A legendary Leicester singer has been awarded an MBE after working in the entertainment industry for over seven decades.
Engelbert Humperdinck, 85, was given the honour earlier this week by the Princess Royal at during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.
Over the course of his career, the music veteran has sold 140 million records around the world, and is best known for his cover me ‘Please Release Me’, which exploded in 1967, as well as ‘The Last Waltz’, which topped the UK charts in the same year.
Speaking after being presented with his award, Mr Humperdinck said that he was overwhelmed by the honour.
“I’m overwhelmed, and a Member of the British Empire is a great order, and I thank Her Royal Highness for giving it to me today”, he said.
“I’ve been successful since 1967 and I’m still doing it, and I start on a European tour very shortly and thank god the pandemic is over so we can continue with the job we do”.
Although he was forced to cancel a UK tour last November, after falling ill with a bronchial infection, he continued to interact with fans through his popular Youtube Channel.
The singer who was raised in Leicester, was due to perform in 14 cities, finishing at De Montfort Hall.
Mr Humperdinck was made MBE in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, something which he dedicated to his late wife, Patricia who died in February the same year, after contracting Covid-19.
She had also been living with Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade.
As part of a career spanning over seven decades, Mr Humperdinck, born Arnold George Dorsey, also represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with the song ‘Love Will Set You Free’, cementing his status as both a local and national treasure.
Other legendary figures who collected royal awards on April 5, included rocker Rick Wakeman, actor Sir Jonathan Pryce and former rugby player Rob Burrow.
