Engelbert Humperdinck

Career overview

Arnold George Dorsey, known professionally as Engelbert Humperdinck, is a British pop singer born on May 2, 1936, in Madras, India. Described by AllMusic as one of the finest middle-of-the-road balladeers around, he started as a performer in the late 1950s under the name Gerry Dorsey. He found success after 1965 when he partnered with manager Gordon Mills, who advised him to adopt the name of the German composer Engelbert Humperdinck as a stage name.

Humperdinck achieved international prominence in 1967 with his recording of Release Me. His recordings of the ballads Release Me and The Last Waltz topped the UK Singles Chart that same year, selling more than a million copies each, and he scored further major success thereafter. In his career, Humperdinck represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the song Love Will Set You Free, placing 25th out of 26.

Within the realm of his film and television credits, Humperdinck has been associated with appearances in productions such as Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Fantasy Island, and Hotel. His extensive background spans decades of recording and performing under his adopted stage name, maintaining a lasting presence as a notable British pop singer and balladeer.