Engelbert Humperdinck

Engelbert Humperdinck married Patricia Healey in 1964 after they met at the Palais de Danse nightclub in Leicester. They had four children and remained married until Healey's death in 2021.

During the marriage, two women successfully brought paternity suits against Humperdinck for their daughters. Healey acknowledged his infidelities, and Humperdinck discussed his sexual relationships in interviews. Healey lived with Alzheimer's disease for about a decade before her death.

Humperdinck began performing under the name Gerry Dorsey after friends gave him the nickname because of his impression of Jerry Lewis. He learned the saxophone after his family moved to Leicester and played in nightclubs during the 1950s. His early recording attempts, including "Crazy Bells" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", were unsuccessful.

His progress was interrupted by conscription into the Royal Corps of Signals and later by tuberculosis, which kept him in hospital for nine months in 1961. He returned to variety shows and nightclub work before joining forces with manager Gordon Mills in 1965. Mills, who had also managed Tom Jones, advised him to adopt the stage name Engelbert Humperdinck, taken from the name of the German composer.

Humperdinck won the Knokke Song Contest for Britain in Belgium in 1966 and charted there with "Dommage, Dommage". His breakthrough came in 1967 with "Release Me", whose orchestral country arrangement featured session musicians Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page, with Charles Blackwell responsible for the arrangement.

"Release Me" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the UK Top 50 for 56 weeks. Its six-week run at number one kept the Beatles' double A-side "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" from the top position. Humperdinck followed it with major hits including "There Goes My Everything" and "The Last Waltz". In 1968, "A Man Without Love" reached number two in the United Kingdom, while the album of the same name reached number three.

He hosted The Engelbert Humperdinck Show for two seasons in 1969 and 1970, appearing alongside performers including Paul Anka, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones and Dionne Warwick.

Humperdinck concentrated increasingly on albums, concerts and elaborate stage productions during the 1970s. He performed regularly in Las Vegas and took his stage show to Broadway in 1979. His 1976 single "After the Lovin'" became a United States top-ten hit, and the album of the same name received a Grammy nomination and was certified double platinum.

He received a Golden Globe Award as entertainer of the year and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989. During the 1990s, his recording of "Lesbian Seagull" for Beavis and Butt-Head Do America introduced his voice to a younger audience, while the album Love Unchained returned to the UK Top 20.

His later projects included the Grammy-nominated gospel album Always Hear the Harmony: The Gospel Sessions, the duets album Engelbert Calling, the anniversary collection Engelbert Humperdinck 50, and the studio album All About Love. His songs also appeared in Moon Knight and Bullet Train.

Humperdinck represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku with "Love Will Set You Free". The song was produced by Martin Terefe and co-written by Sacha Skarbek. Humperdinck finished 25th out of 26 entries with 12 points.

He continued recording and touring across the 2010s and 2020s, performing in the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. His releases included the EPs Reflections, Sentiments and Regards, followed by All About Love in 2023. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2021 for services to music.