- Roger Whittaker(88) is originally from Staffordshire, England but he was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya
- After trying to pursue a career in medicine and teaching, he finally settled for music, which made him a very successful artist with more than 250 silver, gold, and platinum awards
- He has been married to Natalie O’Brien since 1964 and they share five children and 11 grandchildren
British singer, Roger Whittaker had more success as a musician than he was as a teacher. He has earned not less than 250 silver, gold, and platinum awards in his long musical career. The singer-songwriter is said to be famous for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability.
The Nairobi-born English singer sold more than 60 million records worldwide from most of his songs including his hit song Durham Town (1969) and The Last Farewell (1975).
The award-winning singer has been married to Natalie O’Brien for close to five decades now and they shared five children whom he initially said would not inherit anything from him.
Roger Whittaker Biography
Roger Whittaker was born on March 22, 1936, to his parents, Edward and Vi Whittaker in Nairobi, Kenya. While growing up, his parents owned and operated a grocery shop. His parents were originally from Staffordshire, England.
Before he completed his primary education, his whole family moved to a farm near Thika, Kenya after his father sustained an injury in a motorcycle accident. From there he got admitted to Prince of Wales school and upon graduating from the high school, Whittaker was called up for national service.
During his national service, he spent two years in the Kenya Regiment. After he was demobilized in 1956, he decided to study medicine at The University of Cape Town in South Africa. However, he left after 18 months and joined the civil service education department as a teacher.
Roger Whittaker later moved to Britain where he spent three years studying zoology, biochemistry, and marine biology at the University College of North Wales. Before getting a degree from the University, he worked as a teacher in East Africa.
In 1989, his parents were brutally attacked by a gang of four boys. His mother was tortured for eight hours while his father was murdered. His mother left Kenya afterward.
He Began His Music Career in 1962
Although Roger started singing in local clubs while he was still at the university, it was after he was signed to Fontana Records that he released his first professional single The Charge of the Light Brigade.
He continued to perform under the alias Rog Whittaker in several places including Portrush and Northern Ireland. His breakthrough came when he was signed to appear on an Ulster Television show called This and That.
In 1966, the singer switched labels. He was signed to EMI’s Columbia label where he was billed as Roger Whittaker. Upon signing with the label, his fourth single, Durham Town(The Leavin’), became his first UK Top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart.
Roger’s music career continued to grow as his songs kept topping several charts in the UK. In 1975, he released The Last Farewell and it became his biggest hit after he sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
Although he could not speak German, he had success in Germany throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He sang all the songs phonetically. He went further to release 25 albums in Germany before he announced in March 2006 that his 2007 Germany tour would be his last.
Before he left, he became very fluent in German and he was always singing and interviewed in German. In 2014, the Kenyan-born singer revealed he was retiring from touring even though he claimed he wrote 18 songs for an album.
Following a very successful career, Whittaker earned over 250 silver, gold, and platinum awards. Also, he was part of a successful British team that won the annual Knokke Music Festival in Belgium.
He was also awarded a Gold Badge Award by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA) in 1988.
Roger Whittaker: Wife and Kids
According to reports, Whittaker married Natalie O’Brien in August 1964. After they married, Natalie became his manager. The pair tried having kids of their own but could not so they adopted two girls Emily and Lauren (Later on, they welcomed their three biological children, Jessica, Guy, and Alexander. He also has not less than 11 grandchildren at the moment.
While details about his children are scarce, it is known that his daughter Jessica works as a presenter on VH-1. Jessica also performed a duet with Roger on his single, A Perfect Day.
There are speculations that Roger and his children do not have a smooth relationship. It is because of this that the singer revealed years ago that he would disown his children and donate all his assets to a charity if he passes on.
Of recent, it has been reported that the father of five wants to settle every dispute with his children and reunite with them.
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What is Roger Whittaker’s Net Worth?
The 88 year-old musician has had a very successful career. He is currently speculated to have a net worth of not less than $2 million however, this can not be ascertained since most of his wealth was made decades ago.
In 2017, it was reported that the popular singer and guitarist placed his cottage for about £2.25 million. The property is said to have four bedrooms, an indoor pool, a tennis court, and a gym. On the same property, there is also a separate thatched three-bedroom cottage for staff or guests.
Where is He Now?
Roger Whittaker moved to France in 2012 but there are other sources that say he resides in Kenya, where he tends to his herd of zebras. The singer has been struggling with serious health problems of late. He suffers from acute heart problems and dizziness.
While he battles with health problems, Roger Whittaker’s final wish is not to make a hit song but to be surrounded by his loved ones, especially his children and grandchildren. We can only hope that the successful singer would live to fulfill his wish.
