Who was Roger Whittaker married to? All about his wife and children as Durham Town folk singer dies aged 87

Roger Whittaker, the British singer and musician, passed away at the age of 87 on September 13, 2023. His music was a mixture of folk and pop influences along with airplay hits, as per USA Today.

The Albany singer was married to Natalie O'Brien for 59 years until the time of his death. The couple got married on August 15, 1964, and have five children together.

According to BBC, Whittaker was a celebrated singer who sold nearly 50 million records since his debut in 1962, two years before meeting his wife. The pair had retired to the South of France in 2013 after Roger Whittaker stopped touring.

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Details about Roger Whittaker's wife, Natalie O'Brien

Roger Whittaker was known for his top hits Durham Town, The Last Farewell, and New World in the Morning. After his debut in 1962, he met his life partner Natalie O'Brien in the spring of 1964. As per The Sun, she was working as a secretary to a music producer at the time.

The couple tied the knot after only three months of knowing each other on August 15, 1964. Natalie and Roger have five children together. In the early years of marriage, the pair were unable to conceive. Thus, they decided to adopt two girls, Emily and Lauren.

Roger Whittaker and his wife Natalie later welcomed Jessica, Guy, and Alexander, their biological children. The youngest daughter of the household, Jessica Whittaker, also grew up to become a musical artist following her father's footsteps. She performed duets with Roger with his songs A Perfect Day and Do You Still Believe In Miracles. The couple has 12 grandchildren.

Natalie worked alongside Roger as his manager from 1989 until they retired to the South of France. Her father, Edward Donough "Toby" O'Brien, was a British journalist and propaganda expert involved in espionage.

He led the campaign for the British's efforts to counter Nazi Germany's propaganda during World War II, as per The Independent.

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The Life of Roger Whittaker

Roger Whittaker was born on March 22, 1936, in Nairobi, Kenya. He spent his childhood in Africa before moving to the United Kingdom. His parents, Viola and Edward Whittaker, were originally from Staffordshire, England. They moved to Africa after Roger's father met with a motorbike accident.

The My Land Is Kenya singer studied at a high school named Prince of Wales in Kenya. Roger was drafted into the national service only three weeks after his graduation.

The British singer then went to study medicine at the University of Cape Town but dropped out after 18 months. Whittaker began his musical journey by writing songs and singing in Welsh folk clubs at the University of Bangor. As per The Guardian, he was studying zoology, biochemistry, and marine biology at the time.

The Charge Of The Light Brigade became his first single, a song he composed for the university Rag Week show. According to The Sun, Whittaker's second single called Steel Men, made it to the charts while he was still a university student.

Edward Whittaker caught his first break when he was invited to appear on an Ulster television show called This and That in Northern London. The British singer is famous for his proficiency in whistling, and his song Mexican Whistler charted at number one in three European countries.

Whittaker went on to sing for over 40 years and made songs in many different languages, including German and French, as per BBC. He was beloved across the globe, especially in Africa and Germany.

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Roger Whittaker's family has not yet disclosed a cause of death or details about the funeral.