Pop singer Roger Whittaker has died, his family announced, the British native passed away on September 13. He was 87 years old.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Roger Whittaker,” says the statement distributed by the Sony record label. He died peacefully and surrounded by his family. It was previously reported by the newspaper “Bild”.

«Roger was an iconic artist, a wonderful husband and father. “He touched many hearts in his life with his music and will live in our memories forever,” the statement continued.

Career as a musician in the early 1960s.

Born in Kenya in 1936 to English parents, Whittaker embarked on a career as a musician in the early 1960s. The career of the zoologist, marine biologist and biochemist by training did not really take off until the end of the decade.

His breakthrough came in 1969 with the ballad “Durham Town.” His biggest hits included “Albany” and “The Last Farewell.” After this song hit American radio and the US Top 20 in 1975, it also became a big hit in Europe. In Britain it reached number 2 on the charts, just behind Rod Stewart’s “Sailing”. Later, even Elvis Presley recorded “The Last Farewell.”

Whittaker had his most loyal fan base in Germany. Therefore, he recorded many songs in German using phonetic transcription, although he had to struggle with umlauts. The British singer with a soft baritone voice was often a guest on ZDF’s successful fashion shows and other television entertainment programs.

Whittaker had been out of public life for years and was most recently living in the south of France with his wife Natalie.