Engelbert Humperdinck on beating the Beatles, touring with Hendrix – and his name

https://www.theguardian.com/music/live/2018/dec/03/engelbert-humperdinck-webchat-interview

Version 0 of 1.

And that’s all for now

To all the other people who posted questions, I'm sorry we ran out of time - hopefully next time! All the best.

TheShiftyShadow

Do you prefer building sandcastles or snowmen?

I do like snowmen!

raphph

You famously stopped the Beatles’ consecutive No 1 set of singles when Release Me beat Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane. But which of those two Beatles songs do you prefer? And who is your favourite Beatle?

I'll be honest with you - I was proud of the fact that a Leicester lad stopped the mighty Beatles, who I adore, with a song that came from Nashville. It stopped them having their 13th number one - unlucky for them, but lucky for me. I love all the Beatles, but I've only met Paul and Ringo.

JeanLouisLebris

Why is there a saddle in your living room?

LittleJoe1

What about the broad sword?

JeanLouisLebris

Doesn’t everyone have one of those?

I got that in 1973. I was playing a rodeo, in a Houston arena, and my entrance to the concert on that particular day was on a horse. Named Blue, actually. I believe we had 73,000 people in the audience, a very memorable occasion, and I still have the saddle that they gave me. Sometimes when I go on holiday I still ride along the beach on a horse - but I'm not a good rider. I'm a Harley rider.

liltiki

What do you recall of your 1967 tour with Cat Stevens and Jimi Hendrix on the same bill in support of the Walker Brothers? 1967. Great lineup!

I consider the time with Cat Stevens, Hendrix and the Walker Brothers a very memorable time in my life - working with artists of that calibre was inspirational. I love Cat's writing, and his attitude in life - he did what he wanted to do and that's what I appreciate in people. Hendrix, I adored the man. He was very kind person to me, and offered me one of his jackets - I should have taken it but said, no, it's ok Jimi. The Walker Brothers, they were a talented pair of people. I thought that Scott had a very fine voice.

greysky

Is there any truth in the rumour that when you were very young, your dad, Tommy, swapped you for a new trombone?

I don't know who you're talking about! My father's name is not Tommy - but he did buy me my first ever saxophone, for which I thank him most sincerely.

MissMadrigal

I often used to sit under a signed photo of you in the Durham Ox pub in Leicester. I used to enjoy imagining that you at some point a habitue of this fine pub . Did you ever go there?

I've been to many pubs in Leicester, and this may have been one of them - please forgive me for not being so precise in my answer!

catchytitled

Lineker or Vardy (or perhaps another)? Where does winning the league rank in all time “Best. Days. Ever”?

I am a Leicester fan and I held the trophy in my hands. I like both Lineker and Vardy very much - Vardy is now in his prime, and a very fine and wonderful player. I'm very proud of being part of Leicester, and I happen to know the recent owner who passed in that awful accident, who was very much loved by the people of Leicester and around the world.

tabbycatty

You have spoken about your wife having Alzheimer’s. What alternative therapies are you using to treat her and what effect are they having?

The greatest cure is prayer, because no solution for the disease has come up as of yet. But I think you have to try everything possible, including stem cells, which I think is the way of the future. My wife had that right at the beginning of her illness - I took her to Germany and had it done, but I think it was a mite early in the time of stem cells. But maybe it did have something to do in keeping her as long as I have, and thank God I have her. I do use other methods besides the medical world - I use electrical acupuncture, which is also a form of creating new stem cells. And I also use holistic medicine, which I've found instrumental in one of my early illnesses that I had which other doctors couldn't cure, but this holistic doctor in Germany took away in two weeks. I had an infection and I was cold all the time - no one knew what it was and it scared me. Until someone told me about this holistic doctor in Hamburg - I visited him and he gave me some medicine and in two weeks the viral infection had gone. He's no longer living - a sad loss.

giahosinn

I’ve heard you chose your stage name after a village in France called Moulins-Engilbert (where I reside). Is this true, or is the name from an 18th-century German composer? Please clear this up as there are rumours locally.

I don't know where this village is, but Engelbert came to me from the composer of Hansel and Gretel. Gordon Mills, my manager, chose it originally. It's difficult to sign, and say, and to put up on a marquee - but it's served its purpose well.

plymgary

If you were to introduce yourself to your guests with lists of your hits, which ones would you start with?

I think that's a trick question, because I think you get introduced to other people singing your songs to you - the one that is sung in airports, in my face, everywhere, is Please Release Me. It's remained my signature song and has remained the greatest asset of my life ever.

Katewashere

Have you ever met someone with a better name than yours?

No. Mine has been good to me.