With four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for “Entertainer of the Year” (1988), 63 gold and 24 platinum records and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you would think Engelbert grew up with the dream to be a musician, but that’s not the case. Engelbert Humperdinck never wanted to be a singer. The youngest boy of a family of ten children originally from Leicester, England, he was very shy and reserved. At the age of 11, he started studying music and playing the saxophone. Born with the name, Arnold George Dorsey, a former manager suggested the new name, Engelbert Humperdinck, taken from the Austrian composer who wrote Hansel and Gretel. It was outrageous enough to be memorable.
Engelbert exploded on to the music scene in the sixties with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. His first single in the charts was “Release Me,” which went into the Guinness Book of Records for achieving 56 consecutive weeks on the charts. In the following decades, Engelbert performed to sold-out crowds around the world and generated over 140 million dollars in record sales. He has performed for the Queen four times, 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. Don’t miss your chance to see him in Kitchener this October!