The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 322

ence as a radio-TV newsman. He left Ch. 4 in September after years of reporting that brought him not only the utmost respect from viewers but the admiration of the entire New England broadcast industry. In addition to reporting the 1 0 p.m. news.

Arch will draw on his experience to provide analysis and commentary on his favorite subject the people of New England and the the activities that involve them. WKBG-TV news takes to the air with an experienced news staff and the latest in communications and photographic equipment. Four mobile news units will be fully-equipped to take Ch. 56 to the scene where news is breaking. New England's first prime-time, com-.

plete news pragrom begins on Ch. 56 THc Monday at 10 p.m. with Arch Mac- donald offering viewers a 30-minute re-COFR port, Monday through Friday. The em-phasis will be on quality coverage of local news. Macdonald brings to the WKBG-TV news staff more than 25 years experi Success is a name like Engelbert Humperdinck Engelbert is a close friend of Tom Jones, Britain's other singing sensation, in fact they have the same manager, Mills, and the three are partners in a corporation called MAM (management, agency, music) which has spread out in all directions and has considerable fine talent under its conglomerate umbrella.

The two have had somewhat parallel careers, except that Jones was a star much earlier than Engelbert. "We were close even when he was big and I was small," Humperdinck recalled. "I used to sing on his show sometimes. In those days my wife and I lived in a flat in Hammersmith, a dingy sec tion of London not far from the West End, while Tom lived in the countryside. Today we live a half-mile apart in Surrey." Engelbert, recently in this country, where he appeared at the Americana in New York, and did one nighters at the Concord and in Canada before returning home, will tape all his shows in London, starting Dec.

12. His upcoming special, which led to the series, was also produced there, but he brought over such American talent as Dionne Warwick, Barbara Eden and Jose Feli-ciano. His pal, Tom Jones. continued on Page TV 7 By Percy Shain Globe Staff The perfect example of the "overnight success" who spent years waiting for that opening to develop is Engelbert Humperdinck, the oddly named British recording star who will have his own special on ABC Tuesday night (Ch. 7 at 10) and his own weekly show on the same network starting Jan.

21 (Wednesdays at 10). Engelbert exploded in the public consciousness two years ago with "Release Me," a record that zoomed to the top of the charts in no time. He followed that with several successes, including three gold records, started drawing large audiences in night clubs and concerts, and brought his popularity with him on several visits to this country, where he did "'Ed Sullivan," the talk shows, and the top supper spots in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Chicago. Now the future looks bright and his fortune is assured. But success has come after years of frustration and failure that drove him to a nervous breakdown and months of hospitalization.

Humperdinck couldn't get anywhere with his right name, Arnold George Dorsey. He kicked around for years in the pubs and other places as "Gerry Dorsey," vocalist, without making the slightest impression. He had one break, in 1959, when he landed 42 weeks as the pop singer on a TV show called "Song Parade." "I thought I was finally getting started," he said, "but then things collapsed, I had my illness, and after a year away from the business, I had to start all over again. It was pretty discouraging, I tell you. "The next seven years were the roughest of my life.

I sang spasmodically, earned very little, and considered quitting the game. Then, in 1966, my manager, Gordon Mills, suggested I try a new gimmick and change my name to Engelbert Humperdinck. "I laughed when I first heard that handle. But I had enough confidence in Gordon to try it The original Engelbert, you. know, was a composer of 'Hansel and Gretel' and other operas, and he had died in 1921.

"At least, it got me talked about by the disc jockeys and comedians started making fun of the name. People started paying attention to this new "Then, on Jan. 13, 1967, my record of 'Release Me came out and my life changed. But Arnold George Dorsey would rather be Engelbert Humperdinck. it was a long 14 years between the day I started singing as a professional and the day I clicked." Humperdinck, now 33, was born in Madras, India, of British parents (his father was a general in the army).

He was 10 years old when the family returned to England. His early teen years were spent growing up in Leicester. "As a boy I thought I'd be a musician," he mused. "I played a pretty hot alto sax. But I finally realized I never could become an orchestra leader and gradually lost interest.

"I didn't get along too well in school and left at 15 to become apprenticed as an engineer. But I broke away from that to do semi-skilled work, until I went into the army, serving two years as a driver in the motor section of the Royal Air Corps. I was stationed mostly in Germany. "I had never tried singing and I still have never taken a lesson. But one night, in a pub, I was induced to take part in a sort of amateur contest "I was roundly applauded and it was like music to my ears.

Someone suggested, Why don't you try that for a From then on I was hooked. I was 17 years old then. "I got a chance to perform occasionally while in the service. Then the long trek started when I got out." The tall (6 ft. 2), handsome Humperdinck has been married for six years to the former Patricia Healey a country girl, never in show and they have three children, Louise, 5, Jason, 4, and Scott, 18 months.

"I met her at a dance in Leicester," he recounted. "We were immediately attracted to each other, in fact you could call it love at first sight But I waited seven years to get married. '1 wanted to be sure I could support her in proper style. But I guess I waited too long." i Tonight Simon Garfunkels very first TVspeciaL From 9 to 10 pm In color. Channel 5.

Its something very special from the Bell System. I -s TV a Boston Sunday Globe, November 30. 1969.