NEWS

The epitome of an international star, Engelbert Humperdinck splits his time between homes in Los Angeles and Leicester, England. In between, there are concerts almost everywhere: The vocalist visits such countries as Canada, Belgium, Germany and France on his annual tours.

At 78, the British singer sounds just as potent as he did on such made-for-Vegas ballads as "A Man Without Love" and "After the Lovin'." He still has enough clout to attract such names as Elton John, Il Divo, Luis Fonsi and Wynonna Judd for "Engelbert Calling," a duets album released last year.

Humperdinck, who will visit the Valley for a Valentine's Day concert, called to talk about his career, his marriage and the art of aging gracefully.

Question: On Valentine's Day you're going to be working here. Are you always booked on the holiday?

Answer: It seems that way. They've always made me work on Valentine's Day. It seems a day to promote romance, and being deemed the king of romance, I guess they decided it's a date I should work on.

Q: You've been married 50 years. Does it annoy your wife?

A: (Laughing) Not really. She understands that it's a day for the general public. Of course, I give her things for Valentine's Day. I send her flowers when I'm not here, or a wonderful note.

Q: So the romantic image is not just a facade?

A: I don't think you can act an image for 48 years. It's either there or it's not, and then you're a fake. I do enjoy being romantic, and when I'm home, we try to be together as much as possible. I'm on the road so much, I like home life and so does she. We're homebodies.

Q: I don't think everyone realizes how funny your shows are. You really play with that image in concert.

A: I think it's important to have a sense of humor. You have to be able to laugh at yourself. I don't take my image seriously. I make fun of the fact that some people think I'm a romantic figure. I love to smile. I love to laugh. I like to hear jokes. For instance, when I'm on the road, every night I watch "Seinfeld." I find it somewhere. I think it's so funny, and I watch the repeats over and over again.

Q: Another thing about your concerts: Your singing voice sounds the same as it did in the '60s and '70s. Is there a secret?

A: Nothing. I've been very lucky. Usually as you get older, your vibrato slows down and you lose your range. I may have lost about one tone in my range, but the power is still there. My vibrato has never slowed down, but I don't use it much today. I try to keep up with the times, and of the young talent, none of them use a great deal of vibrato.

Q: Do you feel your age?

A: I honestly don't. I've been very fortunate. I came from very good genes. And I haven't been to Beverly Hills getting work done or anything like that. It's all me.

Q: Your new album, "Engelbert Calling," has some great duet partners. How did you get all these people?

A: It came about listening to an Elton John live performance. He talked about being a struggling (songwriter) living in a flat in London, waiting for Engelbert Humperdinck to call and make him a hit. Well, I didn't call then, but I called a couple of years ago and asked if he would join me on a duets album. He was wonderful and said certainly. He was the first person to say yes, and he's like the honeycomb. He brought everybody else to the table with his name.

Q: The album has contemporary artists as wells as peers such as Lulu. That was fun to hear.

A: She's one of my favorite people in the whole world. When "Release Me" came out, she was on the panel of a show called "Jukebox Jury" in England. The record was voted a miss, and the only person who said it was a hit was Lulu. She's been the love of my life for a long time.

Q: True or false: According to Wikipedia, you try to visit a Catholic church in every city you visit.

A: I do. If I'm in a city I haven't been in before, I believe if I go into a church and ask a favor, it will be granted. It's part of my belief and that's what I do.

Engelbert Humperdinck

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.

Where: Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 5040 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Reservation.

Admission: $75-$150.

Details: 800-946-4452, wingilariver.com.

Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849. Twitter.com/randy_cordova.

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