Introduction:
At 90 years old, Engelbert Humperdinck could easily be enjoying a quiet retirement after one of the most extraordinary careers in popular music. Instead, the legendary romantic crooner is preparing for more concerts, celebrating new music and proving that age has done little to silence the voice that once helped define an era.
Humperdinck has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide, earned Grammy nominations and built a global following with classics including “Release Me,” “The Last Waltz” and “After the Lovin’.” His astonishing breakthrough came in 1967, when “Release Me” became such a phenomenon that it prevented The Beatles from reaching No. 1 in Britain for six consecutive weeks.
Yet some of his most fascinating memories involve another icon: Elvis Presley.
Humperdinck remembers meeting Elvis after years of admiring him from afar. The two eventually became friendly, attended each other’s performances and even joked about recording one another’s songs. Humperdinck also claims he had his famous long sideburns before Elvis adopted a similar look.
“Elvis taught me never to take your image seriously,” Humperdinck recalled, describing Presley as one of the greatest performers he had ever witnessed.
Years after Elvis died, however, their connection took a far stranger turn.
While staying in Elvis’ former suite at the Las Vegas Hilton, Humperdinck said lights mysteriously switched themselves off several times and the jacuzzi repeatedly turned on during the night. The following day, while attempting to play an Elvis cassette, the machine suddenly malfunctioned and the room reportedly went dark.
Humperdinck interpreted the bizarre experience not as something frightening, but almost as an old friend making his presence known.
His relationship with fellow British superstar Tom Jones remains more complicated. Once close friends who shared accommodations during their early careers, the two have reportedly been estranged for decades. Remarkably, Humperdinck says he still does not fully understand what caused the split.
Despite the silence between them, there is little bitterness.
“I would embrace him if he ever put his hand out to me,” Humperdinck said, praising Jones as one of the finest singers the world has known.
The deepest emotion in Humperdinck’s later performances, however, comes from the loss of his wife, Patricia, who died in 2021 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. They had known each other since the 1950s and shared a marriage spanning decades.
During her illness, Humperdinck turned increasingly toward prayer. He even asked fans around the world to join him each evening in praying for Patricia.
Today, that faith remains central to his life.
Humperdinck says he still prays every night, carries a portable altar while touring and believes his voice is ultimately a gift from God.
Perhaps that explains why retirement has never felt natural.
As Humperdinck puts it, if you can still do what you love, why stop?
And at 90, with another album, another tour and another audience waiting, Engelbert Humperdinck clearly has no intention of letting “the old man” in.