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By Spotlight Central, Photos by Love Imagery New Jersey Stage 12/18/2025

Fans make their way out of the bitter cold into the warm and inviting State Theatre New Jersey auditorium in New Brunswick, NJ this Tuesday, December 9, 2025 evening for A Winter World of Love concert of holiday classics and greatest hits starring singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

The lights dim and pianist Nikko Ielasi, guitarist Keven Eknes, keyboardist Olivia Morreale, bassist Adam Cohen, and drummer Helen De La Rosa take the stage and play a dramatic overture of “Release Me.”

Engelbert Humperdinck, 89, makes his entrance from behind the curtain singing Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” instantly connecting with the audience as he croons in his velvety baritone voice, “You’re just too good to be true/Can’t take my eyes off of you.”

The crowd applauds and Humperdinck blows a kiss to his fans before taking a seat on a stool and launching into the breezy country-pop tune, “Am I That Easy to Forget,” on an arrangement which features a lyrical piano solo by Nikko Ielasi.

“Good evening! Welcome to the show!” exclaims Humperdinck, announcing, “I’ve got some great songs for you here that I’ve been fortunate enough to record,” as Kevin Eknes’ acoustic guitar introduces Englebert’s seasoned interpretation of Don McLean’s “And I Love You So.”

Audience members whistle and cheer when they recognize a song that Humperdinck says is “at the top of my hit list.” A Latin feel characterizes his 1968 smash, “A Man Without Love,” where concertgoers tunefully sing along with Engelbert on the tune’s appealing “Every day I wake up then I start to break up/Lonely is a man without love” refrain.

Following up with “After the Lovin’” — a number which went “triple platinum” after appearing in Marvel’s Moon Knight TV miniseries — Humperdinck’s voice has an edge to it as he croons with feeling and dynamics, “And I know that my song/Isn’t sayin’ anything new/Oh, but after the lovin’/I’m still in love with you.”

Fans cheer and the band plays “The Stripper” as Humperdinck removes his jacket, undoes his tie, and unbuttons his shirt before pouring a drink and suggesting, “I think I have a frog — or a dog — in my throat.”

Explaining that tonight’s show will feature two parts — first, his “classic songs” and, then, a series of “holiday songs,” Humperdinck graciously toasts the audience stating, “Thank you for being at my show.”

Suggesting, “Let’s do something classic!” Humperdinck invites the crowd to sing on the “La la” interlude of his Latin ballad, “Love Me with All of Your Heart,” and follows up by joyfully showing the audience how he learned how to dance to “Ball in the Jack.”

Moving on to his 1968 hit, “Quando, Quando, Quando,” concertgoers sing along on the “Tell me when will you be mine” lyric of this upbeat Latin tune which features Keven Eknes shredding an electric guitar solo as Humperdinck charismatically dances about the stage.

Joking, “At this time I’d really like to sit down…because I’m 49 years old now!” Humperdinck reaches as he sings the 6/8 ballad, “Always My Love,” and the Journey power ballad, “Faithfully.” Putting on a cowboy hat, he belts out a gravelly version of Barry White’s “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything.”

Engelbert talks about a song he wrote 30 years ago for his “darling wife” who is “in heaven now” before presenting a poignant and tender rendition of his lovely ballad, “Everywhere I Go.”

The crowd applauds and Humperdinck follows up with his 1967 hit, “The Last Waltz,” where audience members sway as as they sing along with Engelbert on the song’s “I had the last waltz with you/Two lonely people together” refrain.

Humperdinck gives each of his bandmates an opportunity to shine on his interpretation of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s “Old Time Rock and Roll,” before announcing, “Let’s do the song that made me famous!” and sings his 1967 hit, “Release Me,” his baritone sounding clean and smooth as he croons, “Please release me, let me go/For I don’t love you anymore.”

The crowd cheers and Humperdinck bows, exits, and returns to announce, “I think it’s time to do our holiday songs. Are you ready for them?” An ornate red and gold throne appears center stage where Humperdinck takes a seat and renders a swinging version of “Winter Wonderland.”

After talking about the cold weather outside, Humperdinck reveals that he plans to go home to a warmer Leicester, England for the holidays. Presenting a gentle ballad rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” strings swell and Engelbert inquires, “Isn’t the music beautiful?” to which the audience applauds in agreement.

Concertgoers sway their arms on the pop ballad, “Winter World of Love,” before Eknes’ acoustic guitar is featured on the 3/4 time “Around the Christmas Tree,” which has Humperdinck slowly waltzing across the stage.

Engelbert again proposes, “It’s either a frog or a dog,” as he clears his throat and exclaims, “It’s a dog!” prior to rendering a husky R&B version of Charles Brown’s “Please Come Home for Christmas” from his golden throne.

Striking blue lighting sets the mood as Humperdinck pays tribute to his friend, Elvis Presley, with an engaging country-swing interpretation of Presley’s “Blue Christmas.” Then, acoustic guitar and piano accompany Engelbert as he sweetly ad libs while the audience sings the melody on a slow and peaceful arrangement of “Silent Night.”

Suggesting that his next number is “a great prayer,” Humperdinck prays, “I hope I can do it for you,” as he clears his voice and performs a song he recorded on his first Christmas album. Reaching for notes, Humperdinck ventures a reverent rendition of “The Lord’s Prayer.”

After revealing just how much he loves Christmas, Humperdink concludes tonight’s A Winter World of Love performance with a charismatic and bouncy version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

While the band vamps, concertgoers avidly applaud as Humperdinck dons a red robe and shakes hands with audience members, tosses red handkerchiefs, and bows with his arms wide in front of the standing crowd, exclaiming, “Bye bye! Happy Holidays!”

As fans exit the auditorium, several share their thoughts on Engelbert Humperdinck’s performance tonight. Comments Bobby from Fredericksburg, VA, “I’ve been following Engelbert ever since I was a kid. My mother loved him and she passed it on to me. He’s absolutely the best — he’s amazing!” Erin from VA agrees, suggesting, “Mankind creates beauty and we enjoy it. I loved the show tonight; it was great!”

Linda from Vernon acknowledges, “I loved Englebert — he sounded a little raspy tonight, but he could just stand up there and sing with us and I’d still be happy.” Cyndy from Chicago asserts, “He always puts on a great show — he gives his heart and soul,” exclaiming, “I came all the way from Chicago to hear him tonight!”

Andrew, a musician from Toms River insists, “I’ve loved Engelbert for years and I always will.” His wife, Joanne, concurs, suggesting, “He can do no wrong. We’ve been following him for a long time and he did not disappoint despite being nearly 90 years old, God bless him.”

Lastly, Natalie from Dingman’s Ferry, PA declares, “Engelbert was absolutely fabulous tonight! I’ve been listening to him for 50 years, and he’s special,” prior to concluding, “There’s no one else like him.”

To learn more about Engelbert Humperdinck, please go to engelbert.com. For info on upcoming shows at STNJ — including The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on January 22, So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience on January 30, and Dirty Dancing in Concert on March 18 — please click on stnj.org.

https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles2/2025/12/18/a-winter-world-of-love-engelbert-humperdinck-live-at-stnj/

Chris Jordan Asbury Park Press Updated Dec. 9, 2025, 5:20 a.m. ET

Help wanted: Guitarist who knows Engelbert Humperdinck songs.

Jimi Hendrix fit the bill -- and how.

So it was in 1967 when Humperdinck, who is set to play three concerts in New Jersey starting with a Tuesday, Dec. 9 show at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, was on tour with Hendrix and the Walker Brothers. Humperdinck's guitarist went missing but Hendrix had it covered.

Hendrix's bassist, Noel Redding, had previously played with Humperdinck.

“We toured together at one time,” Humperdinck said of Hendrix. “When he came on stage in the U.K., he had to tour with people who were well known in the U.K. so he was on my bill. We did tour with him and he did an amazing job when he was there. One day my guitarist didn’t show up for the date and he said don’t worry man, I’ll play for you. So he did and it was amazing.

“I only wish I had recorded it.”

Hendrix played but was off stage -- unseen by the audience.

“Oh yes, he stood behind a curtain,” Humperdinck said. “He was a star -- I couldn’t put him on stage, could I?”

The tour, which also included Cat Stevens, was the first time Hendrix had lit his guitar on fire. Before solo stardom, Hendrix played for Little Richard and the New Jersey groups Joey Dee and the Starlites and the Isley Brothers.

“I grew up in the rock world but took the path of romance which is probably the best thing I did because everybody loves to listen to romantic songs and I'm glad that I chose that path,” Humperdinck said. “It’ll never go out. The world is full of love and romance and that’s the way it’ll stay.”

Humperdinck, born Arnold Dorsey in India, is known for romantic classics like “Release Me,” “The Last Waltz” and “There Goes My Everything, “A Man Without Love,” “Am I That Easy to Forget,” “After the Lovin',” “Winter World of Love,” and more. He's getting back into his rock roots with an upcoming collection of 1980s covers from Aerosmith, Kiss, the Cars and more.

“I'm always looking for new songs and new hits,” Humperdinck said.

And new ways to connect with fans. His Tuesday Museday video feature on Instagram gets thousands of hits.

“I try to keep up with my following around the world and what we’re doing with my Tuesday Muesday. It's what happens in my life, etcetera,” Humperdinck said. “It's a good way of keeping in touch and I love the comments. I read them and pay attention.”

Humperdinck is bringing his A Winter World of Love tour, featuring holiday classics and greatest hits, to the State Theatre on Tuesday; the BergenPAC in Engelwood on Wednesday, Dec. 10; and Harrah's Atlantic City on Saturday, Dec 13.

The singer, 89, previously announced that he's retiring but not so fast.

“At the beginning of this year I was sitting in the house for about three months and I was climbing the walls,” Humperdinck said. “I called my manager and told him to call the agents and tell them this is not my last tour. I was bored to tears staying home. I just enjoy being on the road, entertaining, and doing what I’ve been doing for the last 58 years.”

Visit www.engelbert.com for more information.

Go: Engelbert Humperdinck, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick. Starting at $58. STNJ.org.

Go: Engelbert Humperdinck, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, BergenPAC, 30 North Van Brunt St., Englewood. $49 to $159. www.bergenpac.org.

Go: Engelbert Humperdinck, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, 777 Harrah's Boulevard, Atlantic City. Starting at $67.30. www.caesars.com/harrahs-ac.

https://www.app.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/12/09/engelbert-humperdinck-holiday-tour-jimi-hendrix/87678068007/

Published on: 

Nov 03, 2025, 2:34 am  by Jewil Anne M. Tabiolo SunStar

For decades, Engelbert Humperdinck has been the voice behind countless love stories. His songs play softly at weddings, on car radios and in karaoke rooms across generations. Now 89, the English balladeer continues to charm audiences around the world as he sets out on “The Last Waltz Farewell Tour,” which brings him back to the Philippines for a highly anticipated concert at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on Nov. 7, 2025.

For Humperdinck, returning to the Queen City of the South feels more like coming home to an audience that has always sung along.

“I’ve played in Cebu before, and it’s one of my favorite places to perform,” he said in an online interview with the local press. “This time, I hope I’m even better. The audience knows what I did before, and I can’t wait for them to come back and see me again.”

For Filipinos

Humperdinck’s connection with Filipino fans runs deep. His music, lush with emotion and sincerity, has found a place in Filipino culture. Songs like “Release Me,” “The Last Waltz,” and “A Man Without Love” are staples of karaoke nights and family gatherings.

“Most of my songs are in karaoke machines, and I think that’s one of the reasons why my music has stayed alive,” he shared. “It’s very flattering, karaoke has kept my songs going for generations.”

To this day, even younger audiences recognize his timeless melodies, often through the voices of parents or grandparents who once slow-danced to his records.

The showman

Despite the years and miles, Humperdinck’s dedication to his craft has never faltered. Every performance, he says, is guided by precision and respect for his audience.

“I like to keep everything professional — the lighting, the sound, the routine of the show,” he explained. “I take the show all over the world, get audience reactions, and learn what songs people like and what songs to take out. It’s a question of knowing what the audience wants.”

That instinct for connection has made him one of the most enduring figures in popular music. Since his breakthrough in the 1960s, Humperdinck has sold millions of records worldwide and performed to packed concert halls.

When asked how he keeps his voice strong after all these years, Humperdinck’s answer is all about the love for what he does.

“I take steam. I exercise my voice. I just keep it going,” he said. “The more I sing, the stronger my voice becomes — that’s why I love being with an audience.”

Even now, he continues to find meaning in every lyric he sings. Since the passing of his beloved wife Patricia, many of his songs have taken on a deeper emotional resonance.

“Since her passing, I read the lyrics much differently than before,” he admitted. “They have more sensitivity to them now, and it seems that every song includes a memory of her.”

Song for Cebu

For his upcoming concert, Humperdinck revealed that he’ll be performing something extra special for his Filipino fans, a song in their language.

“I’ll be singing a song in your language,” he said with a smile. “It’s going to be very, very nice for me.”

In past visits, he’s often spoken about how flattering it is to see local artists, even impersonators, paying homage to his style and voice. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/engelbert-humperdinck-89-set-for-the-last-waltz-farewell-tour-in-cebu

BY: IRENE J. COMISION - NOVEMBER 03, 2025  Cebu Daily News Inquirer

The legendary Engelbert Humperdinck, affectionately known as “The King of Romance,” is set to grace the Cebu stage one last time for his highly anticipated ‘The Last Waltz Farewell Tour.’

Fans can catch the iconic crooner, whose timeless hits include ‘The Last Waltz,’ ‘A Man Without Love,’ and ‘Release Me,’ live at The Waterfront Hotel and Casino on November 7, 2025.

A career of incredible milestones

In a recent interview, Humperdinck offered a candid look back at his remarkable career, his deep affection for his Filipino audience, and the wisdom he has gained over five decades in music.

Since launching his career in the late 1950s as Gerry Dorsey and achieving international fame as Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967, the singer has sold over 150 million records globally. This success remains his most defining achievement.

“When I first started in the business, I never realized that from ’67 I was lucky enough to sell 124 million albums around the world,” he shared. “And since then, the numbers have gone up to about 150 million, which is just very incredible for any performer to have in his life or his show business career.”

Despite navigating massive shifts in music from the rock revolution to the digital age, Engelbert ensures his shows remain fresh through professionalism and a focus on audience satisfaction. “It’s a question of knowing what the audience wants. And I keep those kinds of songs in the show in order to please the majority of audiences around the world,” he emphasized.

A special love for the Philippines

Humperdinck was vocal about his long-standing connection with his Filipino fans, describing the country as one of his favorite places to perform and one he always looks forward to visiting.

He expressed how “very flattered” he is by the fact that the Philippines is home to more Engelbert Humperdinck impersonators than anywhere else in the world, and he also credits the popularity of karaoke in Filipino households for keeping his classic tunes relevant across generations, stating, “Karaoke has kept my music alive.” Moreover, for his upcoming concert, he revealed a special treat: he plans to sing one song entirely in the Cebuano dialect for the local audience.

Finding new meaning in the lyrics

The singer also spoke movingly about the profound impact of loss on his art. Since his beloved wife’s passing, he approaches his iconic songs with a new, raw emotional depth.

“Since her passing, it seems that I read a lyric so much differently than I did before. Because it has more sensitivity to it, and it’s more heartfelt. And it seems that every song I sing includes her memory of me,” he shared, embodying the authenticity he preaches.

Advice for the next generation

With a career spanning five decades, Humperdinck offered valuable counsel to new artists aiming to build a lasting legacy. He advises young performers to first gain experience by starting in small venues and clubs to hone their craft and connect with an audience. Beyond that, he stresses the importance of being authentic and intentional, reminding artists that “singing is just talking in tempo.” To truly master a song, he suggests performers must first talk the lyric through slowly to understand its “true meaning” and achieve an authentic expression.

The legendary crooner continues to prove that passion and professionalism transcend age. Don’t miss your chance to catch Engelbert Humperdinck live as he delivers a night of timeless romance on November 7, 2025, at The Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.smtickets.com/events/view/15366. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/667212/engelbert-humperdinck-brings-the-last-waltz-farewell-tour-to-cebu

The Star Malaysia · 25 Sep 2025 · By EDDINO ABDUL HADI

AFTER his wife died in 2021, getting up on stage and performing helped him cope with her passing, says British singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

“I lost my darling,” the 89-year old pop balladeer famous for 1960s hits Release Me and The Last Waltz says in a Zoom interview from his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
“And I find that singing and playing to audiences around the world releases something from me, it takes away the thinking.”

His wife, British actress Patricia Healey, died at 85 of heart failure after battling Alzheimer’s disease and Covid19. The couple, who have four adult children, were married for 57 years. “But since I’ve lost her, I’m reading the lyric of a song differently. There’s more heart in it, there’s more soul in it. I’m playing a lot better

AFTER his wife died in 2021, getting up on stage and performing helped him cope with her passing, says British singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

“I lost my darling,” the 89-year old pop balladeer famous for 1960s hits Release Me and The Last Waltz says in a Zoom interview from his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

“And I find that singing and playing to audiences around the world releases something from me, it takes away the thinking.”

His wife, British actress Patricia Healey, died at 85 of heart failure after battling Alzheimer’s disease and Covid19. The couple, who have four adult children, were married for 57 years. “But since I’ve lost her, I’m reading the lyric of a song differently. There’s more heart in it, there’s more soul in it. I’m playing a lot better because she’s watching over me,” he adds.

His 2025 world tour, which spans Europe, the United States and Asia, includes stops in Malaysia and Singapore.

Fans will get to hear his greatest hits, a set list that has been “tried and tested around the world”.
Despite the title of the show – Engelbert Humperdinck’s Last Waltz Farewell Tour – he says he has no plans to retire.

“I don’t know when it’s time to hang up my hat, but at the moment, my voice is good and strong. I don’t want to sit at home and do nothing.”

In a career that kicked off in the mid-1950s, Humperdinck has released 42 albums and sold over 140 million records globally. His latest album, All About Love (2023), comprises renditions of classic love songs such as When Will I See You Again and If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

His music has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks to its use in popular streaming shows.

A Man Without Love (1968) was featured in Marvel miniseries Moon Knight (2022), and Quando Quando Quando (1968) in the third season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy (2019 to 2024).

“Well, you’ve got to get lucky with that. I’ve had audiences that consist of young, middle-aged and old people.

“But after Moon Knight ,I saw a lot of very young faces in the audience, and I think they came to see what an Engelbert Humperdinck show was all about. And I guess they liked it because they were right in front, shaking my hands, and it was quite thrilling,” he says.

Humperdinck is also quite adept at using social media such as Instagram and
Facebook to communicate with fans. For example, he has a regular video series on his accounts called Tuesday Museday, in which he talks about his activities for the week.

And he keeps up to date with modern pop music by watching reality singing shows like The Voice (2010 to present), keeping tabs on singers who appear on them.

“And if I like something, I’ll mention it to my recording manager and say, ‘Listen, why don’t we try this song or something like that’.” – The Straits Times/ Asia News Network

Engelbert Humperdinck’s The Last Waltz Farewell Tour will be held on Nov 2 at Mega Star Arena, Sungei Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur at 4pm. Tickets, priced from RM188 to RM1,376, are available at my.bookmyshow.com and biztmgptix.bigtix.io.

https://www.pressreader.com/malaysia/the-star-malaysia-star2/20250925/281522232256446

Published Sep 09, 2025, 12:00 PM

Updated Sep 09, 2025, 03:30 PM Edino Abdul Hadi The Straits Times

SINGAPORE – After his wife died in 2021, getting onstage and performing helped him cope, says veteran British singer Engelbert Humperdinck.

“I lost my darling,” the 89-year-old pop balladeer famous for 1960s hits Release Me and The Last Waltz tells The Straits Times in a Zoom interview from his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. 

“And I find that singing and playing to audiences around the world releases something from me, it takes away the thinking.”

His wife, British actress Patricia Healey, died at 85 of heart failure after battling Alzheimer’s disease and Covid-19. The couple, who have four adult children, were married for 57 years.

“But since I’ve lost her, I’m reading the lyric of a song differently. There’s more heart in it, there’s more soul in it. I’m playing a lot better because she’s watching over me.”

“I don’t know when it’s time to hang up my hat, but at the moment, my voice is good and strong. I don’t want to sit at home and do nothing.”

In a career that kicked off in the mid-1950s, Humperdinck has released 42 albums and sold over 140 million records globally. His latest album, All About Love (2023), comprises renditions of classic love songs such as When Will I See You Again and If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

His music has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks to its use in popular streaming television shows. A Man Without Love (1968) was featured in Marvel miniseries Moon Knight (2022), and Quando Quando Quando (1968) in the third season of Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy (2019 to 2024).

“Well, you’ve got to get lucky with that. I’ve had audiences that consist of young, middle-aged and old people. But after Moon Knight, I saw a lot of very young faces in the audience, and I think they came to see what an Engelbert Humperdinck show was all about. And I guess they liked it because they were right in front, shaking my hands, and it was quite thrilling.”

Humperdinck is also adept at using social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to communicate with fans. For example, he has a regular video series called Tuesday Museday, in which he talks about his activities for the week.

And he keeps up to date with modern pop music by watching reality singing shows like The Voice (2010 to present), keeping tabs on the singers who appear on them.

“And if I like something, I’ll mention it to my recording manager and say, ‘Listen, why don’t we try this song or something like that.’”

His 2025 world tour, which spans Europe, the United States and Asia, includes a stop in Singapore at The Star Theatre on Nov 3. He last performed here at the same venue in 2019.

Local fans will get to hear his greatest hits, a set list that has been “tried and tested around the world”. 

“I’m looking forward to going back to Singapore because it has been a few years since I’ve been there, and it’s such a wonderful part of the world. I love it because it’s so clean, and I love shopping there.”

Despite the title of the show – Engelbert Humperdinck’s Last Waltz Farewell Tour – he says he has no plans to retire.

Book It/Engelbert Humperdinck’s Last Waltz Farewell Tour – Singapore

Where: The Star Theatre, 04-01 The Star Performing Arts Centre, 1 Vista Exchange Green
When: Nov 3, 8pm
Admission: From $78 via BookMyShow, go to 

str.sg/b6rH

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/singer-engelbert-humperdinck-89-on-touring-after-wifes-death-shes-watching-over-me

https://www.facebook.com/Lite105Radio/videos/1969045583934452/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=gHB2HefRKJe8gAu5

Craig McLean Tue, September 2, 2025, 4:20 AM PDT The Telegraph

Visitors to House of Kong, the current East London exhibition that takes fans on a magical mystery tour of 25 years of Gorillaz, will see and hear many things. But one thing is sadly missing from the multi-media extravaganza: the creamy, crushed-velvet, supper-club tones of Engelbert Humperdinck.

“I wrote this really big, epic string ballad,” Gorillaz figurehead Damon Albarn told an Australian radio station as he promoted the 2010 album Plastic Beach. “I thought Engelbert Humperdinck would be fantastic on it. Well, he got the tune, and we thought he was going to do it… In the end it just didn’t work out, because he only comes to England once a year, and that’s fair enough. He didn’t want to be faffing around in the studio with somebody he wasn’t entirely [sure of].”

“Absolutely not true!” retorts Humperdinck, his indignation palpable all the way from Los Angeles, when I read this quote to him. “At that time, I had signed with another manager, and this manager knew nothing about music. So when the Gorillaz approached him to do the duet with me, he turned it down without even speaking to me,” the singer insists, eyebrows rising towards a cloud of chestnut brown hair, the outrage crinkling those still lustrous, Seventies-style mutton-chops. “Never even spoke to me about it. And when I heard about it, you know how long he lasted? Five minutes. Gone. I kicked him out. That prompted me to get rid of him.”

Well, I tell Humperdinck, when he couldn’t land his first-choice singer, Albarn decided to abandon that song. But the Blur man has recently been talking up a new Gorillaz album, so maybe the collaboration could ride again? “Oh, please God, yeah. Could you talk to them?” Humperdinck laughs.

The Last Waltz?

Not that the 89-year-old is sitting around, waiting for offers. He’s an old-fashioned, big-lunged crooner who came up at the same time as the Beatles – he halted their run of number one singles when, in 1967’s Summer of Love, his signature easy listening anthem Release Me outsold Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane. But he never took the easy option, with dozens of album releases and decades slogging through Las Vegas residencies and international tours. He even took a punt, in 2012, on the poisoned chalice that is representing the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest. In Baku he came 25th out of 26th, scoring nul points. But with 150 million records sold in 60 years, who’s counting?

The Sixties sex bomb, born Arnold Dorsey in Empire-era India and raised in Leicester, is currently in the midst of yet another world tour. This one is named after his 1967 chart-topper The Last Waltz, although he’s now regretting calling it that.

“I tell you what happened,” begins the singer, a sprightly, summery vision in white-spotted pink shirt. “The first part of the year was a little quiet, and I was climbing the walls. I called my manager and said: ‘This is definitely not going to be the last waltz for me. I’m capable of travelling. I’m still fit and well – I’m touching wood when I say that – and I’d like to continue doing the thing that I love to do. And that’s sing around the world.’”

Next month, he’s performing in Birmingham, which is not too far away from his house in Leicester: “I’m excited about that. I can’t wait to get home again, have a pint and a bag of crisps.”

From the Pink Palace to Leicester

Humperdinck is beaming in from a wood-panelled room in his Bel Air property. It’s a smaller home than the one he lived in between 1975 and 2004. That LA house, known as the Pink Palace – the most conspicuous incarnation of a wealth, at one time estimated at $100m – once belonged to the actress Jayne Mansfield. Humperdinck bought the 40-room mansion – previously owned by George Harrison and featuring a heart-shaped swimming pool – in 1976 and lived there for 28 years. “It was a beautiful house. Very Hollywood. My children grew up in that house, and they loved it.”

In fact, Humperdinck’s association with the Hollywood starlet ran even longer than those 29 years. When he went to see her perform one night in the summer of 1967, the pair’s eyes met across a crowded LA nightclub. “She even sat on my lap during the show. I thought: my God, I’ve got this amazing sex symbol sitting on my lap.” They then had dinner after her show, with Mansfield inviting the Englishman to come visit her at home the next time he was in town. Two weeks later she was dead, killed in a car crash.

Fast-forward six decades: the recent documentary My Mom Jayne, directed by her daughter Mariska Hargitay, also an actress, told the story of the return to the family, courtesy of Humperdinck, of a piano that once belonged to Mansfield. As he explains it, he had bought the piano from her estate. “And it was a Gershwin piano – I believe Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue on it. I had the piano for 29 years. But Mariska’s husband got in touch and wanted to buy it off me. So I sold it to them, and it’s gone back to the owners, back to the original family.”

Did he make some money on that? “Actually, I sold it for the same price as I bought it [for], although it was quite expensive when I bought it: 80 grand.”

As for his current home: he downsized here after the death, four years ago, of his wife, Patricia. They married in 1964, and she lived with Alzheimer’s for 10 years before contracting Covid in early 2021. Little wonder the man wants to keep busy.

“[The loss] changed my whole way of thinking, my whole way of reading a lyric. Because each song that I do seems to apply to the situation,” says the singer, whose repertoire includes the songs A Man Without Love, The Way It Used to Be and Forever and Ever (And Ever). “It’s more real now than it’s ever been. The reason why I want to work, I want to carry on doing this until God calls me, is because I love to do it. It’s my way of life. I enjoy writing poetry. But I don’t think I’ll be satisfied in my life just sitting at home doing nothing.”

Humperdinck first started performing in America 1968, relocating there full-time not long afterwards. “Although I don’t consider it my home; my home is definitely Leicester.” His move was one of financial necessity, not artistic choice. “In those days, when I first got successful, there was a super-tax – 90 per cent or something. It was ridiculous, people couldn’t survive on that. I wanted to be successful and keep what I was earning. I did 300 concerts a year when I first started. And most of [the earnings] would have gone in taxes. So it was a management move. Gordon Mills said: ‘We better go somewhere where we can keep the money a bit more.’”

From Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley

Mills was the friend and impresario who started managing the singer, then going by the stage name Gerry Dorsey, in 1965. Their partnership was tested early on when Humperdinck heard a new song co-written by German songwriter Bert Kaempfert. He was convinced that Strangers in the Night was a smash, but Mills told him it had already been claimed by another singer.

“I think there’s a lot more to that than meets the eye,” says Humperdinck carefully of that long-ago switcheroo. First, “I’d already recorded it, but they can’t find the tape… But when Gordon Mills said to me, ‘You can’t have it,’ I said: ‘But Gordon, it’s a definite number one.’ He says: ‘Well, Sinatra wants it.’ I think there was a little cash involved in that – Sinatra paid for it.”

Did he ever come across Frank Sinatra during his time in Vegas? “Oh, yeah. I came across him a lot. I used to play in his golf tournaments. Sinatra was a very unusual person. I can’t believe how much power this man had. He just dominated the business.”

Was Humperdinck intimidated by him? “I wasn’t afraid of him. I just put up with, ah, what you have to put up with,” he says with a shrug. There were much better relations with Sinatra’s fellow Rat Packers, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. “In all the people of the past, Dean was probably my favourite. I used to dine with him quite a lot over here, at La Famiglia, a restaurant in LA. Because his agent was my agent. My agent used to say: ‘I’m having dinner with Dean tonight. You want to come?’ Do I want to come? Course I do!”

Humperdinck and Mills’s relationship was a fruitful partnership, until it wasn’t. The saga of its unravelling emerges when our conversation turns to his friendship with Elvis Presley – another “lovely, lovely guy”. Humperdinck says: “I learnt a lot from watching Elvis. I always took notes. He was probably the best performer I ever saw on stage. He was good at what he did, and confident, but not conceited.”

He adds: “When somebody asked him, ‘Who are your friends in showbusiness?’, he always mentioned me. He said the reason for that was that I reminded him of the twin brother he lost at birth. But I think it’s the sideburns,” he adds with a twinkle.

“I saw some of his movies,” he continues. “When I first became successful in [America], Gordon Mills was getting a lot of scripts for me. But he used to dump them. He didn’t want me to be six months, eight months in the [film] studio – because then you’re making money for them.”

‘Ageing sex bombs at war’

So, for all his successes on the small screen – in the fashion of the early 1970s, Humperdinck hosted his own all-star variety shows on American and British television – “that’s how it finished up: I didn’t do any movies. I would have loved that part of my life to be in movies”.

Does the singer ever regret heeding Mills’s suggestion that he should call himself Engelbert Humperdinck (the name pinched from the 19th-century German operatic composer)? Billy Fury it wasn’t. “No. He was a genius in that respect. He started with me very well. We were best buddies. He was my best man, I was his best man. But I think he got so powerful with having this stable of me, Tom Jones and Gilbert O’Sullivan. But it was a big company, money went to his head, and he got too big for his boots.”

Jones, pointedly, is not another lovely, lovely guy. Which brings up another reason for Humperdinck’s split from Mills. “He had different ideas about [my career]. He was very partial to Tom – they were both Welsh – and I guess there was a closeness there. I felt a little bit left out, that both the reins weren’t together – one was here and one is here. Therefore, I got a bit upset, and I left the organisation.” (Humperdinck split from his manager in 1977 and, he says, “lost a fortune”; Mills died nine years later.)

So Mills was favouring Jones over you? “Oh yeah, without a doubt. Mind you, I think Tom Jones is a great performer, great singer, great everything. Although we’re not friends, I still think he’s probably one of the best singers the world has ever known. And I always will say that. I’m not jealous of him, in fact.”

Humperdinck has changed his tune. Early in 2024 he was quoted as saying of Sir Tom: “I think he’s lost his voice. I don’t think he’s got it anymore.” It was the latest salvo in – as the tabloid headline had it – an “ageing sex bombs at war” saga that has rumbled on for decades, long after they were labelmates on Decca Records.

As for that “sex bomb” appellation: that’s a harder one for Humperdinck to defuse. His 2011 memoir contained details of his “string of affairs and one-night stands”. As he later put it, he’d had “more paternity suits than casual suits”, and had some serious “making up” to do with his wife over his womanising. Last year an ex-girlfriend of Jones’s claimed that, around 1980, Humperdinck made a pass at her – adding fuel to the feud. Jones, clearly still furious, recently told a newspaper: “There’s nothing friendly about him and I. He’s a p----, quote me on that.”

Today, though, Humperdinck takes the high road, saying it’s Jones’s “choice” to refuse his olive branch. “I wish it wasn’t the way, but it is what it is. I don’t like to hold grudges. Life is too short for that sort of the thing.”

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/engelbert-humperdinck-m-not-jealous-112003827.html

https://vanguardofhollywood.com/podcast/

He has performed for the Queen four times, several presidents and many heads of state.

John Ferak Patch Posted Mon, Aug 18, 2025 at 10:34 am CT

JOLIET, IL — Engelbert Humperdinck: “A Winter World of Love” A Night of Holiday Classics & Greatest Hits will be at the Rialto Square Theatre on Friday, December 5. Tickets are on sale Friday, August 22 at 10 AM.

According to the Rialto's press release,

"In a career spanning over 50 years, Engelbert has generated sales in excess of 140 million records, including 64 gold albums and 35 platinum, four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe, and stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Las Vegas Walk of Fame, and Leicester Walk of Fame.

"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.

"However, it’s not just the voice, but the man himself, with his endearing sense of humor and self- deprecating jokes.

"Engelbert has managed to strike a new chord with the younger generation, and his YouTube music videos & social media numbers are incredible.

"Engelbert exploded on to the music scene with The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The shy handsome man catapulted almost instantly to world icon. He became great friends with Elvis 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 on the charts. It was No. 1 in 11 countries. The following decades see Engelbert constantly touring the world to sell-out crowds. He takes great pleasure in every moment on stage.

"Engelbert’s music has transcended time and his voice continues to reach out to people now – serving to transport and inspire, to embrace and to provoke feelings and emotions...ingredients that are no doubt the essence of his long-lasting success.

"Engelbert’s hit song “A Man Without Love” was featured in Marvel’s “Moon Knight” Disney+ Series. In Sony Pictures’ new Brad Pitt film “Bullet Train” Engelbert’s song “Forever Blowing Bubbles” is featured. And in Netflix’s ‘Umbrella Academy” his “Quando, Quando, Quando” is heard

"This show will be one of the many in the annual holiday series: The Rialto Square Theatre Home for the Holidays! This lineup of family-friendly shows includes classic titles, holiday favorites, well-known artists, and soon-to-be new holiday favorites. All shows will be announced and go on sale in the coming weeks. Please check our website for more information: www.RialtoSquare.com/holidays

https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/engelbert-humperdinck-coming-joliet-exploded-music-scene-beatles-rolling-ston