Engelbert Humperdinck

Engelbert Humperdinck

Engelbert Humperdinck has four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for Entertainer of the Year, 63 gold and 24 platinum records and as one of only a handful of artists with a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Las Vegas Walk of Fame.

Humperdinck still has a loyal global fanbase, and in the past 12 months alone he has performed all over Europe including United Kingdom, Russia, Romania, The Netherlands, Belgium & Israel.

Engelbert Humperdinck was born Arnold George Dorsey, one of ten siblings. His father served in the British military, and his mother was an opera singer and taught the violin. They all lived in Leicester and Humperdinck still has strong ties with the city, and was awarded freedom of the City in 2009.

After a life-threatening and career damaging bout of Tuberculosis at the start of his career, the young Gerry Dorsey, as he became known, realised that he needed a big comeback and he changed his name to Engelbert Humperdinck. It was just outrageous enough to be memorable and it would take a man with a secure self image and a sense of humour to pull it off. 

During his heyday in the late '60s and early '70s, Humperdinck cultivated the image of a mysterious heartthrob, sporting shaggy sideburns and a flamboyant wardrobe that, when coupled with his rich, silky crooning, drove female fans wild. Few people realise that it was Humperdinck, not Elvis, who made famous the sideburns and leather jumpsuits.

Humperdinck often jokingly asserts that Elvis "stole" the image from him. He has been especially popular in Europe and his native UK with many of his singles reaching the top 10 in charts in countries such as Germany, The Netherlands and Norway. 

Humperdinck is currently in the studio recording a brand new album with Grammy award winning producer Martin Terefe and writer Dan Wilson with some surprising contemporary collaborations.