Sunday Observer
Seylan Merchant Bank
Sunday, 3 July 2005    
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Features
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Oomph! - Sunday Observer Magazine

Junior Observer



Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Silumina  on-line Edition

Government - Gazette

Daily News

Budusarana On-line Edition
 


Fame came with a name change

by Ranjan Anandappa

Know the secret behind the success of Engelbert Humperdinck's singing career?. Well, to those local fans of his who don't know, it was his change of name that dictated his destiny.

Born Arnold George Dorsey, the change of name brought him instant luck and great fame, and it took him away from the wilderness of ill-luck and made him one of the world's greatest romantic crooners of all time. His style of singing and his ravishing Latin features drove many females wild.So much, so that some went up to the extent of throwing panties on stage while he performed. Some threatened to commit suicide if they were not given the opportunity to meet Humperdinck. Such was the magnetic aura created by the great singer.

His early beginnings was a road of all thorns for young Dorsey. Like most super stars, he had his share of adversaries while in pursuit of his best loved profession - singing. Telephone booths, and railway station floors were his bed rest after performing in small hotels, because he ran short of money to get back home. At times he was abused and insulted and doors were slammed on him.

Once an artist friend purposely denied his identity at the entrance of the stage door and asked the doorman not to permit him in. In another instance George Dorsey approached a famous music director with some musical arrangements compiled for him by a famous songwriter which would have been the beginning of his singing career, but the music director paid him scant respect and tossed the music sheets up in the air leaving a dismayed Dorsey to pick them up.

His father was an Engineering Consultant and was in India on a government development project, where Humperdinck was born. He wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. But Dorsey had other ideas, firmly believing that he had the voice to penetrate the world. He is a living embodiment of sheer perseverance.

When Arnold George Dorsey was only 14, he was quite good at blowing the saxophone and was able to play the guitar and the piano. He used to go for socials with his brother Eddie. They wanted him to sing and the applause inspired him greatly. While being conscripted into the army ,Engelbert used to play his 'sax' at socials, but people appreciated his singing. They said that Arnold George Dorsey had a natural voice.

One Christmas eve, when most families were busy preparing for Christmas, Engelbert got the opportunity to sing in a place far from his home for a fee of 20 pounds. He could not afford to miss the opportunity as the physical and mental strain was badly affecting him. It was his bestman and good friend Gordon Mills, who was concerned about his friend's career, who finally decided that a change of name and a fresh start was the only way to end his misery.

While browsing through a pile of records Mills came across the name Engelbert Humperdinck, a German composer who had died in 1921. The name created lot of speculations among other singers, but Engelbert was ready to undergo any type of transition to achieve his ultimate target which he did.

The year 1967 undoubtedly was Engelbert's year of destiny. Gordon Mills his faithful friend and the driving force behind his singing career while travelling in his car heard the old instrumental version of an American and blues song which he later revived as 'Release Me'. Mills traced the music publisher and added another verse to the lyrics.

It was at this moment that Mills learned through the grapevine that a singer named Dickie Valentine, who was to perform in a top television show named 'Sunday Night' at the London Palladium, was down with influenza and unable to perform. They were desperately looking for a substitute.

Mills introduced Engelbert to the producer and got him to sing 'Release Me'. Engelbert was a big success, and the original performer Dickie Valentine, who missed the show due to illness was the first to congratulate Humperdinck over the phone after the show ended. Thereafter it was no looking back for the handsome ballader.

The year 1967 belonged to Engelbert. During this time The Beatles were right on top of the musical world for five consecutive years since 1967. Almost all their songs were number one hits on the global charts. But Engelbert put an end to their dominance and in early 1967, his 'Release Me' sold over five million copies and he was voted the number one singer in more than twelve countries. Since then the wheel of fortune revolved around him, and the steady influx of great hits made Engelbert a household name.

www.singersl.com

One Unit Four colour Sheet-fed Offset Printing Machine

http://www.mrrr.lk/(Ministry of Relief Rehabilitation & Reconciliation)

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |


Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services