In the thick of the late-’60s counterculture rock boom, Leicester-raised balladeer Engelbert Humperdinck emerged to prove there was still a place on the charts for classic pop crooning. With his bigger-than-life baritone—and unforgettable stage name—he showed off almost-operatic chops on drama-drenched tearjerkers like “A Man Without Love” and “Release Me” while still bringing enough intimacy to the table to connect on a gut level. And on ’70s smashes like “After the Lovin’”, Humperdinck let his velvet tones caress the melody with enough up-close sensuality to melt hearts at a hundred paces.