NEWS

by Michael Yakim '18 Apr 9, 2025 Raider Student Media

The 1960s and 1970s featured notable balladeers singing songs of romance and its trials and tribulations. A gentleman with a particularly beguiling name appeared on the scene in the mid-1960s and set hearts afire with his vocal prowess. Engelbert Humperdinck, the stage name of one Arnold Dorsey, is a true veteran of the entertainment industry, with a career spanning over six decades. Even into his late 80s, Humperdinck continues to put on a show that features passion, humor, and the power of a man who is constantly yearning for youth. On Sunday at MGM CenterStage, the audience came along with Humperdinck for one last waltz.

Arnold Dorsey began his career in music under another stage name: Gerry Dorsey. The man who would become Engelbert Humperdinck played saxophone and sang to break into the entertainment world, to little fanfare. After several unsuccessful years as Gerry Dorsey, Arnold's friend Gordon Mills recommended the now-famous name change. The original Engelbert Humperdinck was an Austrian composer who brought Hansel and Gretel into the operatic space. The name would become famous for carrying Arnold Dorsey's unique, arresting voice and persona through the next several decades. Humperdinck placed strong with songs throughout the 1960s and 1970s with hits such as “A Man Without Love,” “Release Me,” “and “After the Lovin.'” Even into the new millennium, Humperdinck has collaborated with an eclectic group of artists. Nowhere is this more apparent than in 2014's Engelbert Calling, with contributions from the likes of Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, and Gene Simmons of Kiss.

As I entered the lobby at MGM CenterStage, the crowd was certainly a little older than the usual rock crowds I usually experience. The folks seemed in high spirits as they passed through security, a few splitting off to get libations and other refreshments. The venue was nearly full, with only a few patches of empty seats. The staff and ushers at the venue approached individuals with mobility aids to inform them that they needed to briefly confiscate them, likely due to fire codes. It then occurred to me that they had a check system for such devices, much like a coat check at a theater or restaurant! The crowd enjoyed the classic songs coming over the house PA, with the likes of Sonny and Cher playing frequently.

Humperdinck strutted onto the stage at 5:05 pm, immediately following a small trailer showing his younger years played on the large screens. The crowd cheered with delight as the man himself was ready to put on a great evening of songs. The songs “Funny How Time Slips Away” (a Willie Nelson cover), “Am I That Easy to Forget,” (a Carl Belew cover), and Humperdinck's own “How I Love You” were great numbers to start the set, with “How I Love You” receiving great applause from the crowd. As re-took my seat, Humperdinck informed the crowd that his song “A Man Without Love” had been a #1 trending song on TikTok for some time. Even all this time later, people can still recognize a hit!

Humor informed a great deal of Humperdinck's stage presence. On several occasions, he remarked he was “nearly 49 years old,” and stated that he had stopped drinking, as upon a recent medical examination, they had found two olives! The folks seated near us made constant eruptions of catcalls and whistles when Humperdinck took off his tuxedo jacket and bowtie. One lady behind me shouted “Yes, Daddy!” to great laughter. The man himself seems to take this all in stride, laughing right along with the crowd.

Humperdinck stated emphatically his belief that thinking young will keep one young. His set was certainly geared in that direction, with fantastic covers of artists as disparate as Simply Red (“If You Don't Know Me By Now”), The Cars (“Drive”), and even Toby Keith (“Don't Let The Old Man In”). He mentioned that he contacted Toby Keith to obtain permission to record his song, which was given wholeheartedly. The song seemed to echo Humperdinck's ethos to its core, singing about not letting the mind grow old, despite the inevitable aging of one's body. Humperdinck stated, in a manner that was both strong and sad, that his place was truly on stage: “No matter how much my body hurts, it's never going to bother me when I'm standing on this stage."

As for his songs, they went over incredibly. The crowd cheered as the opening chords to “After the Lovin'” were played, with people around me singing every single word. His other hits “Release Me” and “How I Love You” were met with even greater audience cheers, chiefly from the ladies in the crowd! Near the end of the show, over one hundred ladies must have rushed the stage to watch the encore of their favorite performer as closely as possible. Humperdinck received a request to sing a lady into her nineties "Happy Birthday," which he did, with the assistance of the entire audience!

Engelbert Humperdinck is eighty-eight years old, yet the man I saw on stage seems far younger than that. His voice and persona are as strong as ever, even with his wizened years. One can be hopeful that if Engelbert Humperdinck may not have given his “last waltz” after all. The show was a true delight and one that will stay with its audience for some time to come!

https://www.raiderstudentmedia.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_9af5956e-29c2-4e7d-b6fb-26746d4af648.html