There are moments in music that even the artists themselves never forget. For Engelbert Humperdinck—the romantic crooner of the late ’60s—one particular night remains unforgettable: the night Jimi Hendrix, the rock icon, “saved” him in the most unexpected way.
It began with a crisis
The year was 1967. Engelbert was riding high with his ballad “Release Me,” topping charts across Europe. Yet, during a live performance in London, disaster struck: one of his guitarists failed to show up for the crucial set. Engelbert, heavily reliant on his live band, suddenly found himself at risk of an onstage collapse.
Enter Hendrix
Amid the chaos, Jimi Hendrix—still an emerging name at the time—was present in the venue. Guitar in hand, Hendrix jumped onto the stage and joined in as if he had rehearsed with Engelbert for years. Engelbert later recalled: “It felt as though there were three guitars behind me that night. The whole hall exploded.”
An unlikely yet magical pairing
At first glance, Engelbert—the gentleman of ballads—and Hendrix—the rebel of rock—shared little in common. But in that moment, their contrast created something transcendent. Engelbert’s smooth vocals soared higher, carried by Hendrix’s electrifying guitar riffs, and the audience witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime improvisation.
After that night
Both men went their separate ways, yet the story lived on as one of those magical chapters in music history. Engelbert would often recount it with gratitude, calling it “one of the most miraculous moments of my career.”