As Engelbert Humperdinck prepares to drop his latest album, The Man I Want to Be, the iconic crooner is describing the moment he first heard Bruno Mars, and foretold the success of one of today’s biggest artists.
The album features standards but mainly covers, including those of artists like Mars and Ed Sheeran, who Humperdinck, 81, admires from afar.
He claims he predicted the megastar that Mars would later become when the “Locked Out of Heaven" singer — then a young boy — sang to Humperdinck, who was left awestruck by the child he believed would become a “mega star,” he told InsideEdition.com.
In a rare and newly surfaced video of the encounter, Mars, who at the time was the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator, sang to Humperdinck in Hawaii.
Rocking a pompadour while donning a sequined outfit and white leather belt, a very young Mars did a medley of Elvis hits including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up” and “Heartbreak Hotel” while dancing on a table.
In video of the encounter, Humperdinck could not contain his visible excitement and cheered the young artist on.
The legendary singer, who has sold more than 150 million albums over the past 50 years, told InsideEdition.com he has not spoken to Mars about the encounter since the former Elvis impersonator became one of the world’s biggest stars.
On The Man I Want to Be, Humperdinck covers Mars’ “Just the Way You Are,” and says he would like to get the singer’s seal of approval.
“I'd love to meet him and ask his opinion of what I did with his song," Humperdinck said. "It'd be nice."
The Man I Want to Be hit stores Nov. 24.
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