Roger Whittaker was an English folk singer and songwriter best known for his version of “Wind Beneath My Wings,” as well as “Durham Town (The Leavin’)” and “The Last Farewell.”
- Died: September 13, 2023 (Who else died on September 13?)
- Details of death: Died in France of a stroke at the age of 87.
- We invite you to share condolences for Roger Whittaker in our Guest Book.
Roger Whittaker’s legacy
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, the English Whittaker picked up music from his parents; his mother sang in local clubs and his father played the violin. In the 1950s, he was called up for national service and saw combat during the Mau Mau uprising, briefly studied medicine at University of Cape Town in South Africa, then moved to Great Britain to pursue a teaching career. There, he released music on flexi discs included with the campus newspaper, the Bangor University Rag. This earned him the attention of record labels.
Whittaker soon released his first official single, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” on Fontana Records. Television appearances followed, then his first top 20 hit, “Durham Town (The Leavin’),” along with “New World in the Morning,” which became a Billboard hit in the United States. “The Last Farewell” would become his biggest hit and best-known song, the only one to break into the Billboard Top 20. Whittaker also earned a major fanbase in Germany, where he sang songs in German phonetically. His last tour took place in 2007 in Germany, though he continued to write music into the 2010s.
Tributes to Roger Whittaker
Full obituary: USA Today
