They come from everywhere but live in "Engelland," a sepia-tinged world where love scents the air and easy listening rules.
Dedicated fans of the British singer Engelbert Humperdinck (who is actually half Indian, hence the permanent tan) are said to be fiercely protective of their singing star.
Criticize "The Humper," as he was dubbed by British DJs in the 1960s, and be prepared for a savaging from some old dear who has been hanging onto his every word for a lifetime.
The smoothie is reported to have built an 8 million-strong fan base over 50 years and has sold over 150 million records.
He may be 70 years old, have dentures with an overbite, thick glasses and a hearing aid, but love is blind.
A recent posting on his Web site from "Dorothy and all your Happy Faces" is representative of the geriatric fervor he inspires.
"To the Ends of the Earth, we will continue to follow our star ... it may be with canes, walkers and such, but follow we will, our own very Special Pied Piper."
Yet, like the aging lounge lizards with whom he is associated -- Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Perry Como -- the 70 year old has also periodically managed to revive his star in the youth market.
He earned some credibility with the MTV generation when he penned the slightly disturbing lyrics to Fly High, Lesbian Seagull, which was a big hit on the movie soundtrack for 1996s Beavis and Butt-head Do America.
"She proudly lifts her voice/To sound her mating call/And soon her mate responds by singing/Caw, caw, caw."
For an album cover around the same time, Love Unchained, the "King of Romance" went for the biker look by draping himself in leather and sitting astride his Harley-Davidson hog.
Welcome to what his supporters call "Engelbert World," or "Engelland," where disbelief is forever suspended and not only is Humperdinck sex incarnate, a gentleman and a patron of charities, he can also perform miracles.
According to an interview with the singer for Beatboxbetty.com, "I'm just an instrument. I consider myself a hypodermic needle. The medication comes from above. I find if I don't do the healing, I get sick."
Born Arnold George Dorsey, he has tirelessly wooed his fans since releasing I'll Never Fall in Love Again in 1958, when he called himself Gerry Dorsey.
He later emerged like a butterfly as Engelbert Humperdinck -- for the reason that his manager correctly predicted people would remember the name.
His big smash hit (which kept The Beatle's Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever from number one in the UK) was Release Me in 1967. "The Humpster's" back catalogue now totals around 139 CDs, 17 videos, 98 LPs and two DVDs.
Fans of the "Raj of Romance" are enraptured by his rich baritone voice and three-and-a-half octave range. On the fashion front, Elvis Presley was said to have borrowed his sideburn look.
As a performer he panders to the ladies, brings them onto the stage, sings Happy Birthday and drops red hankies. All of which made him a crowd favorite when he last appeared in Taiwan nine years ago.
The "Rex of Romance" was given an honorary doctorate in music this year and is presently touring the world after taking a break from Las Vegas.
Organizers said on Tuesday 70 percent of tickets were sold for his Taipei International Convention Center date next week.
For your information :
Engelbert Humperdinck's Totally Amazing World Tour?
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