Age, Biography and Wiki

Bobby McFerrin (Robert Keith McFerrin Jr.) was born on 11 March, 1950 in New York City, U.S., is an American jazz singer and conductor. Discover Bobby McFerrin's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 74 years old?

Popular As Robert Keith McFerrin Jr.
Occupation Singer-songwriter · conductor · arranger · record producer
Age 74 years old
Zodiac Sign Pisces
Born 11 March, 1950
Birthday 11 March
Birthplace New York City, U.S.
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 11 March. He is a member of famous Conductor with the age 74 years old group.

Bobby McFerrin Height, Weight & Measurements

At 74 years old, Bobby McFerrin height not available right now. We will update Bobby McFerrin's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Bobby McFerrin's Wife?

His wife is Debbie Green (m. 1975)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Debbie Green (m. 1975)
Sibling Not Available
Children Madison McFerrin, Taylor McFerrin, Jevon McFerrin

Bobby McFerrin Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Bobby McFerrin worth at the age of 74 years old? Bobby McFerrin’s income source is mostly from being a successful Conductor. He is from United States. We have estimated Bobby McFerrin's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Conductor

Bobby McFerrin Social Network

Instagram Bobby McFerrin Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter Bobby McFerrin Twitter
Facebook Bobby McFerrin Facebook
Wikipedia Bobby McFerrin Wikipedia
Imdb

Timeline

1940

He makes regular tours as a guest conductor for symphony orchestras throughout the United States and Canada, including the San Francisco Symphony (on his 40th birthday), the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and many others.

In McFerrin's concert appearances, he combines serious conducting of classical pieces with his own unique vocal improvisations, often with participation from the audience and the orchestra.

For example, the concerts often end with McFerrin conducting the orchestra in an a cappella rendition of the "William Tell Overture," in which the orchestra members sing their musical parts in McFerrin's vocal style instead of playing their parts on their instruments.

1950

Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American jazz singer and songwriter.

He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rapidly alternating with arpeggios and harmonies—as well as scat singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and improvisational vocal percussion.

He is widely known for performing and recording regularly as an unaccompanied solo vocal artist.

He has frequently collaborated with other artists from both the jazz and classical scenes.

McFerrin was born in Manhattan, New York City in 1950, the son of operatic baritone Robert McFerrin and singer Sara Copper.

He attended Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, Cerritos College, University of Illinois Springfield (then known as Sangamon State University) and California State University, Sacramento.

His mother Sara (Copper) McFerrin was a soloist and taught voice at Fullerton College in Southern California.

1975

He was influenced by Keith Jarrett, who had achieved great success with a series of solo improvised piano concerts including The Köln Concert of 1975, and wanted to attempt something similar vocally.

1982

McFerrin's first recorded work, the self-titled album Bobby McFerrin, was not produced until 1982, when McFerrin was already 31 years old.

Before that, he had spent six years developing his musical style, the first two years of which he attempted not to listen to other singers at all, in order to avoid sounding like they sounded.

1984

In 1984, McFerrin performed onstage at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles as a sixth member of Herbie Hancock's VSOP II, sharing horn trio parts with the Marsalis brothers.

1986

In 1986, McFerrin was the voice of Santa Bear in Santa Bear's First Christmas, and in 1987 he was the voice of Santa Bear/Bully Bear in the sequel Santa Bear's High Flying Adventure.

On September 24 of that same year, he recorded the theme song for the opening credits of Season 4 of The Cosby Show.

1988

McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a No. 1 U.S. pop hit in 1988 and won Song of the Year and Record of the Year honors at the 1989 Grammy Awards.

McFerrin has also worked in collaboration with renowned jazz fusion instrumentalists, including the pianists Chick Corea (of Return to Forever), Herbie Hancock (of The Headhunters), and Joe Zawinul (of Weather Report), the drummer Tony Williams, and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

In 1988, McFerrin recorded the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy", which became a hit and brought him widespread recognition across the world.

The song's success "ended McFerrin's musical life as he had known it," and he began to pursue other musical possibilities on stage and in recording studios.

The song was used as the official campaign song for George H. W. Bush in the 1988 U.S. presidential election, without Bobby McFerrin's permission or endorsement.

In reaction, Bobby McFerrin publicly protested that use of his song, and stated that he was going to vote against Bush.

He also dropped the song from his own performance repertoire.

At that time, he performed on the PBS TV special ''Sing Out America!

with Judy Collins''.

McFerrin sang a Wizard of Oz medley during that television special.

1989

In 1989, he composed and performed the music for the Pixar short film Knick Knack.

The rough cut to which McFerrin recorded his vocals had the words "blah blah blah" in place of the end credits (meant to indicate that he should improvise).

McFerrin spontaneously decided to sing "blah blah blah" as lyrics, and the final version of the short film includes these lyrics during the end credits.

Also in 1989, he formed a ten-person "Voicestra" which he featured on both his 1990 album Medicine Music and in the score to the 1989 Oscar-winning documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt.

1990

For a few years in the late 1990s, he toured a concert version of Porgy and Bess, partly in honor of his father, who sang the role for Sidney Poitier in the 1959 film version, and partly "to preserve the score's jazziness" in the face of "largely white orchestras" who tend not "to play around the bar lines, to stretch and bend".

McFerrin says that because of his father's work in the movie, "This music has been in my body for 40 years, probably longer than any other music."

McFerrin also participates in various music education programs and makes volunteer appearances as a guest music teacher and lecturer at public schools throughout the U.S. McFerrin has collaborated with his son, Taylor, on various musical ventures.

1992

Around 1992, an urban legend began that McFerrin had committed suicide; it has been speculated that the false story spread because people enjoyed the irony of a man known for the positive message of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" suffering from depression in real life.

But in reality McFerrin knew the song helped spread the message of positivity to the world abroad and was very proud of the work as a whole.

1993

In 1993, he sang Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" for the 1993 comedy film Son of the Pink Panther.

1994

In addition to his vocal performing career, in 1994, McFerrin was appointed as creative chair of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

2003

In July 2003, McFerrin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music during the Umbria Jazz Festival where he conducted two days of clinics.

2009

In 2009, McFerrin and psychologist Daniel Levitin hosted The Music Instinct, a two-hour documentary produced by PBS and based on Levitin's best-selling book This Is Your Brain on Music.

Later that year, the two appeared together on a panel at the World Science Festival.