold Outside (1999, with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia). Talking Heads' song Burning Down The House (1999, with The Cardigans).

Prince's song Kiss (1988, with The Art of Noise). She's A Lady (1971). Without Love (1969). Help Yourself (1968).

Delilah (1968), the usual choice of song for impressionists "doing" Tom Jones. I'll Never Fall In Love Again (1967). The Green, Green Grass of Home (1966), his most successful single, which became associated with his native Wales, despite being written about the USA. Thunderball, the theme for the James Bond film (1966).

What's New Pussycat?, written by Burt Bacharach for Woody Allen's What's New, Pussycat? (1965). It's Not Unusual (1965).