Roger Whittaker Biography
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Roger Henry Brough Whittaker |
| Date of Birth | 22 March 1936 |
| Date of Passing | 13 September 2023 |
| Place of Birth | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan (born to English parents) |
| Musical Style | Folk music, popular songs |
| Notable Hits | – “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1982) |
| – “Durham Town (The Leavin’)” (1969) | |
| – “I Don’t Believe in If Anymore” (1970) | |
| – “New World in the Morning” (1970) | |
| – “The Last Farewell” (1975) | |
| Billboard Hot 100 Hits | “The Last Farewell” (Top 20) |
| Billboard Adult Contemporary Hits | “The Last Farewell” (No. 1) |
| Career Peak Location | Germany (from the 1970s onwards) |
| Education | – Primary: Not specified |
| – High School: Prince of Wales School (Nairobi) | |
| – College: University of Cape Town (South Africa) | |
| Career Path | Initially pursued a career in medicine, but later |
| became a teacher in the civil service education | |
| department. | |
| Family Background | Parents: Edward and Vi Whittaker (English) |
| Father’s Occupation: Grocery shop owner | |
| Father’s Interests: Played the violin | |
| Early Musical Influence | Grandfather sang in various clubs |
| Musical Skills | – Baritone singing voice |
| – Whistling ability | |
| – Guitar skills |
Roger Whittaker Recording and performing career
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Moved to Britain for teaching career |
| 1959-1962 | Studied zoology, biochemistry, and marine biology at University College of North Wales; earned a Bachelor of Science degree |
| 1962 | Released the first professional single “The Charge of the Light Brigade” with Fontana Records |
| 1962 | Performed in Portrush, Northern Ireland |
| 1966 | Switched to EMI’s Columbia label and billed as Roger Whittaker |
| 1969 | “Durham Town (The Leavin’)” became his first UK Top 20 hit |
| 1970 | “New World in the Morning” became a Top 20 hit in Billboard magazine’s Easy Listening chart |
| 1970 | Wrote the theme song “No Blade of Grass” for a film adaptation |
| 1972 | Recorded “Where the Angels Tread” (Änglamarken) to the music of Evert Taube |
| 1974 | Performed at the Finnish Eurovision qualifications |
| 1975 | “The Last Farewell” became his biggest hit, selling over 11 million copies worldwide |
| 1979 | Wrote “Call My Name” for the UK Eurovision selection |
| 1983 | Established himself in country music with “I Love You Because” |
| 1970s-1980s | Had success in Germany with German language songs |
| 2006 | Announced that a 2007 Germany tour would be his last, limiting future performances to occasional concerts |
| 2008 | Became more fluent in German, appeared on Danish television |
| 2013 | Retired from touring |
| 2014 | Mentioned writing 18 new songs for an album and still whistling well |
Roger Whittaker Personal life and Death
| Life Events | Details |
|---|---|
| Early Life and Education | – Studied medicine and trained as a teacher in Kenya. – Completed National Service in the Kenya Regiment. – Described his youth as “stupid, selfish, and angry” and credited the army for making him a better person. |
| Family and Personal Tragedy (1989) | – Parents subjected to a brutal attack in Kenya. – Mother tortured for eight hours, father murdered. – Mother moved back to England after the incident. – Roger Whittaker expressed a commitment to living without hate. |
| Marriage and Family | – Married Natalie O’Brien in August 1964. – Natalie became Whittaker’s manager in 1989. – They had five children: two sons (Guy and Alexander) and three daughters (Emily, Lauren, Jessica). – They had 11 grandchildren. |
| Autobiography | – Published autobiography titled “So Far, So Good” in 1986, co-written with his wife. |
| Retirement and Passing | – Retired to France in 2012. – Roger Whittaker passed away on 13 September 2023, at the age of 87. |
