Music star of a world stature and Russia’s favourite
Engelbert Humperdinck gave a concert in Moscow. Shortly before his Moscow visit
our newspaper managed to put a few questions to the celebrity with the
assistance of the Agency of the State Kremlin Palace.
Thanks
to technology, and the Internet, I am receiving emails from Russia. It is such
a thrill to read these words and to know is such an appreciation for my music
all those many miles away.
My
career has taken all over the world and I have been privileged to see so my
wonderful countries but my desire to see more is always a part of me. I have
not been to Russia for at last a decade and that is too long for me. I am very
excited to be able to bring my show to your beautiful part of the world. If my
touring schedule was not so busy, I would bring my family over and let them
experience the many treasures that Russia has to offer.
Music
is my life but I have to balance it with something that will take my mind away
from it for a few hours. Golf is my other passion. If I couldn’t play golf, I
would be a very stressed person. Show business is two hours of a show and 22
hours of business. I need to challenge myself in other areas of my life and I
love to play golf…wherever I go.
I
have friends whom I can call up when I come to their state of country and we
escape for a few hours of walking, laughing and of course, a little gambling on
who shall win. I don’t gamble very much money but I keep everything I win
because I make the loser sign in to me. I put them in an empty cigar box at
home. When we get together for a glass of wine and a cigar, I pull out the
money and we relive the whole day again. I have some great memories that were
made on golf courses all over the world.
You are traveling a lot. Could you name the countries and places which you like most of all as a man and artist?
Besides
your country, I have a great fondness for America, the country which embraced
me and continues to support my dreams by coming out to see my show, wherever I
go. Certainly, England is very dear to my heart. It’s my homeland and the birth
place of my career. Despite the many days of gray skies, there is always a warm
glow in my heart for England. I have a home in the countryside, so the gray
skies and rain only make the sunny days
more welcome and the rolling hills and fields and glorious green.
There
are so many countries which spark a special memory for me. It would be hard to
single out a few but Spain, Barbados in
the West Indies, Australia, Indonesia, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico,
all come to my mind immediately. Of course, there are others which have visited
but I have not had the time to enjoy like Korea, Japan and Singapore. You see!
I can’t stop naming countries. That was a long question!
You are an acknowledged star. Could you name a few of your friends from the “stellar” community?
Believe
it or not, I am a very private and shy person when I am off stage. Of course,
during my career I have met some of the most illustrious stars who have
impressed me as entertainers and genuine people. Elvis, Cary Grant, Nat King
Cole, Jayne Mansfield, Edward G Robinson, Sammy Davis Jr. Dean Martin, Jimmy
Hendrix have all walked into my life. The list is endless and it was always a
thrill for me because I came shake the hands of such legends.
Actually,
golf has opened up a world where I can share a game of golf with many
interesting people in show business and enjoy their company while I am
relaxing. Joe Pesci, from many wonderful movies such as “Lethal Weapon” and “My
cousin Vinnie” is a great friend of mine on and off the golf course. The last
time he was at my home in Los Angeles, we sat in the driveway in his car and
listened to his CD on his new stereo system. We were like little kids, singing
at the top of our lungs.
I
also had the great pleasure of playing with Lack Nicholson and I frequently
play with the legendry Carroll Shelby pf the racing world and the creator of
the Cobra car.
Could you say a little about your off stage life, the cuisine you prefer and your favorite pass time.
I
like to make my off stage life as simple as possible. Because I travel so much,
I get great pleasure out of just sleeping in my own bed and watching old movies
all day. I want to start enjoying my home and spending more quality time with
my family and friends. I am a very easy to please but I have a hard time
allowing my self to just relax. Aside from golf, I play tennis, darts and water
ski. I have to say that I’m quite accomplished in all of them. I once beat the
world champion of darts on television and won again when some of the top
players came to visit me backstage in Las Vegas. Perhaps it was the fact that
they enjoyed a lot of beer that night or maybe I have another calling in life
with my magic arrows!
I
really enjoy eating out. We have just moved into a neighborhood in Los Angeles
which has so many wonderful restaurants. Sometimes I will go alone to eat
Korean or Italian food, a spicy curry or a great steak. I prefer to have
company, but the owners of the restaurants that I go to always make a fuss of
me and the parking attendants are happy to see me coming because I make sure
and tip them well to take care of my cars or motorbikes, which is my other
passion. I think I have six bikes at the moment. It’s a hard habit to break
because I feel as free as a bird without a care in the world when I am riding
around on my Harley.
I
was lucky enough to be around some of the greatest songwriters in the world and
even sang some of their songs. I like to think of songs as little stories and
big pictures and it’s hard to imagine a world without such songs as
“Unforgettable”, “Unchained Melody”, “Too Young”, “Smile”, and “The shadow of
your smile”, to name a few.
I
love a lush melody that sweeps you up and carries you away. I’m also a big fan
of Latin flavored music. I have incorporated a lot of it into my show. It’s so
rhythmic and sensual. One of the most popular songs in this style is also on my
new CD called “Definition of Love”. It’s called “How Slow We Go” and was
co-written by my daughter, Louise. It’s a very sexy song. I asked her where how
she gets such lyrics and stories in her head and she just smiles, sighs, rolls
her eyes and says… “Oh, Dad!” I usually steal her best songs but she just had a
country artist by the name of Lorrie Morgan record one. It’s a female song so I
couldn’t sing it anyway.
That is an casy
question to answer at this moment in my life. I have spent nearly 40 years on
the road and there are three things that have kept me going. They are the love
and support of my family, sincere friendships, and my family of fans all over
the world. Without them, the road would have been either a long and difficult
journey or a very short one. You’ve got to be surrounded by believers and
positive, loving people in this business.
I
also stand strong in my religion. God has been good to me and watched over me
through difficult and sometimes dangerous times. I may not be someone who goes
to church every Sunday but I know that my prayers are heard, wherever I may be
on this road of life.
My
audience is getting younger every year. I think the fans who have been around
since the beginning are bringing their children and grandchildren, who have
grown up listening to me. It seems that they are also telling their friends.
It’s truly wonderful to look out at a sea if faces and see them singing along
to your songs, both old and new.
I
actually had a CD out a couple of years ago that was filled with dance remixes
of my classic hit songs. It went straight into the top 10 in the UK charts. I
think the younger generation got a kick out of dancing to the techno versions
of my songs and the fans that have been around for a long time used it for
music to exercise to and while they were deiving. “Quando, Quando, Quando” was
being sung all over the world… 30 years later.
I
hope that I will continue to tour as many countries as possible. The world has
changed so much and I am terribly sad that there are boarders that I can no
longer cross.
I
am looking forward to recording more. I have a lot of great ideas, but I just
need to take the time to do it. I just finished shooting a commercial for
England and I would very much like to make movies. O would just like a small
part in a big movie. It is a way of connecting with millions and being seen for
many decades to come… even after I am gone. The last movie I made was in Russia
with the Bolshoi ballet. Now, that was a memory that will stay with me forever.
The
Internet interview was conducted by Vyacheslav
BUTSENIN