Engelbert Humperdinck

One of the most popular purveyors of romantic pop ballads in the late 1960s and 1970s, singer Engelbert Humperdinck's matinee idol looks and three-and-a-half-octave vocal range provided him with a string of Top 10 hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including "Release Me," "A Man without Love," "The Last Waltz" and "After the Lovin'." Though his stage image, replete with resplendent sideburns and a penchant for jump suits and sequins, hewed closely to the Las Vegas environment where he enjoyed some of his most faithful audiences, Humperdinck worked hard to remain relevant in an industry that shelved traditional pop singers almost immediately after his recording debut in 1961. He sold his hit compilations through direct marketing commercials and gamely collaborated with everyone from Elton John to Beavis and Butt-Head. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of such fellow '60s pop titans as Tom Jones by keeping his music and image fresh in the minds of the public and never relegating himself to the "oldies" circuit. Humperdinck's long career and tireless work ethic preserved his status as one of pop's most timeless performers.