‘Borrowed’ screen name works wonders

HUMPERDINCK. Born Arnold Dorsey.

SINGING star Engelbert Humperdinck’s announcement of his latest performing visit to Manila on July 10 has “tweaked” our fancy and imagination—because, in our own contextual universe, he’s the poster boy for clever creativity when it comes to performers crafting unique stellar monikers for themselves.

There’s more to the star’s choice of unique “screen name” than meets the contemporary eye and ear: Some people may not know it, but the singer is actually paying tribute to a real artist who bore that seemingly fey and implausible name:

The real Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer born in 1821. He was a precocious musical prodigy who penned his first composition when he was only 7 years young!

Exceptional promise

In 1829, his exceptional promise was affirmed when he won the first Mendelssohn Award. Later, he worked with Richard Wagner and is credited with being the first composer to use Sprechgesang, a vocal technique halfway between singing and speaking.
All in all, however, the original Humperdinck is most acclaimed for his opera, “Hansel and Gretel.” He died in 1921.

—So, how did the German composer get a new lease on “life” as today’s popular singing star, who’s often billed as the “King of Romance?” Therein lies a fascinating tale:

Today’s durable singing star was born Arnold Dorsey in 1936 in Madras, India, where his father worked as an engineer in the British Army. He grew up in England and became a popular concert draw—until he contracted tuberculosis, which sidelined him for a year.

Lost ground

By the time he resumed his singing career, Dorsey found himself struggling to recover lost ground—until he was “rediscovered” by Tom Jones’ manager, who suggested that Dorsey change his name to —Engelbert Humperdinck!
The “forgotten” name was so unusual that it created a buzz around the “new” star—a fascination that his management team cleverly stoked by intentionally creating an air of mystery around him, dressing him up in period costumes.

Well, it all worked perfectly, and his new single, “Release Me,” hit the top of the charts in 1967. Many hit songs and albums later, Humperdinck continues to perform all over the world for nostalgia buffs, as witness his latest show in Manila—at age 80!