His real name is Arnold George Dorsey, but he became known the world over as an easygoing crooner after the manager of then fast-rising singer Tom Jones suggested that he adopt a more arresting stage moniker.
Borrowing the name of the German opera composer of Hansel and Gretel, Mr. Dorsey changed his name to Engelbert Humperdinck. The change immediately paid off. After struggling for several years to make it big in the music business, Mr. Humperdinck snagged a deal with Decca Records, and in 1967 he released his version of "Release Me," an old US country hit first recorded in 1946.
Release Me" became an instant hit in the United Kingdom, making Mr. Humperdinck a music superstar overnight. The song has the distinction in the UK of holding the number one slot in the charts for six weeks during March and April 1967, and preventing The Beatles single "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever" from reaching the top.
"Release Me" spent 56 weeks in the Top 50 singles chart, and went on to become the highest-selling single of 1967 in the UK, with sales exceeding one million units.
More than four decades have passed, but "Release Me" remains a favorite among Filipino fans. The song continues to enjoy extensive requests among videoke enthusiasts, and listeners of Sunday morning "flashback" radio programs.
Mr. Humperdinck remains one of the more enduring international musical icons for Filipinos for hits like "The Last Waltz," "Am I That Easy to Forget," and "The Way It Used to Be."
Mr. Humperdinck will visit Manila for a special concert tonight (June 22) at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
Now 74 years old, Mr. Humperdinck promises to re-live the 1960s, and the 1970s in the concert simply called Engelbert Humperdinck Live in Manila. The crooner is set to perform all his hits, like "Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You," "Ten Guitars," "Quando, Quando, Quando," "Spanish Eyes," "Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings," and "Il Mondo (My World)."
The concert is the latest leg of his world tour to support his new album, Legacy Of Love. The tour has taken Mr. Humperdinck from Paris to Pennsylvania, Moscow to Manchester, and Las Vegas to Vienna.
The album, which contains many of his greatest hits, is the latest in a successful career spanning more than 40 years that includes sales of a staggering 150 million units worldwide.
The London Times dubbed him as "the premier voice of the 20th century" for his three-and-a-half octave range, and ultra-smooth onstage charisma that captivated fans in every corner of the globe.
In 2007, he marked four successful decades in the music industry with his critically acclaimed 40th Anniversary Tour, a 100-city worldwide celebration that coincided with the release of The Winding Road, an album which featured "contemporary British classics" by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, Eric Clapton, Christine McVie and James Blunt.