Iconic singer ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK is celebrating his 89th birthday (born May 2, 1936). The veteran artist has released a whopping 42 studio albums that have sold over 140 million records worldwide. Continually packing venues globally, he will be performing over 60 shows this year throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Southeast Asia and the United States.
“I am blessed with longevity in my family, love of my job and loyalty of those who have followed the road I have travelled,” he says about this milestone. “For these gifts, I am truly grateful.”
A nod to his ever-growing legacy in the continually-shifting musical landscape, Engelbert proceeds to build his online presence with over 499,000 YouTube subscribers, 400,000 Facebook followers, and 2.4 million Spotify monthly listeners. Every Tuesday, he actively engages fans of all ages worldwide by adding a personal video message for his “Tuesday Museday” series (each video racking tens of thousands of views).
“A lesson I learned at the well-rounded age of 88 was to not let the curtain fall before its time,” he explains. “Don’t limit yourself with a number. As another page turns in my story and my diary, I’m excited to add 89 to The Last Waltz Tour and see many more places that I have come to know and love over the years. Familiar faces in the audiences have become a special kind of family.”
Celebrated the world over, Engelbert’s imprint on the entertainment world for nearly seven decades continues to build upon his ongoing impact. First coming to international prominence with his breakout singles “Release Me” and “The Last Waltz” in 1967, both of which topped the UK singles charts that year and selling more than a million copies each, he scored numerous other indelibly memorable hits including “After the Lovin’,” “There Goes My Everything,” “Am I That Easy to Forget,” and “This Moment in Time.” His 1968 single “A Man Without Love” found a whole new audience when it was featured in the Marvel Universe series Moon Knight (its video is at a staggering 48million views), and “Quando Quando Quando” on Netflix’s Umbrella Academy. A newly recorded version of West Ham United’s football anthem “Forever Blowing Bubbles” was featured prominently in the hit movie Bullet Train which starred Brad Pitt.
His latest album, All About Love (released in 2023 on OK! Good Records) was a collection of eye-opening reinterpretations of classic love songs, reworkings of some of his own classics, including the #1 R&B hit “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” which was originally released by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1972, the Philly soul classic “When Will I See You Again” (originally released in 1974 by The Three Degrees), and Lou Rawls’ perennial classic “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.” As a nod to his ever-growing Latin fanbase, Engelbert re-recorded “A Man Without Love” as a duet with “Mexico’s Sweetheart” Angelica Maria and the bolero classic “Besame Mucho,” featuring two-time GRAMMY®-nominated Mariachi star Lupita Infante. His country-western tinged rendition of Barry White’s 1974 Gold-selling chart topper “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” has amassed over 3.3million views on YouTube and inspired a line-dance from its celebratory music video, which was filmed at Los Angeles’ authentic Honky-Tonk club, Cowboy Palace Saloon.
Not one to sit still for long, especially when he has 89 candles to blow out, Engelbert looks forward to continuing his momentum. He smirkingly says, “Here’s to many more miles ahead!”