Bobby McFerrin

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

He is best known for his singing fluidly but with quick and dramatic shifts in pitch—for example, maintaining a melody while still alternating with arpeggios and harmonies, as well as scat singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and improvisational vocal percussion.

He is best known for his live performance and recording as an unaccompanied solo vocal artist.

He has regularly collaborated with other musicians from both jazz and classical genres. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by McFerrin was a no. 0. At the 1989 Grammy Awards, 1 U.S. pop star received both Song of the Year and Record of the Year awards.

McFerrin has also performed in collaboration with musicians Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zawinul, drummer Tony Williams, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Early life and education

McFerrin was born in Manhattan, New York City, United States, and 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 identified as Sangamon State University) and California State University, Sacramento.

Personal life

He is the father of musicians Taylor McFerrin and Madison McFerrin, as well as actor Jevon McFerrin.

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Career

Bobby McFerrin's first recorded work, the self-titled album Bobby McFerrin, was not released until 1982, when McFerrin was still 31 years old. He had spent six years developing his musical style, the first two years of which he refused to listen to other singers in order to avoid sounding like them. Keith Jartt, who had achieved great success with a series of solo improvised piano performances, including The Köln Concert of 1975, wanted to do something similar vocally.

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

McFerrin was the voice of Santa Bear in Santa Bear's First Christmas in 1986, and he appeared in the Santa Bear's High Flying Adventure in 1987. He appeared on September 24 of the same year as the theme song for Season 4 of The Cosby Show.

McFerrin performed the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in 1988, which became a hit and earned him worldwide fame. McFerrin's musical career came as he had expected it," the song's success "ended McFerrin's musical career as he had expected it," and he began to explore new musical possibilities on stage and in recording studios. In the 1988 U.S. presidential election, George H. W. Bush's official campaign song was used, but not with Bobby McFerrin's permission or endorsement. Bobby McFerrin publicly condemned the use of his music and announced that he would vote against Bush. He also pulled the song from his own performance repertoire.

He appeared on PBS TV's special "Sing Out America" at the time. Judy Collins appears in this video. During the television special, McFerrin performed a Wizard of Oz medley.

He wrote and performed the music for the Pixar short film Knick Knack in 1989. In place of the end credits, McFerrin's rough cut had the word "blah blah blah" in place of the end credits (meant to indicate that he should improvise). McFerrin spontaneously decided to sing "blah blah" as lyrics, and the new version of the film includes these lines during the end credits. He formed a ten-person "Voicestra" on his 1990 album Medicine Music as well as in the score to the 1989 Oscar-winning documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt.

McFerrin died as a result of the false news, according to some, people who enjoyed the hum of a man who was known for the encouraging news of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" for those who suffer from depression in real life. However, in reality, Mcferrin knew that the song helped spread the word of hope around the world and was extremely proud of the job as a whole.

Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" for the 1993 comedy film Son of the Pink Panther appeared in 1993.

McFerrin was appointed as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's artistic chair in 1994, in addition to his vocal appearances. He appears on tour throughout the United States and Canada, including the San Francisco Symphony, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and many others. McFerrin's concert appearances blend classical study with his own improvisations, often with audience and orchestra accompaniment. For example, the concerts often conclude with McFerrin conducting the orchestra in a cappella version of "William Tell Overture," in which the orchestra players sing their musical roles in McFerrin's vocal style rather than playing their instruments.

He toured Porgy and Bess for a few years in the late 1990s, partially in honor of his father, who appeared in Sidney Poitier's role in the 1959 film version, but also "to hold the bar lines" in the face of "mainly white orchestras" who tend not to "play around the bar lines" who aren't "to stretch and bend." "This music has been in my body for 40 years, possibly longer than any other genre," McFerrin says of his father's work in the film.

McFerrin has worked with his son, Taylor, in numerous music education programs and appears as a guest music teacher and lecturer at public schools around the United States.

During the Umbria Jazz Festival in July 2003, McFerrin was named an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

McFerrin and psychologist Daniel Levitin hosted The Music Instinct, a two-hour documentary made by PBS and based on Levitin's best-selling book This Is Your Brain on Music. The two authors appeared together on a panel at the World Science Festival later this year.

On May 19, 2018, McFerrin was given a lifetime achievement award at the A Cappella Music Awards.

On August 20, 2020, McFerrin was honoured with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters award.

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Grammy Awards

• 1985, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male for "Another Night in Tunisia" with Jon Hendricks from the album Vocalese.
• 1985, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, "Another Night in Tunisia" with Cheryl Bentyne.
• 1986, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, "Round Midnight" from the soundtrack album Round Midnight.
• 1987, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male, "What Is This Thing Called Love" from the album The Other Side of Round Midnight with Herbie Hancock.
• 1987, Best Recording for Children, "The Elephant's Child" with Jack Nicholson.
• 1988, Song of the Year, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" from the album Simple Pleasures.
• 1988, Record of the Year, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" from the album Simple Pleasures.
• 1988, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" from the album Simple Pleasures.
• 1988, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, "Brothers" from the album Duets by Rob Wasserman.
• 1992, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, "Round Midnight" from the album Play.