The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
It took a while before I could sing again...
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK TELLS MARION MCMULLEN EVERY LOVE SONG ON HIS TOUR WILL BE FOR HIS LATE WIFE
“I COULDN’T sing after my wife died earlier this year,” admits Engelbert Humperdinck.
He and Patricia – who he affectionately called Popea – had been married for almost 60 years and she sadly passed away in February after contracting Covid-19.
She had been by his side throughout his long career but had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.
“It’s been tough, it’s a tough thing. She stood by me all these years. She was very special,” the Leicester-born singer says. “She was fantastic and always helped me to make the right decisions. I think she is helping me now. I think she would want me to do what I love.”
Engelbert, 85, has also come through his own brush with Covid. “It’s been quite difficult for me. I got it in February. I had long Covid and it had an extremely bad effect on me, I think.
“I couldn’t swallow or walk properly and it went into my back.
“It’s all come together now and I think I’m good and about ready to hit the stage. It was very scary, not just for me, but for everybody in that situation.
“I just kept saying, ‘I’m going to be fine. I think I’ll be alright.’”
In a career spanning more than 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.
Now based in Los Angeles, he is returning to the UK next month for the start of an autumn tour and says he is dedicating every concert to his wife. He admits performing again will be emotional.
“I know it has changed some of the songs I sing,” he says.
“I’m reading new meaning into the lyrics. It’s a lot different to the way I’ve sung them before.
“When I lost my wife I couldn’t quite handle it right at the beginning. It took a while before I could sing again. The lyrics of the songs have always affected me but it is in a different way now. I’m trying to handle it and I’m sure my audience will rally if I do have an emotional moment on stage. I’m sure they will understand it.”
The singer, born Arnold George Dorsey, was persuaded to adopt Engelbert Humperdinck as a memorable stage name. “Not good if you want to sign an autograph,” he chuckles. “I would start today and finish tomorrow.
“You know there are two Engelbert Humperdincks? One who composed a version Engelbert representing of Hansel and the UK in the grand
Gretel and me. People final of the Eurovision
Song Contest 2012
would get us mixed up all the time and tell me they stage. loved my arrangement of Hansel “Release Me had been out for a and Gretel. while without any success and
“I even thought of putting an had sold about 3,000 copies and initial like E or H in between the then I appeared on TV on Saturday first and last name, but her Majesty Night At The London Palladium did me a big, big favour and the next day the record recently and awarded me an MBE started selling 80,000 and 90,000 for services to music so now I can copies a day and that went on for a put MBE at the end of my name. number of weeks.
“No one ever calls me by my “It was unbelievable. It changed real name. They call me Engs. My my life. A shooting star landing in parents called me Engels, which I my garden.” quite like, it means Angel in German Engelbert reveals that he – although I’m not an angel.” bought his parents a home before
Release Me was his breakthrough buying his own house and was single in 1967 and went able to get a nice car, adding that into the Guinness Book of Records he “appreciated the success when for achieving 56 consecutive it came along. I never took my weeks in the charts. It was number success for granted”. one in 11 countries. He is now counting down to his biggest UK tour in years.
“I was supposed to do it last year and the pandemic happened and I didn’t do anything. Now it’s possible and I want to fulfil the task. People want the songs that made me and I’m going to give them that, but it is also contemporary as well. It’s exciting.”
■ Engelbert will be touring the UK from October 31. Go to biglink.to/ Ehtickets for booking details
“The song has been sung around the world, it’s given me a career, and it’s a favourite on karaoke machines. Everyone always sings that song. It’s so wonderful that people like it.
“Back in 1967, I was doing 300 shows a year. It was an incredible time for me. I was building a name for myself and Release Me stopped the Beatles from having their 13th number one.
“The most exciting part of my career was right at the beginning when I was first on the London Palladium