Engelbert Humperdinck never wanted to be a singer. A career in music, yes, but he was extraordinarily shy. The youngest boy of a family of ten children originally from Leicester, he grew up in Madras, India, where his father was stationed during World War II. Engelbert’s childhood was dominated by the love of his parents and his misery and insecurity about his appearance. He knew he could sing harmonies, but the power of his own voice came as a surprise to him and other people. “It’s just so loud, but I discovered I can be tender with it at the same time.”

In a career spanning 40 years, Engelbert is a true icon who has defined romance for countless generations. He has been performing for devoted audiences all over the world since his break out hit, “Release Me” which made him a household name and the king of romance. In a career spanning 40 years, Engelbert is a true icon who has defined romance for countless generations. He has been performing for devoted audiences all over the world since his break out hit, “Release Me” which made him a household name and the king of romance. He has generated sales in excess of 130 million records, including 64 gold albums and 24 platinum, four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe (Entertainer Of The Year, 1989) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. . He has performed for the Queen, several presidents and many heads of state. He has recorded everything from the most romantic ballads to movie theme songs, disco, rock and even gospel. His unique voice has charmed millions of fans around the globe. However, it’s not just the voice, but the man himself, with his endearing sense of humor and self-deprecating jokes. Engelbert has also managed to strike a new chord with a younger generation after appearing on MTV several times.

Engelbert entered the world as Arnold George Dorsey. At the age of 11 he started studying music and playing the saxophone. When he was 17, Engelbert found himself playing at a pub that sponsored a singing contest. Goaded by his friends to enter, he put down his sax and for the first time revealed another vocal talent: impersonations. Arnold George Dorsey gave the world’s finest impersonation of Jerry Lewis – and was quickly dubbed Gerry Dorsey by his fans. It soon became his professional stage name.

Gerry Dorsey was very popular on the UK music circuit and in 1959 he released a single called “Crazybells/Mister Music Man” on Decca Records. However, he contracted tuberculosis, which silenced him for six months and nearly snuffed out his rising music career for good. Upon regaining his health, Gerry Dorsey knew he had to bury his former image to make a comeback as a strong, dynamic performer. A previous manager suggested the new name Engelbert Humperdinck, taken from the Austrian composer who wrote Hansel and Gretel. It was outrageous enough to be memorable. And thus was born the soon-to-be legend, Engelbert Humperdinck.

The all new Engelbert exploded on to the music scene in the Sixties with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones. His Sixties did not so much swing as soar. The shy handsome boy catapulted almost instantly to world icon. He became great friends with Elvis Presley and the two legends often performed each other’s songs. His first single in the charts was “Release Me”, which went into the Guinness Book of Records for achieving 56 consecutive weeks in the charts. It was Number One in eleven countries. The song was recently re-released after being used for a UK national television commercial for John Smith’s beer. January, 2007, marks the 40th anniversary of “Release Me”.

There is no doubt that women appreciate Engelbert too. In the Seventies he would travel with 150 shirts at any one time because women would rip them from his body. The only thing that survived was his cuffs. “One time I tried to get on a tour bus and I got on the wrong bus and I was hanging on to my underwear because that was all that as left of me. It was full of women who pulled everything off me. The police came and threw me into their van and threw a coat over me so that I could try and put my clothes back on. My shoes were gone, my socks were gone, my pants were gone. Even now if I mop my brow with a handkerchief and throw it into the crowd I see them fight for it. At one time they used to throw things back and I had trunks full of panties of all shapes and sizes.”

Over recent years the life of this living legend has by no means slowed down. In 2004, Engelbert published his autobiography, ”What’s In A Name” (that went into 4 printings), embarked on another worldwide tour, came fifth in a premiership international golf tournament and became patron for the Emergency Ambulance Service in his home town. Engelbert wraps up 2006 being featured in a national commercial with Staples that will run through the holidays. He can also be seen in his first Infomercial for Time-Life. His new single from Universal “Jerusalem” was just released in the UK and he’s back in the studio recording a new album being produced by Richard Perry and Lauren Wilde. Earlier this year, he received his Doctorate of Music from the University of Leicester, UK.