Englebert Humperdink in concert

Last night I had the opportunity of seeing Englebert Humperdink in concert here in Jersey. Yes that Englebert. At 73 he is till alive and kicking though I thought he was more of a parody of his former self. Don't get me wrong. He is still a great entertainer and can put over a song ,but he did poke fun of himself a lot and still woos the ladies with wiping his chest and brow with red handkerchiefs and throwing them in the audience to his screaming fans. He's got siver hair now and is a little paunchier though he said he lost some weight. He mentioned that his hair was a different color now,"I'm trying to get back to my roots," he quipped.

Backed by a nine piece band of younger musicians including two keyboardists, a sax player, a trumpet player, drummer and bass and lead guitar and two female back up singers,he did all his hits and then some. Starting with a powerful rendition of the Righteous Brothers hit "Unchained Melody" and ending with Frank Sinatra's "MyWay" Englebert got the audience singing and waving their arms along on old favorites like "Lonely is a Man Without Love." and "The Last Waltz will Last Forever." When introducing his band he said that his drummer wa s with him since he was 19 years old ,"He's now 107" he jokingly quipped at an age joke again. Actually he looked about late thirties or 40.

At one point he asked for a volunteer lady from the audience. One woman was picked and Englebert sat her down on a chair and made her hold the lyrics to "After the Lovin'" so he could remember them he said. Actually it was a ruse and at the end of the song he gave her a big bear hug and rapped one of his handkerchiefs around her. He asked if she was married and she replied "yes". He then asked if her husband was in the audience and she said "No" to which he replied "THANK GOD!!!"

Englebert also did a country western song from his new C&W album he has coming out, undoing his tie, unbuttoning his shirt and donning a leather vest and cowboy hat for it. Overall it was an entertaining concert, but I thought his voice could have been miked up a little bit more because the band sometimes drowned him out. He said he's been performing for 43 years now. I remember when he first came out and now 43 years later I get to see him. :D

Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey, May 2, 1936, Madras, India) is a well-known British popular music singer who became famous internationally during the 1960s and 1970s, after adopting the name of the famous German opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck as his own stage name.