Arnold George Dorsey, later known as Engelbert Humperdinck, was born on May 2, 1936 in what is now Chennai, India. The family was large, the boy had two brothers and seven sisters. Relations in the family were warm and trusting, the children grew up in harmony and tranquility.
His father served as a British officer, his mother played the cello beautifully. With this, she instilled her son's love for music. Only Arnold decided to build a career in the field of musical art and show business. His brothers and sisters showed themselves in other areas.
In 1946 the family moved to England near Leicestershire. Parents found a suitable job and began to settle down. At school, the boy began to study musical notation in detail and his first instrument, the saxophone.
The young musician was talented and already in the 1950s he was able to perform in various clubs, performing well-known tunes, including Jerry Lee Lewis. He actively participated in school amateur performances, creative circles and competitions. All this contributed to his creative development.
After school, Arnold worked for an engineering company for a short time, and then was drafted into the army. As the singer said, there he was taught discipline, self-control and achieve his goals. During the service, the artist fell into a trap with his detachment. None of his colleagues survived, but he was lucky, and he got to his unit by car.
Engelbert Humperdinck's early career
After the end of the service, the singer gave all his strength to creativity and performances in clubs, bars and restaurants. Then he performed under the pseudonym Jerry Dorsey. He recorded one song, but it was not popular and commercially successful. At the same time, he contracted tuberculosis. But he was able to overcome this disease and with renewed vigor began to compose new compositions.
The first producer of the singer was Gordon Mills, who tried to draw attention to a new phenomenon in the musical field. They tried different styles of performance and changed the pseudonym to a more complex one. This is how Engelbert Humperdinck was born. They signed a contract with the Parrot company and in 1966 recorded a cover version of the world famous hit Release Me.
Creative Development Engelbert Humperdinck
This single took 1st position in the UK charts, beating even the notorious band The Beatles. The circulation of this record exceeded 2 million, which raised the new star to the top of popularity in Europe. Then he released a number of songs that became hits.
Thanks to the compositions, the performer became popular. Among them were: The Last Waltz, Winter World of Love and Am I That Easy to Forget. Thus, Engelbert's debut album became a success. Thanks to his good looks, charisma and attractive baritone, he stood out among many musicians.
In the early 1970s, the performer went on his first tour of the United States. There he bought a house in Los Angeles and signed a recording contract with MGM Grand. This guaranteed that the singer would receive $200 for each of his live performances.
After returning from the tour, he recorded three albums, which received the status of "platinum" and "gold", and also received a Grammy Award.
Engelbert Humperdinck often appeared at various events and starred in several popular TV series. In the late 1980s, he received a Golden Globe Award and his place of honor in Hollywood on the Walk of Fame.
In 2012, the artist became the representative of Great Britain at the world-famous Eurovision Song Contest. He performed the song Love Will Set You Free and took 25th place. In the summer of 2013, he visited St. Petersburg to be on the jury of the White Nights competition.
During his career, Humperdinck received a lot of prestigious awards, such as 68 "gold" and 18 "platinum" records. Several Grammy awards, including the most played track on the jukebox.
In 2000, the singer's financial condition was estimated at $ 100 million, and he was in 5th place among the richest stars. He is also known for his wide charitable activities - the musician finances the activities of several hospitals and an air ambulance in the city of Leicester, where he lives.
Success in cinema
The actor starred in 11 films and TV series. The most famous were: "Room on the Side", "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" and "Sherlock Holmes and the Star of the Operetta". In the film "Ali Baba ..." the actor played the Sultan at the special invitation of the Georgian film director Zaal Kakabadze.
Engelbert has been married to his wife for over 15 years. Briton Patricia Healy gave birth to four children to the singer. The performer also became a father of many children, like his parents. Only one of the three sons is fond of music and builds a career as a musician. The remaining sons and daughter work in other areas. But the father did not insist on involving them in creativity. He let the children choose their own path in life.
During his military service, the performer purchased his first motorcycle from the legendary Harley-Davidson company. During his career, he added three more pieces from the same manufacturer to his collection. Over time, the artist began to collect Rolls-Royce cars.
Engelbert Humperdinck now
Although this musician is no longer so popular and does not occupy a leading position in the charts, he still continues his creative path. Given his age, he is no longer so actively traveling the world with tours and tours. Nevertheless, if the concert was with his participation, then there were many fans of the British artist in the hall. In 2010, he received the Musical Legend Award from the Young Musicians Society of the United States of America.
The musician continues to actively engage in sports such as mountain and water skiing, tennis and golf. He, like a true Hindu, is sure that everything should be done with pleasure, with respect and attention to his body. And then it will be more in a healthy state and thank for the care with its proper work.
In 2019, the performer celebrated his 83rd birthday, in honor of which he performed with a concert. One of the latest is the single You, dedicated to Mother's Day. And fans of creativity are happy to listen to old favorite hits and new compositions that have a unique sound and charm.
