Friday, July 13, 2001 | 4:51 a.m.
Engelbert Humperdinck hit 65 two months ago, and he isn't slowing down.
Humperdinck has been in show business 34 years and still travels about 300,000 miles annually, performing all over the globe.
He opens tonight at New York-New York's Broadway Theater, where he will perform nightly (except Wednesday) through July 22.
Humperdinck has had too many smash records to list them all here, but you can't write a story about the man who made mutton chop sideburns famous without mentioning "Release Me," the 1967 song that sold 2.5 million records in a little over two weeks.
"Release Me" released Humperdinck from the bonds of a mediocre career and turned him into a superstar.
He recently discussed his good fortunes during a telephone interview with the Sun. He had just left an eye doctor's office in London and was en route to his home there:
Las Vegas Sun: Are you having eye problems?
Engelbert Humperdinck: I had a little infection in my eye. I just had laser surgery (three weeks ago). It turned out great. I've got 20-20 vision now. I feel like a new person, not having to put your glasses on to read a menu. Not having to put your glasses on to hit the ball at the golf course.
Sun: Is golf still a passion of yours?
EH: Indeed it is. I've been a member of the Las Vegas Country Club for many years.
Sun: When you aren't golfing, you're performing. You've been onstage for 34 years. Has the loud music affected your hearing?
EH: My what?
Sun: Your hearing.
EH: My hearing?
Sun: Has your hearing been affected by the loud music over years?
EH: A little bit. Not a lot. It does take the low end off, a little bit. It's not a major problem. I can hear you OK. I don't wear a hearing aid.
Sun: You've had a lot of hits. Which ones have a special meaning for you?
EH: "Release Me" is one of my favorites. It was my first hit, the one that stopped the Beatles from going to No. 1 with "Penny Lane." I was very lucky. That was going to be their 13th No. 1 in a row. For me to come up with a ballad and stop this enormous group from going to No. 1, that was quite an achievement. It was quite a feather in my cap. But I don't think they minded it.
Sun: In 1996 you sang a song for the soundtrack of a film called "Beavis and Butthead Do America." The song's title was "Lesbian Seagulls." What did "Lesbian Seagulls" do for you?
EH: It went double platinum, that's what it's done for me. And it changed my image a little bit. It took me away from just being a romantic singer to a person who dares.
Sun: I thought mutton chop sideburns were pretty daring.
EH: I was the first to have the mutton chops. I brought them to America. I did the "Tonight Show" and the "Ed Sullivan Show" and it created an impression around the world. They were my idea, the mutton chops. I needed to get an image. I saw that the Beatles had all the same haircuts. Everything starts from the hair. I needed a style. When I first grew them my manager said, "Why don't you shave those things off?" I said, "No, I want to create an image and this is the image I want to create." Then of course, Elvis took them on.
Sun: You and Elvis were good friends?
EH: Yes. We used to go see each others' shows. He was a wonderful man, a wonderful guy, and I didn't mind that he took my sideburns.
Sun: What was it like when you first came to Vegas in 1969?
EH: It was absolutely fantastic. When I first started it was Dean Martin that took a shine to my career. He was the one to introduce me to Las Vegas. It was "Dean Martin Presents Engelbert Humperdinck." My first gig was at the Riviera. I stayed there for nine years, then I moved to the MGM. Now I'm playing the New York-New York for the very first time. I'm looking forward to playing there in the future. It has a wonderful stage.
Sun: What would you have done if you had not become an entertainer?
EH: I had no options. This is what I do. I think it saved my life. God would have called me a lot sooner if not for the music. Maybe I would have gone into acting, who knows.
Sun: Your schedule is pretty rigorous. You're 65 years old. Are you ever going to slow down?
EH: No, I'm not going to slow down. I'm going to keep going till God calls me. But I feel like I'm in my 40s, I really do. I work like I'm in my 40s and I sing like I'm in my 30s.
My next trip abroad is to Trinidad and Barbados. I'm also going to perform for the first time in Russia this year. I made a movie there many years ago, now I'm going back to do concerts. Also, I'm going to South Africa this year.
Sun: What's the secret to your eternal youth?
EH: You have to take care of yourself. I like to exercise. I also like to have a glass of wine. If you have a glass of wine, you have to exercise.
Sun: What is your travel schedule like?
EH: I try to work two weeks on, two weeks off. Sometimes it's three weeks on and two off and sometimes three off and two on. It's wonderful. Last week I was in Spain on vacation. It was nice.
Sun: You have managed to survive in an industry where there are a lot of people who come and go overnight. To what do you owe your longevity?
EH: I work hard. I keep on top of the job. I stay fresh. I change the show every year. I stay in the public eye as much as possible. I was fortunate. My career started off as a global career. I'm a global person now. I don't just stay in one part of the world. When people think I'm not working, I'm just in another part of the world.
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