Arnold George Dorsey was born and raised with 10 brothers and sisters in Leicester, England. In 1965, after surviving a year-long bout with tuberculosis, his manager, Gordon Mills, suggested that he change his name. Can you just imagine that conversation?
Mills: "Georgie, we've got to have more oomph; a name that'll grab 'em by the balls!"
Dorsey: "Well, I guess I could consider a new name. What do you have in mind?"
Mills: "I've thought about this long and hard, Georgie, and I think we need to go with Englebert Humperdinck."
Dorsey(in wide-eyed, open-mouthed amazement): "What did you just say?"
Mills: "You heard me, ol' chap. Englebert Humperdinck."
Dorsey: "I think you've lost your bleedin' mind, Gordy."
Mills: "Listen, Georgie: Think about it. 'Hump' 'her' 'dink.' Get it? The chicks will get all moist when they hear it."
His 1967 hit, "Release Me," broke records and set the stage for his long lasting recording career. He now claims to have the largest fan club in the world with over eight million members. He's won the Golden Globe's "Entertainer of the Year," and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.