Mourning for Roger Whittaker: the musician died at the age of 87. The singer had previously suffered a stroke.

He was a regular guest at the “ZDF Hit Parade” and sang at the golden anniversary of a former US president. Roger Whittaker was often dismissed as a singer, but his career was quite impressive. Now the musician has died, according to the singer’s official website.

A statement from his relatives was also published on Facebook. “It is with great sadness that we announce that our beloved Roger Whittaker passed away peacefully in the presence of his family on September 13, 2023. During this difficult time, we would like to thank everyone for their support and compassion.”

It continues: “Roger was an iconic artist, a wonderful husband and father. He touched many hearts with his music throughout his life and will always live on in our memories.” The family requests privacy “as we go through this time of grieving.” Roger Whittaker was 87 years old.

Anyone who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s will have heard Roger Whittaker’s music quite involuntarily. His songs were performed by his parents or grandparents. The British singer with the smooth baritone voice was often a guest on the “ZDF Hit Parade” and other television entertainment programs. Feel-good hits and catchy (some say tearjerker) ballads were his forte. Roger Whittaker sold millions of records, and not only in Germany.

Now the pop legend has died. “Goodbye is a sharp sword that often cuts deep into the heart,” says one of Roger Whittaker’s greatest hits. “Someday the best time will come to an end, ooh ooh.” And so the musician retired from the public years ago.

In the early 1960s, the musical career of the zoologist, marine biologist and biochemist by training took off. The son of English immigrants, he was born in 1936 in Nairobi, in the then British colony of Kenya. After military service, dropping out of medical school in Cape Town and a temporary job as a teacher in Nairobi, Whittaker moved to Europe. He completed a second course of study in Wales with a Bachelor of Science.

He financed his studies by performing as a singer in clubs and pubs, and also composed his own songs. Then one thing led to another. In 1962 she recorded her first single, “The Charge Of The Light Brigade”, a pompous country number. The musician did not find his own style, with which he enjoyed worldwide success, until the late 60s.

According to Whittaker, beard growth also played a role. “At the beginning of my career I saw myself on television and thought: this face won’t work,” he told the Daily Express years ago. “So I grew the beard I had in college.” Still, he never seemed like a pop star. With his Henriquatre beard, his jacket, his glasses and his hair, which had turned gray since the 80s, he seemed like the friendly neighbor next door: a friendly and authentic image that suited his music.

The instrumental number “Mexican Whistler” was their first UK hit in 1967. The ballad “Durham Town” marked the breakthrough two years later. Songs like “The Last Farewell” or “Indian Lady” soon made Roger Whittaker popular in other countries. His most notable admirer was former US President George HW Bush, who invited him to his home and sang at his golden wedding anniversary.