Folk singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker passed away at the age of 87.
His best-known songs include Wind Beneath My Wings from 1982, Durham Town, The Last Farewell, and New World in the Morning.
Since the summer of 1962, he has sold close to 50 million recordings globally, according to the Guardian.
At the age of 26, he started writing songs and performing in Welsh folk clubs while pursuing studies in zoology, biochemistry, and marine biology at the University of Bangor.
“Whittaker had his first big breakthrough when he was asked to appear on an Ulster television show in Northern Ireland called This and That,” the Guardian stated.
He didn’t have a UK Top 20 hit until he released Durham Town (The Leavin’).
According to remarks on his website, the song’s success caught him off guard.
He reportedly remarked, “I really didn’t have any faith in that music at all.
“I went off to Finland for a cabaret season and television appearances, far from promoting the single in Britain.”
Whittaker was raised by English parents and was influenced by the music of East Africa. He was born in Nairobi in 1936.
After completing his national service in Kenya, he studied medicine.
He performed in local clubs and wrote his own songs while pursuing his degree.
He retired in 2012, and his wife Natalie is still alive.
After three months of dating, he wed Natalie, and the two of them are blessed with five children.
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