Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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HUMPERDINCK, Engelbert

(b Arnold George Dorsey, 2 May '36, Madras, India) Singer. His father was an engineer; the family came home to Leicester '47. Dorsey apprenticed as an engineer for a while, but was singing in clubs before doing his national service, after which he resumed singing in '56, recorded for Decca '58 but did poorly until '65, when former flatmate Gordon Mills, then managing Tom Jones, borrowed the name of a 19th-century German opera composer (Hansel And Gretel) for Dorsey: he got a second chance with Decca; 'Release Me' was no. 1 UK, no. 4 USA '67 (one of the most often-recorded country music songs of all since the original hit by Ray Price '54). 'There Goes My Everything' was no. 2 UK/20 USA, 'The Last Waltz' no. 1 UK/25 USA the same year. He had 22 Hot 100 entries in the USA '67--80 (never a no. 1), 14 chart hits in the UK '67--73; 16 chart LPs in the USA '67--79, nine in the UK '67-- 74: Greatest Hits '74 was no. 1; then Getting Sentimental on Telstar no. 35 (sold on TV). Record sales cooled off considerably, but a big voice is always a cabaret attraction, even without much style. He's no longer hungry. Eleven CDs available in USA '97 on Epic, Pair etc. incl. After Dark '96 on Macola, recorded in Nashville.