Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold George Dorsey) is an English pop singer who at the beginning of his career performed under the name Jerry Dorsey. Popularity came to him in the mid-60s. He has about ten Grammy awards in the category "best song of the year." He has released 59 gold and 18 platinum albums.
Engelbert managed to reach unprecedented heights during the popularity of the Beatles in England, and his single "Release Me" stayed on the first line of the British charts for five weeks, overtaking the famous group. He became one of the most sought-after and highest paid performers in England in the late 60s.
early years
The boy was born in India in the spring of 1936 into a large family, which soon moved to England. His father was an officer in the British army, and his mother was a musician, instilling in children a love of music and singing from early childhood. But unlike his siblings, Engelbert became the only family member who devoted his career to show business.
After graduating from school, the young man got a job, and in the evenings he began to perform in local cafes and pubs. Soon Engelbert went to serve in the army, where he learned strict discipline and the implementation of assigned tasks. According to him, he returned from the army as a completely different person.
The creative path of the singer
After serving in the army, Humperdinck returned to music and singing. Taking the pseudonym Jerry Dorsey, the singer begins to perform on stage again and even releases his first disc. But fame bypasses him.
After meeting with producer Gorodon Mills, a new round in his career and creative biography begins. Gorodon tries in every possible way to draw attention to his protégé and first changes his name. From that moment on, the singer began to be called Engelbert Humperdinck. The name was not chosen by chance. The producer believed that it should be difficult to pronounce for better memorization and associated with one of the great musicians. For this purpose, the surname of the composer Humperdinck was chosen, who wrote only one opera that made him famous. Humperdinck was even asked whether he really not only sings, but also composes operatic parts, because the surname was really associated with the famous musician.
But even these tricks did not bring the long-awaited popularity. Everything changed only after the singer began to cooperate with the Parrot studio, where he recorded his single, which made him famous. The song was called "Release Me" and soon took the first position in the British charts. The singer has released nearly two million records with this record in a few weeks.
Until the beginning of the 70s, Engelbert was at the height of fame, thanks to his velvet voice and his excellent external data. He was a favorite of the public and especially of women. His fans still admire his talent and literally idolize the singer.
After a tour of America, Engelbert set out to conquer the world in the early 70s. He was enthusiastically received by the audience of many countries, and his popularity only grew with each performance. This continued until the mid-80s, when the singer gradually began to give up his positions, giving way to new popular performers.
Enegelbert represented Great Britain at the popular Eurovision Song Contest 2012, but could not win the audience jury and took only 25th place. A year later, the singer visited Russia and was the chairman of the jury of the White Nights competition in St. Petersburg.
Personal life
Engelbert always tried to be like his parents, perhaps that is why he, too, became the father of a wonderful family with many children. He has lived with his wife for over 50 years. Their family has four children, however, none of them followed in the footsteps of their father and did not pursue a career in show business.
Humperding still performs on stage and gives many concerts. During his creative career, he has repeatedly visited Russia and in his interviews admits that he loves this country and the audience very much, and considers Moscow the most beautiful city on the planet.
Engelbert, despite his years, constantly maintains his shape, is actively involved in sports, skiing and playing tennis. The singer says about his "secret of youth" that he has always enjoyed life, enjoyed it, continuing to do so to this day.
