Introduction:
Engelbert Humperdinck Rings in the Holidays with New Christmas Album at 82
At 82, Engelbert Humperdinck shows no signs of slowing down. More than 50 years into his iconic entertainment career, the British crooner continues to delight fans with new music and projects. Earlier this year, he released The Man I Want To Be, his first studio album of original material in over a decade. Now, he is set to celebrate the holiday season with Warmest Christmas Wishes, a 14-track collection that blends classic favorites with contemporary songs and new material.
Humperdinck tells Billboard that the project was long overdue. “It’s been such a long time since I recorded a Christmas album, and fans have been asking me, ‘When are you going to do another one?’” he says. His first holiday set, Christmas Tyme, debuted in 1977, and he has released several more over the years. “I love Christmas. Growing up with a large family and everybody singing around the Christmas tree, it was a wonderful upbringing. Christmas is very special, and I love sharing that.”
Produced by Jurgen Korduletsch, who also worked on The Man I Want To Be, and arranged by Geoff Stradling, Johnny Harris, and Jeff Sturges, Warmest Christmas Wishes covers a wide musical spectrum. Classics such as “White Christmas” (with a jazz-styled arrangement), “Silent Night,” and “O Tannenbaum” sit alongside contemporary favorites like Chris Rea’s “Driving Home For Christmas” and Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Christmas Song.” Humperdinck also includes two original tracks — “Christmas For the Family” and “Around the Christmas Tree” — and penned English lyrics for “Silently Falls the Snow,” originally a German composition.
Humperdinck says the goal of the album is simple: to bring holiday cheer. “‘Driving Home For Christmas’ is just a great Christmas song because people are in their cars and driving home,” he explains. “I wanted to make an album people could put on and enjoy the holiday a little more with the music.” Tackling Charles Brown’s “Please Come Home For Christmas” was a particular challenge due to its bluesy style, but Humperdinck says the final arrangement turned out beautifully.
Alongside the album, Humperdinck is filming a PBS special in Hawaii, featuring five tracks from Warmest Christmas Wishes as well as other hits from his decades-long career. While no airdate has been announced, the singer is already looking ahead. “Retirement has never entered my mind for one moment because I don’t feel the age I am — and I don’t act it and I don’t speak like it,” he says. “When God calls me, that’s when I stop. Until then, I’m going to just keep going.”
With a legacy spanning decades, Engelbert Humperdinck continues to prove that age is no barrier to passion, creativity, or spreading joy through music — especially during the holiday season.