Engelbert for The Eurovision Song Contest 2012

Look and listen and enjoy the one and only Englebert sing some of his greatest hit songs including “Spanish Eyes”

Engelbert Humperdinck has been chosen by the BBC as the UK entry for Eurovision. Veteran crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, whose last top 10 hit was 42 years ago, has been chosen as the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The 75-year-old star, who famously held The Beatles off number one in 1967, has been chosen by the BBC to take part in the contest. He follows boy band Blue who finished 11th last year, behind Ireland’s Jedward – who are due to take part again this year.  02/03/2012 01:21 | By pa.press.net – Msn News

A regular visitor to Marbella and the Costa Del Sol is  Engelbert, a name I first heard  when I was sitting in my father’s car heading into the City of Leicester in 1967. The car radio was playing and we heard a most wonderful voice, singing a beautiful new ballad called, “Please Release Me.” My father, who had been a trained Opera singer in his younger days, simply said to me. “Dario you have just heard the best quality voice Britain has ever produced. A voice in a million. This voice and that song will be a massive success. Remember my words.”

He was totally correct in his prediction, because Engelbert rose from the tough beginnings of his singing career as Gerry Dorsey, to one of the biggest International Superstars of our time and “Please Release Me” has remained one of his most recognised hits and all time favourites with his devoted fans.
As Arnold Dorsey, (Englebert) was one of ten children born in Madras, India, to British Army officer Mervyn Dorsey and his wife Olive.  His mother and father were themselves both British. His family moved to Leicester, England.

My connection with Engelbert started fortuitously, when his brother Erwin, walked into the popular restaurant, that as a young man I owned at that time, situated in the town center opposite BBC Radio Leicester. We hit it off immediately and Erwin and I became good friends.
He later brought with him their father” Mr Dorsey Senior“, a proud and upright man both in stature and in character. He started to frequent my restaurant more often and on one memorable occasion, met my father and both men took to one another immediately.

They shared several things together. One was the adoration of Engelbert’s superb voice, and the second  that they both had a passion for “arm wrestling”. My father like Mr Dorsey, was a pensioner and although retired, both men were physically powerful. My father had never been beaten in arm wrestling, and had fought with many much younger and fitter athletes, but he was never able to put Engelbert’s Father’s arm down. The same applied to Mr Dorsey, so each fight ended in a draw and a friendly celebration followed, as each man saluted the strength of the other, with a good glass of red wine on the house.

During this pleasant time with the Dorsey family, Erwin invited me to accompany him to the Isle of Man to help him make his return to show-business, as he had been a very good singer in his own right. I agreed to go with him and that decision changed my entire life. This meeting with Eddie thrust me into the spotlight of a world of music and show business, and as a young man in my early twenties, I was hooked and later I teamed up with my sister Delia and formed the singing duo Dario and Delia (Two of a kind)

Engelbert’s  career in the world of romantic music continued to go from strength to strength. He swept every audience before him with his great voice natural charm, and good looks, combined with good management and Engelbert’s unfailing instinct for choosing good songs. Hit followed hit. “The Last Waltz,” “Quando, Quando, Ouando,” “Spanish Eyes,” “Les Bicyclettes De Belsize,” “A Man Without Love,” “Red Roses For My Lady” and many more successes followed. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Ten Guitars,”  “There’s a Kind of Hush,” “Il Mondo (My World),”  “Misty Blue,” “Yours Until Tomorrow,” “After the Lovin,” “Wonderland by Night,”  “A Man Without Love,” “From Here To Eternity” and so many more.

Everyone from Japan to the Americas; wanted Engelbert the singing sensation. The people could not get enough of his voice and at home in England, the people of Leicester were so proud of their home grown star. He has never forgotten his roots and his family, and still resides just outside Leicester in a beautiful stately home, deep in the Leicestershire country.

Following my time with Engelbert’s brother, and my eyes still filled with stardust, I became a professional artist and commenced my own long climb for recognition and fame, performing around the world, in most of the best-known venues with my sister Delia, known simply as Dario and Delia, We also appeared in various radio and television shows and were fortunate to work with some of the best names in the business like Buddy Greco and Dave Allen (who became a great personal friend). I was also painting during this exciting period of my life and slowly evolved my own art style and kept in touch with Eddie Dorsey.

The years passed and I still had not met Engelbert in person, until the nineties. I had co- written a piece of music on the subject of Nostradamus with the international record producer Roberto Danova that I believed had potential for success and once again, I met his brother Erwin purely by chance in a local Leicestershire pub. Erwin introduced my music to Engelbert who sent for me to discuss my project. I liked him from the word go. He put me at ease and we discussed various things visa-vi our families and then the music to hand.

On the advice of Engelbert,  a recording of this exciting, innovative and original new piece called “Nostradamus” was produced and being with him over this period, I learned a lot from him about what it takes to achieve success.

I was invited to join him, his beautiful wife Pat, his son and personal manager Scott in Hamburg, and saw him perform live to huge audiences.
It was sensational; the German public went crazy for him, and the audience, totally captivated by his performance showered literally thousands of “Red Roses,” on the stage. He is the consummate professional of everything that he sang, said and did.
For despite his heavy schedule of work he was always calm and seemed to have all the time in the world, to give to his family, friends, associates, and his legions of fans.and over the years of his professionalism, Engelbert has received scores of  “Gold and Silver, Record Awards” for his successful singles and albums and he has worked and collaborated with almost all of the most famous names in the music industry and makes regular appearances on TV, all over the world.

One amazing fact I discovered about Engelbert was that he has “a gift of healing”.  I sometimes had to wait for him to start work with me, while Enge, (another name he likes to be called,) gave time to people with problems who had just phoned him. He also financially supports a charity in America. Engelbert and his family are hospitable people in an unpretentious and inconspicuous way, helping those who genuinely need them. But I sincerely believe that the Engelbert’s voice is the most potent source of healing I know. Long may he continue his good works.

“I consider myself fortunate to have had the privilege to have met Engelbert, this great performer of music”…Dario

• Release Me (1967) UK
• The Last Waltz (1967) UK
• A Man Without Love (1968) UK
• Engelbert (1969) UK
• Engelbert Humperdinck (1969) UK
• We Made It Happen (1970) UK
• Sweetheart (1971)
• Another Time, Another Place (1971) UK
• Live at the Riviera Las Vegas (1972) UK
• In Time (1972)
• Engelbert King of Hearts (1973)
• My Love (1973)
• Engelbert Humperdinck – His Greatest Hits (1974) UK
• engelbert humperdinck live in Japan(2lp) (1975)
• After the Lovin’ (1976)
• Miracles By Engelbert Humperdinck (1977)
• Christmas Tyme (1977)
• Christmas Tyme Again.
• Last of the Romantics (1978)
• This Moment in Time (1979)
• love’s only love (1980)
• retrospective (1980)
• Live in Concert All of Me (1980)
• A Merry Christmas With Engelbert Humperdinck (1980)
• Don’t You Love Me Anymore (1981)
• You and Your Lover (1983)
• A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening(2lp)(1985)
• Träumen Mit Engelbert (1986)
• Remember-I love you (1987)
• In love (1988)
• Ich denk an Dich(Star Of Bethlehem) (1989)
• Zärtlichkeiten (1990)
• ” Coming Home” (1991)
• ” Hello Out There” (1992)
• ” Yours” (1993)
• ” Yours Quiereme Mucho” (1993)
• ” Love Unchained” (1995)
• ” After Dark” (1996)
• ” A Little In Love” (1998)
• The Dance Album (2000) UK
• Always Hear The Harmony: The Gospel Sessions (2002)
• Definition of Love (2003)
• Engelbert Live (2003)
• His Greatest Love Songs (2004) UK
• Let There Be Love (2005)
• Totally Amazing (2006)
• Greatest Hits and More (2007)
• The Winding Road (2007)
• ” Legacy Of Love” (2009)(Wikipedia)