‘I went through hell’: Engelbert Humperdinck recalls agents’ unwanted advances

Music legend Engelbert Humperdinck.

Before he became a household name, British legend, Engelbert Humperdinck says he faced repeated unwanted advances from talent agents while trying to break into London’s music scene in the late 1950s.

Pagesix.com reported that during a recent episode of “The Engelbert Humperdinck Show,” the 90-year-old British singer opened up about the struggles he faced while pursuing a music career in his early 20s.

Humperdinck, born Arnold George Dorsey, recalled that he began travelling from his hometown of Leicester, England, to London in the late 1950s in hopes of establishing himself as a singer.

He said that at the time, his older sister was able to give him just enough money to spend one night in a hotel while he visited talent agents.

He said that seeking representation proved to be a “very difficult task” because many of the agents instead pursued him personally.

“In those days, you know, a lot of the agencies were…the men that fancied men,” he said. “I had to go through a lot because I got chased a lot by agents.”

“I was true to myself then,” Humperdinck continued. “And I avoided all that, but I went through hell with that sort of thing.”

“Except I did find one guy that helped me out,” he said. “He was a married man.”

Humperdinck identified that agent as Sydney Myers, who invited the aspiring singer to stay at his apartment in London’s Maida Vale neighborhood for six months while introducing him to the industry.

The singer said the television exposure helped establish him as a household name and led to more work.