Engelbert Eurodinck: 75-year-old crooner with world's biggest fan club and 'more paternity suits than mattresses' is UK's Eurovision entry
By Paul Revoir and Alasdair Glennie
Last updated at 1:07 AM on 2nd March 2012
We have tried every trick in the book – a once-popular boy band, a couple of former reality show contestants, and even a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
But Britain’s performance in the Eurovision Song Contest has remained dismal. So this time, we’re putting our faith in age and experience.
Legendary singer Engelbert Humperdinck, 75, will be this year’s British entry, the BBC announced yesterday.
Legendary crooner Engelbert Humperdinck is the surprise choice to represent the UK in this year's Eurovision Song Contest
The music millionaire, most famous for his chart-topping hits Release Me and The Last Waltz, has legions of fans around the world – and, crucially for the competition, across Europe.
He will perform an as yet unnamed song co-written by Martin Terefe, who has worked with James Morrison and KT Tunstall, and Sacha Skarbek, who has penned tracks for Adele and co-wrote James Blunt’s hit You’re Beautiful. The contest will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 26.
It is the first time since the 1970s that the UK has chosen such a well-known international artist, and it follows years of mostly mediocre results.
Last year, boy band Blue finished in eleventh place. In 2009, Jade Ewen performed a song by Lord Lloyd Webber and took fifth place – with the highest number of points for the UK since Katrina and the Waves in 1997.
While Humperdinck is worth tens of millions, he has not had a British top ten single since 1969 and last appeared in the UK top 40 in 1999, so the competition offers the chance to relaunch his chart career. In 1976, his single After The Lovin’ reached number eight in the U.S.
BBC bosses are aware that Humperdinck has an advantage over recent UK entries in that he is well-known beyond Britain and is likely to pick up votes from fans abroad.
Big spender: Humperdinck in 1968 with his Rolls Royce car and aeroplane
In the past year alone he has performed in major venues in the UK, Russia, Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and Israel.
After his British heyday in the 1960s, India-born Humperdinck continued producing records and playing as many as 250 gigs a year around the world.
The singer (in another Rolls-Royce) with his wife Patricia Healey last year
As well as his U.S. chart success, he developed a popular Las Vegas stage show and last year was awarded a place on the city’s Walk of Stars.
He has sold more than 150million records and received accolades including four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe, 63 gold and 24 platinum records.
Humperdink at an album-signing session at Harrods in 2004. He has sold more than 150 million records
His Eurovision performance, which will be broadcast live on BBC1, is expected to be watched by 120million worldwide.
The singer, who divides his time between Los Angeles and his home town of Leicester, said: ‘It’s an absolute honour to be representing my country for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. When the BBC approached me, it just felt right for me to be a part of an institution like Eurovision.
Humperdink has continued to perform ever since his 1960s heyday, including this performance on the 'Des O'Connor Chritsmas Show' in 1988
‘I’m excited and raring to go and want the nation to get behind me.’
Katie Taylor of the BBC said: ‘Not since the 1970s have we had such an established international musical legend represent the nation.’
Engelbert Humperdinck's global appeal once saw him own 14 Rolls Royce cars, including this one with a personalised number plate
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2109028/Engelbert-Eurodinck-75-year-old-crooner-worlds-biggest-fan-club-paternity-suits-mattresses-UKs-Eurovision-entry.html#ixzz1nv1Zes4k
