Thursday, February 24 or Thursday, March 3 Daytona Beach Shores Community Center 3048 South Atlantic Ave.
Page A-8—Seniors Today—February 18, 2011
Engelbert Humperdinck Special to Seniors Today
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or more than four decades, international recording icon Engelbert Humperdinck has shared his legacy of love with fans of every age, on every continent. On March 22 at 7 P.M., Mr. Humperdinck will WOW audiences at The Peabody in Daytona Beach! Born in Madras, India in 1936, Arnold George Dorsey (aka Engelbert Humperdinck) and his family, which included nine brothers and sisters, moved to England in 1947. His father served in the British military, and his mother taught violin and had an operatic voice. They all lived in Leicester, England and as a young lad, Arnold developed strong and enduring family values imparted by his parents. At the age of eleven, he began to study saxophone. When he was seventeen, Arnold found himself playing at a pub that sponsored a singing contest. Goaded by his friends to enter, he put down his sax and for the first time revealed another vocal talent: impersonations. He gave a fine impression of Jerry Lewis and was quickly dubbed Gerry Dorsey by his friends. It became his professional stage name and he never picked up the sax again. Gerry was very popular on the UK music circuit until he contracted tuberculosis, which silenced him for six months and nearly snuffed out his rising star. Many people assumed his career was finished. Upon regaining his health, he knew he had to bury his old, somewhat tainted image to make a comeback as a strong, dynamic performer.
Meeting his old flat mate, Gordon Mills, in 1965 led to a change of direction, career, and name. Mills was a clever manager and promoter who knew that a performer had to call attention to himself. His idea for Gerry was to change his name to something that people would remember. He convinced Gerry that no one would forget the name Engelbert Humperdinck, the name of the Austrian composer who wrote Hansel And Gretel. His hit records include There Goes My Everything, The Last Waltz, Spanish Eyes, A Man Without Love, Am I That Easy to Forget, Winter World of Love, and After the Lovin’. One of the world’s most instantly recognized voices, Engelbert’s music has withstood the test of time thanks to his sensitive interpretation of lyrics. He has never limited himself to just one genre, recording everything from pop to disco, rock, and gospel. He is a true icon of entertainment, and as he’s proven throughout his career, the best is yet to come! ST Tickets can be purchased at The Peabody Box Office, 600 Auditorium Blvd., Daytona Beach, at the Peabody website www.Peabody Auditorium.org online at www.TicketMas ter.com at any Ticketmaster outlet, or by calling 800-745-3000. Now, tickets may also be purchased at any local WalMart store in the electronics department. Ticket prices range from $75–$42 plus service fees. For additional show information or group discounts, please call 386-671-3460.