NEWSEngelbert Humperdinck Was Forced to Reject Casting Couch Advances While Searching for an Agent: 'I Got Chased'
Before becoming a global superstar in the 1960s, Engelbert Humperdinck said he faced many challenges getting into the industry.
Oct. 6 2026, Published 9:36 a.m. ET
The music industry can have its nasty underbelly. Legendary crooner Engelbert Humperdinck recently looked back to the difficulties he faced as a young London singer trying to catch a break.
During an interview with host Shannon Allen on The Engelbert Humperdinck show, he spoke out on his experiences with the musical equivalent of the casting couch.
'I Went Through H---'
Engelbert Humperdinck said his early days in the music business saw him fending off advances from agents.
“I was hopping around all the agents, and that was a very difficult task,” he said. “In those days, you know, a lot of the agents were the men that fancied men. I had to go through a lot because I got chased a lot by agents."
At the time, he was sometimes sleeping outside because he could only afford one night in a hotel, but says he resisted all the advances.
"I was true to myself then," Humperdinck said. "And I avoided all that, but I went through h--- with that sort of thing."
'Every Agent I Went to Was the Same Thing'
Engelbert Humperdinck said agent Sydney Myers made the difference in his career.
The 90-year-old singer said he continued to refuse, and found it hampered his career.
"Casting couch, it's called the casting couch, right?" he said. "Not in a Hollywood way, but in an agent's way, you know. Every agent I went to was the same thing.”
Eventually, he did find an agent who was interested in the music more than his body: Sydney Myers. “He was a married man,” Humperdinck noted.
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'I Ate Very Well During Those 6 Months'
Engelbert Humperdinck said Sydney Myers landed him his big break.
The London agent invited the singer to stay at his apartment for six months while he helped him break into the industry. Humperdinck remembered Myers’ wife fondly.
"She treated me very well. I ate very well during that six months, you know," Humperdinck said. "And he was a meticulous man. I liked him very much."
It was Myers who got Humperdinck his big break: A 42-week gig on the variety show Sing Parade, which helped establish him as a household name.
Engelbert Humperdinck said it was love at first sight with his lifelong wife Patricia.
Throughout it all, Humperdinck added, his girlfriend and later wife Patricia remained steadfastly beside him.
“You know what it is when you meet somebody that you could spend the rest of your life with? That’s it,” he said. “I felt that right from the get-go.”
That instinct turned out to be accurate; they were married for 56 years all the way until she passed away in 2021.
