Casino Scene: Road wide open for English crooner Engelbert Humperdinck
Tan and in shape, having recently lost 33 pounds, English crooner Engelbert Humperdinck is ready to tackle a new world tour with an itinerary that brings him through Tunica on Saturday for a performance at Gold Strike Casino's Millennium Theater.
"I'm still having fun and that's the main thing," says Engelbert Humperdinck, 73, still the ''King of Romance.''
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The arduous journey, which will last well into next spring, is part of a burst of creative energy from the 73-year-old singer that also includes the release of an astounding three albums: the recently issued A Taste of Country and Legacy Of Love and the upcoming Endlessly. The fact that there is so much demand for Humperdinck around the world speaks volumes to the resilience of the man who has been able to stand atop the shifting sands of pop music for four decades to retain his crown as the "King of Romance."
"I still enjoy the road, and I enjoy my work," says Humperdinck from his Southern California home. "I'm still having fun and that's the main thing."
Humperdinck was not always the suave singer of romantic melodies people know him as today. He was born Arnold George Dorsey in Madras, India, and raised in England. An entertainer from an early age, he started his musical training on saxophone, but when he was 17 he dared to get up in a club and sing, and the impact of that decision changed his life forever.
"I wasn't very good on the saxophone, but it taught me my music," says Humperdinck says. "When I found out I had a voice, I put my saxophone down and that was it."
After changing his name, at the suggestion of a manager, to the more colorful Engelbert Humperdinck (the name borrowed from a German composer), Dorsey struck it big in 1967 with a smoothed-out version of the country hit "Release Me." The song began a hit streak that today includes 68 gold and 25 platinum records.
"I'm very proud of the wall in my home," Humperdinck says of where he keeps his many awards. "It really is awesome to look at. It's my room of pride and joy because it's taken a lot of hard work."
Many of the hits Humperdinck has amassed over the years are present on Legacy Of Love, a record that features the singer revisiting his catalog with the backing of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
"I challenged myself because I thought to myself, '40 years down the line, will I be able to sing the songs the same way?' As a matter of fact, it turned out terrific. Professional ears who have heard the album say they sound better than the originals."
Showtime is 8 p.m. Saturday Tickets are $39.95 and are available at the Gold Strike Gift Shop or by phone at 888-245-7529. For more information, visit goldstrikemississippi.com.
Bet's on big names
With profits down amid the recession, Tunica casinos are apparently betting on marquee-name entertainment to lure gamers. Besides the aforementioned Engelbert Humperdinck show, this weekend's performance schedule includes:
Eighties heartthrob Rick Springfield at 9 p.m. tonight at Sam's Town's River Palace Entertainment Center. Tickets are $40 and are available at the Sam's Town box office and through Ticketmaster. Visit samstowntunica.com for more information.
Horseshoe Casino's Bluesville has back-to-back shows with urbane retro-rocker Chris Isaak (Tickets: $60) at 9 p.m. tonight, and Southern-fried roots rockers the Black Crowes (Tickets: $40), featuring DeSoto County native Luther Dickinson on guitar, at 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets to both shows are available at the Horseshoe box office and through Ticketmaster. Visit horseshoetunica.com for more information.
And at Fitzgerald's Casino Great Hall Event Center Saturday, Grammy-winning bluegrass superstar Ricky Skaggs takes the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $30 and are available at the Fitz Gift Shop and through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit fitzgeraldstunica.com.
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