Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
With a velvet baritone and impeccable showmanship, he became a global symbol of 1960s romantic balladry, selling over 140 million records worldwide.
Born 1936 (age 90)·British singer·Birthday: May 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born Arnold George Dorsey in Madras, British India, the man who would become Engelbert Humperdinck took a winding path to stardom. He first tried his hand as a saxophone player before a manager suggested he focus on singing and adopt the name of a 19th-century German opera composer. The transformation worked. In 1967, his dramatic, heartfelt rendition of 'Release Me' famously kept The Beatles' 'Penny Lane'/'Strawberry Fields Forever' double A-side from reaching number one in the UK, announcing a formidable new presence. Humperdinck cultivated a persona of lush romanticism, complete with tuxedos, a signature hairstyle, and an air of continental charm. For decades, he has filled Las Vegas showrooms and international arenas, his voice a consistent, smooth instrument delivering ballads of love and longing to a devoted fanbase that spans generations.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Engelbert was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Engelbert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Engelbert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His 1967 single 'Release Me' sold over a million copies in the UK alone and launched his international career.
- Has sold over 140 million records globally, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989 for his contributions to the recording industry.
- Named the 'International Entertainer of the Year' by the American Guild of Variety Artists multiple times in the 1970s.
Did You Know?
He was briefly a roommate and early competitor of fellow singer Tom Jones in the 1960s.
His stage name was chosen by his manager, Gordon Mills, who also managed Tom Jones.
Humperdinck turned down the opportunity to record 'The Last Waltz,' which then became a massive hit for Engelbert Humperdinck (the singer) in 1967.
He performed for President Richard Nixon at a White House state dinner in 1970.
“I'm not a rock 'n' roll singer. I'm not a pop singer. I'm an entertainer.”
