September 1979: British singer, heartthrob Engelbert Humperdinck visits Hersheypark
In 1979 British singer Engelbert Humperdinck was a big deal. And so was his September visit to Hersheypark, where women from three, yes three, Engelbert Humperdinck fan clubs welcomed him.
Humperdinck pressed his hands into wet cement and signed his name for a feature at the park's Starlight Arcade. Hersheypark's general manager also presented the balladeer with a plaque, commemorating the moment.
“I really do appreciate it. And I consider it a great honor,” he said.
Humperdinck was the fourth entertainer to be enshrined at the Starlight Arcade. The other three were:
- Richard Dwyer, of Ice Follies
- Pianist Liberace
- The Osmonds
About Engelbert Humperdinck
Though not as well known today, Humperdinck, was a chart-topping singer known for his dramatic ballads in the 1960s and '70s.
His real name was Arnold George Dorsey. While he performed under that name for a time in the '50s, he burst onto the scene in England, as Engelbert, with his 1967 hit "Release Me," which sold more than a million copies.
In the 70s, Humperdinck gained more fame in America, with charting songs in 1976, "After the Lovin" and 1979's "This Moment in Time."
