Engelbert Humperdinck Recounts Tying Up Nurse During Tuberculosis Sanatorium Stay
The veteran singer shared details of his 1961 hospitalization on his podcast, describing painful injections and his subsequent act of rebellion.
British singer Engelbert Humperdinck has recounted an incident from 1961 when he was a patient at Leicester's Groby Road Hospital Sanatorium, diagnosed with tuberculosis.
On a recent episode of his podcast, "The Engelbert Humperdinck Show," the 90-year-old performer described the difficult treatments he underwent, which included remaining on his back for approximately eight weeks and receiving a daily injection in the buttocks. Humperdinck recalled one nurse whose injections were particularly painful, leading him to request different care, which was denied.
Feeling that the nurse did not like him and caused him significant pain, evidenced by large blue marks, Humperdinck resolved to retaliate once he felt better. He obtained rope with the help of a friend in a nearby bed. When the nurse arrived for morning rounds, Humperdinck grabbed her and tied her hands behind her back, placing her in an empty bed and covering her.
According to Humperdinck, the doctor overseeing the rounds noticed his involvement but chose to ignore it. After the nurse was freed, he stated he was in trouble but managed to prevent her from administering any further injections. A male nurse was subsequently assigned to his care, which he found to be a much better experience.
Humperdinck spent six months in the sanatorium. His diagnosis came after he began coughing up blood during a concert in Manchester. Initially treated for a severe throat infection, his mother insisted on an X-ray, which revealed the tuberculosis. He was informed that he had been given the last rites by a priest upon his admission, as doctors had given him only three days to live.
Humperdinck, born Arnold George Dorsey, rose to fame in 1967 with his hit song "Release Me." Throughout his career, he has sold over 140 million records worldwide, received four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.