Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
| Engelbert Humperdinck | |
|---|---|
Engelbert Humperdinck performing in Las Vegas, 2009
|
|
| Born |
Arnold George Dorsey 2 May 1936 Madras, British India (now Chennai, India) |
| Other names | Engelbert |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Healey (m. 1964) |
| Children | 4 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Leicester, England |
| Genres | Traditional pop, easy listening, schlager |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Labels |
Decca Records Parrot Records Epic Records White Records |
| Website | www |
Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey; 2 May 1936) is an English pop singer. Humperdinck is regarded by music critics to be "one of the finest middle-of-the-road balladeers around." He is best known for his songs "Release Me" and "The Last Waltz", both singles topping the UK music charts in 1967 and selling in large enough numbers to help the singer achieve "the rare feat of scoring two million sellers in one year." In North America, he is also known for his 1976 hit single "After the Lovin'." He has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
Arnold George Dorsey was born in Madras, British India (present-day Chennai, India) in 1936, one of ten children to British Army NCO Mervyn Dorsey, who was of Welsh descent, and his wife Olive, who was of German descent. His family moved to Leicester, England, when he was ten. He soon showed an interest in music and began learning the saxophone. By the early 1950s, he was playing saxophone in nightclubs, but he is believed not to have tried singing until he was seventeen, when friends coaxed him into entering a pub contest. His impression of Jerry Lewis prompted friends to begin calling him "Gerry Dorsey", a name that he worked under for almost a decade.
Dorsey's music career was interrupted by his national service in the British Army Royal Corps of Signals during the mid-1950s. He got his first chance to record in 1958 with Decca Records after his discharge. His first single "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" was not a hit, but Dorsey recorded for the same company almost a decade later with very different results. He continued working the nightclubs until 1961, when he was stricken with tuberculosis. He regained his health and returned to nightclub work, but with little success.. Dorsey spent the early 1960s living in a house with Johnny "Sambuca" Todd in Jersey where he honed his talent.
In 1965, Dorsey teamed up with Gordon Mills, his former roommate in the Bayswater area of London, who had become a music impresario and the manager of Tom Jones. Mills was aware that Dorsey had been struggling for several years to become successful in the music industry, and he suggested a name-change to the more arresting Engelbert Humperdinck, borrowed from the German 19th-century composer of operas such as Hansel and Gretel. Dorsey adopted the name professionally but not legally. Mills arranged a new deal for him with Decca Records, and Dorsey has been performing under this name ever since.
...
Wikipedia