The Man I Want To Be

In 2017 Engelbert Humperdinck hit an incredible milestone and opened up to the world about a very personal tragedy.

In 1967 after ten years of trying to make it in showbiz Arnold George Dorsey, by then known as Engelbert Humperdinck after the nineteenth century German composer of the same name, became an international star with the hit song "Release Me". The song hit number one on the charts doing the unthinkable by keeping The Beatles from that slot with their Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane release. Engelbert ruled the charts for 56 weeks and dominated in the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic. That same year he would hit again with The Last Waltz.

Engelbert Humperdinck, the singer with a funny name, had finally done it, he was an international star and the decades would fly by with hit after hit with a never wavering commitment to his style of singing. He never had a single lesson and we are all the better for it.

He celebrated 2017 with the 50th Anniversary of that incredible year in 1967 but it was also marked with great sadness. In 1964 Engelbert married the great love of his life, Patricia Healy and they had four children. He had always kept his private and professional life separate.Over the last few years fans began to notice that Engelbert would often become emotional during his performances of certain songs but didn't know why.

In 2017 Engelbert went public with the fact that his beloved wife Patricia had Alzheimer's disease and had been battling it for ten years. In November of that year his much anticipated album "The Man I Want To Be" was released. It featured a lot of new songs, his first such collection in several years. It is a deeply personal and emotional album dedicated to Patricia. "I'm Glad I Danced With You", a duet with his young granddaughter Olivia will definitely bring a tear, as will "Just Like the First Time."

This is the message on the inside cover of the album, "Friends, I hope these songs bring you as much joy and pleasure to listen to as I had recording them. Each one tells a story and expresses some of my innermost feelings as an artist and a man. I'm excited to share them with you. Thanks for all your love and support over the years. Yours Truly, Engelbert."

At 81 the legendary singer has no plans to retire, still performing about 80 concerts a year around the world.

"The Man I Want To Be" is a wonderful collection of songs and I highly recommend it to all my music loving friends.