He appeared occasionally on television to be interviewed. He retired from singing in 2012 and lived with his wife in France.Īside from playing his beloved music, Whittaker was a keen collector of antiques, and possessed 18th-century French furniture, silver spoons and insects dried in amber. Whittaker also played at George Bush Snr’s golden wedding anniversary party.Īfter a heart attack in 2006, he announced he would run a final tour in Germany in 2007.

In 1986, he published his autobiography with the help of his wife Natalie. His 1975 song The Last Farewell reached No 1 in 11 countries, and even Elvis Presley recorded a version of it. Germany afforded the artist particularly high levels of fame and reputation as he could sing and record his songs in German. Whittaker went on to sell close to 50 million records and receive 250 platinum, gold and silver awards during his career. He arrived in Britain in 1959 to study zoology, biochemistry and marine biology at the University of Bangor in Wales, with his first major release, Steel Men, entering the British charts as he sat his final degree exams. He enrolled at university in South Africa after two years of national military service. Their children were raised by African nannies and before learning English, Whittaker spoke Swahili. His father ran a successful grocery business while his mother was a teacher. His father had been medically advised to live in a warmer climate after suffering from serious injuries sustained in a motorcycling accident. 1 After the success of 'The Last Farewell' in 1975, the song was re-released. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Whittaker was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1936 to English parents. ' I Don't Believe in If Anymore ' is a song by British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker, released as a single in March 1970. september 2023) var en britisk musiker og sangskriver, der solgte mere end 50 millioner. He touched so many hearts with his music throughout his life and will always live on in our memories,’ the family statement said. Roger Whittaker (fdt i Nairobi, Kenya 22. ‘Roger was an iconic artist, a wonderful husband and father. He went on to achieve great success in folk music clubs and saw further fame when he collaborated with Des O’Connor for the Skye Boat Song in 1986. Shirley was a guest on his show in 1971 and he was a guest at one of her BBC shows in the seventies.įolk singer Roger Whittaker best known for hits Durham Town and New World in the Morning dies aged 87 as his family pay tribute to the ‘iconic artist’ 'I Dont Believe in If Anymore' is a song by British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker, released as a single in March 1970. Whittaker retired in 2012 and is survived by his wife, Natalie, whom he married nearly 60 years ago after three months’ courtship, and their five children: Emily, Lauren, Jessica, Guy, and Alexander.This week we heard of the sad passing of Roger Whittaker. “In over 30 years of singing and playing musical sounds, the wonderful drumming, and those marvellous, infectious rhythms, have played a great part in everything I have ever written and sung,” he said.

Whittaker was born in Nairobi to English parents in 1936, and the music of east Africa left a mark on his childhood. “Far from promoting the single in Britain, I went off to Finland for a cabaret season and television appearances.”īy the time he returned in November, Durham Town was rapidly ascending the British charts. “I just didn’t have any faith in that song at all,” he is reported to have said. The song’s success took him by surprise, according to comments published on his website. The official cause of death was not revealed. Whittaker had his first big breakthrough when he was asked to appear on an Ulster television show in Northern Ireland called This and That.Īn extremely proficient whistler, his extraordinary composition Mexican Whistler later reached No 1 in three different European countries.īut it wasn’t until he released Durham Town (The Leavin’) that he got a Top 20 hit in the UK. Musician Roger Whittaker passed away on September 13, 2023, at the age of 87, as per The Guardian.

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