How Much of a Humperdincker are You?
Are you a true Engelbert Humperdinck fan? Then take this short quiz!
Engelbert Humperdinck has sold over 150 million records during his career. He’s performed all around the world, has been on TV more times than anyone can probably count, and has fans with perhaps the most peculiar name in the world for fans: Humperdinckers. How much do you know about Humperdinck? Test your knowledge here!
Q1: Engelbert celebrated a birthday this year. How old is he?
a. 70
b. 73
c. 80
d. 85
A: He turned 80 in May.
Q2: In what year will Engelbert celebrate 50 years of being on the road?
a. 2017
b. 2018
c. 2019
d. 2020
Q2: Engelbert credits the success of his first album as the true beginning of his career. That album was released in 1967, so 2017 will mark 50 years of being on the road.
Engelbert started out as Gerry Dorsey. Though not quite his real name (which is Arnold George Dorsey – “Gerry” came from his apparent skill at impersonating Jerry Lewis), it was the change to Engelbert Humperdinck that he credits with his rise to stardom. Who was the original Engelbert Humperdinck?
a. An Austrian racecar driver
b. A 19th-century German composer
c. A Swiss mountaineer
d. A German mascot
A: His manager renamed Engelbert after a German composer (1854-1921) who had written a few operas, the most famous being Hänsel und Gretel, which premiered in 1893, with Richard Strauss as the conductor.
Q3: Engelbert’s first hit stayed at the #1 spot on the charts for 56 consecutive weeks and prevented the Beatles from reaching their 13th #1 consecutive spot on the charts with “Penny Lane.” What was it called?
a. “Spanish Eyes”
b. “Last Waltz”
c. “There’s a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)”
d. “Release Me”
A: The song was of course “Release Me,” which he’ll be sure to sing at his show at the Centre.
Q4: Unlike many singers his age, Engelbert has been able to keep his vocal range. According to him, what range does he have?
a. 2 octaves
b. 3.5 octaves
c. 1.5 octaves
d. 2.5 octaves
A: Engelbert says that he still has his 3.5-octave range.
Q5: Which one of the following has Engelbert not performed a duet with?
a. Gene Simmons
b. Barbra Streisand
c. Il Divo
d. Wynona Judd
A: So far as our research shows, Engelbert has not sung a duet with Barbra Streisand. His 2014 album, Engelbert Calls, includes duets with the other three.
Q6: What connection does Engelbert Humperdinck have to So You Think You Can Dance?
a. His music was used on the show
b. He broke producer Simon Lythgoe’s nose
c. He appeared as a guest judge
d. He was spotted in the audience
A: According to a video commemorating Engelbert’s 80th birthday, he broke producer Simon Lythgoe’s nose. (Lythgoe is also a producer for American Idol.)
So, how did you do? We won’t attempt to rate you: All Humperdinckers love his music, no matter what they know about his life. According to online reports, a documentary promising lots of unreleased footage is in the works. We heard of a release date for May 2016, but we couldn’t find any official release statement. Engelbert is on social media, so follow him on Twitter and/or Facebook to stay in touch with him.
And in the meantime, get your tickets to his October 6th performance at the Centre In The Square.