Prior to this, he was involved in developing his musical style. McFerrin might have meant the song satirically, or at least not fully seriously; theres cutesy mugging all through the track that gives him a certain plausible deniability. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. He is often referred to as his birth name Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. His albums from the 1990s include The Mozart Sessions, Circlesongs, and Hush. He and Debbie have sons named Taylor and Jevon and a daughter named Madison. Usually those rumors were non-specific, baldly imparted as "He committed suicide," but sometimes the additional detail that he'd shot himself would be provided. Bobby McFerrin is a true one-hit wonder; Dont Worry, Be Happy, his sole #1 hit, is also the only McFerrin song thats ever charted on the Hot 100 at all. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the world's best known vocal innovators and improvisers. But the Cocktail soundtrack was much, much bigger. McFerrin vocally protested that usage and loudly declared that he was voting for the other guy; some reports at the time even had McFerrin taking it out of his concert repertoire, just to make sure no one got the wrong message. Bobby McFerrin is a one of one, a true anomaly. Bill Cosby helped McFerrin get booked at the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1980, and a performance at New Yorks Kool Jazz Festival the next year got McFerrin a deal with Elektra. Donald Trumps First Wife Belief And Siblings Details, Footage: Robert Adams San Bernardino Ca Shooting, Who Killed Zack Tv? It was a single from her debut album Word of Mouth, and it was originally written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching the show one of the greatest contemporary musicians of the past century that keeps haunting the youth of this new era with amazing, innovative arrangements, mixing rhythms, sounds, syncopated melodies ballads with irresistible, inspiring, exciting to see the playfulness with Mc Ferrin that makes everything flow leading the audience into a frenzy Too bad we did not have an encore - the audience stood for about 15 minutes cheering, hoping the whole band back, but had to console themselves with the ground Bobby. Bobby McFerrin net worth 2023, age, height, wife, girlfriend, kids, biography, wiki, Yes (Jevon, Madison, and Taylor McFerrin). Later that year, the two appeared together on a panel at the World Science Festival. He often sang a cappella, mixing folk songs, 1960s rock and soul tunes, and jazz themes with original lyrics. So if you like truly happy endings (as opposed to "Be Happy" endings), McFerrin's ability to thrive as a cultural explorer while going off the pop-culture radar makes for a fine cap to his story. "No matter what style of music you play, improvising is great for your flexibility and your ears. In the late 90s and early 00s, the makers of the novelty toy Big Mouth Billy Bass sold millions upon millions of singing animatronic rubber fishes, most of which were presumably gag gifts to family members who really didnt want them. Claim: Bobby McFerrin, the artist who sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy," killed himself. At the time, in the mid-1980s, it was a sobriquet more readily associated with Frank Sinatra but in its definitive clarity, loaded with implications, no term could have been better suited to his art. 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). A service will be held at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church 1231 E. Chapman Ave. Fullerton, CA, Saturday, Dec. 7th at noon. The weird thing was that, although I could visualize myself solo, on stage, I couldn't imagine what it might sound like. Instead, McFerrin, a Democrat, publicly endorsed Michael Dukakis, and the Bush campaign stopped using the song. Bobby was around to see everything his parents did; he was four years old when Robert debuted at the Met in 1955. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic). The Wilbur - Boston. But the one McFerrin song that did catch on serves as a living symbol of bumper-sticker philosophy and Reagan-era complacency. Don't Worry, Keep Kosher written by unknown author (s) English January 25, 2005. People still remember him for the hit song Dont Worry, Be Happy. What a refusal to even consider the thought that maybe things could be better. His nickname is McFerrin Robert Jr.;McFerrin Robert Keith. He attended Cathedral High School in Los Angeles,[3] Cerritos College,[4] University of Illinois Springfield (then known as Sangamon State University)[5] and California State University, Sacramento. Wearing the uniform of the Peacehaven Home Guard, former British Staff Sergeant Felix Powell shot himself in the heart using his own rifle. Bobby McFerrin is a master of vocal improvisation, using his four-octave range in various techniques, from scat singing to polyphonic overtone singing to vocal percussion, working both unaccompanied and with instruments. McFerrin was given a lifetime achievement award at the A Cappella Music Awards on May 19, 2018. Bobby McFerrin is a legendary name who has received many honors in his career. Chico Kaonohi (from eft) prays with Priscilla Hoopii and Lana Vierra in November 2022 outside U.S. District Court in Honolulu, after his Native Hawaiian son was found guilty of a hate crime in the 2014 beating of a white man. Plans changed when McFerrin recorded a version of Dont Worry, Be Happy at the suggestion of his manager Linda Goldstein, who also produced the album. Instead, he was going for Mexican. Later he brought audience members on stage to participate with him in Voicestra-style duets and more. Though the stereotype created by his monster hit has McFerrin being Mr. A Cappella, it shouldn't come as such a shock that he records with instrumentalists if you know his background. On this particular night in Santa Monica, McFerrin gave us a 90 minutes solo performance. In the 1959 film version of Porgy And Bess, we see Sidney Poitier singing, but the sound we hear is Robert McFerrins voice. It was so well received that he was invited back for the sequel. In other words, don't worry, be hep to the moment. Updates? Around the same time that Dont Worry, Be Happy reached #1, George H.W. 158,744 fans get concert alerts for this artist. Known for his amazing vocal techniques, Bobby has come up with many albums. Bobby McFerrin, (born March 11, 1950, New York, New York, U.S.), American musician noted for his tremendous vocal control and improvisational ability. 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.[10]. As of March 2023, Bobby McFerrins net worth is around $5 million. McFerrin was honored with the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters award on August 20, 2020. We like to look for the dark side and delight in finding it, even to the point of happily seizing upon wholly false rumors about perceived goody two-shoes. Bobby then came up with the album SpiritYouAll in 2013. 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.[12]. The result that we provided is based on 2022. Bobby McFerrin was born on March 11, 1950 in New York City, New York, USA. Birth Place: Bobby McFerrin will celebrate 73rd birthday on a Saturday 11th of March 2023. Bobby McFerrin is a true one-hit wonder; "Don't Worry, Be Happy," his sole #1 hit, is also the only McFerrin song that's ever charted on the Hot 100 at all. He stepped into the music industry in 1970 and hes still a singer. But McFerrin's idea of work is awfully playful. Bobby has even performed for The Cosby Shows theme song in 1987. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. 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. His mother, a soprano, was a Metropolitan Opera judge who chaired the vocal department at Fullerton College, near Los Angeles, and his father, who sang at the Met, dubbed actor Sidney Poitiers singing on the 1959 Porgy and Bess sound track. And yet he still loosed Dont Worry, Be Happy into the world, like a plague. I've seen Bobby McFerrin twice before. The song became a global hit, and McFerrin decided to begin to pursue other aspects of music such as production and arrangement. For another couple of years, Dont Worry, Be Happy became inescapable again. McFerrin has carved out a fascinating and successful career in music, and virtually all of that career has played out far away from the pop charts. Click to reveal Its a 9.) Damn, if I say it, you can slap me right here. We want more good music Until the next time! A Tribute to Jack Johnson), What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Herbie Mann Plays The Roar of the Greasepaint The Smell of the Crowd, Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock/Keith Jarret/McCoy Tyner, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_McFerrin&oldid=1139320483, 20th-century African-American male singers, California State University, Sacramento alumni, Classical musicians from New York (state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. We got through the entire doo-wop era without any all-voice singles reaching the top spot, and lord willing, well also get through the age of YouTube and TikTok novelties without it happening again. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Does Kevin Gates Have A Sister? Il fatto di proporre un concerto/scuola forse doveva essere spiegato all'acquisto del biglietto. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. McFerrin deserves to be remembered for more than the time he infected the world with a noxious smarm-cloud of a song, and he probably will be. Robert Keith McFerrin Jr.s voice is still young, do you have any clue on what is his age? Bobby McFerrin - Biography. He is widely known for his hit song Dont worry, be happy which was streamed globally. He is 72 as of 2022. His height is 1.75 m tall, and weight is 66 kg. 1 single and three Grammy awards. Join Songkick ", A eureka moment arrived one day when he started singing a Joan Armatrading song to himself, jumping around in his four-octave range. Don't miss a chance to catch him in concert. Currently, Bobby McFerrin is 72 years, 11 months and 22 days old. And, as we're reminded in this episode of Jazz Night in America, he's also a great storyteller and an incisive assessor of his own artistic motivations. In contrast to other performers with '80s-era MTV smashes who might be remembered as "one-hit wonders," the singer doesn't even usually perform "Don't Worry" in concert. He has been married to Debbie Green since October 18, 1975. Vocalist and conductor whose song "Don't Worry Be Happy" was a hit in 1988. Dont Worry, Be Happy was a #1 jam. He was also the singer of the film Son of the Pink Panther. McFerrin endorses a distinctively recognizable sound where he would perform both the melody and the accompaniment. He has also been a sideman for the albums Round Midnight by Herbie Hancock, The Magic Hour by Wynton Marsalis, and Journey to the One by Pharaoh Sanders. Let The Roundup Begin: The Month In Hardcore, The Number Ones: Mims This Is Why Im Hot, Weve Got A File On You: Marshall Crenshaw, The 10 Best Flaming Lips Songs (That Even Flaming Lips Fans Might Not Know), performing Pink Panther Theme in 1993s, Cast And Crew Members Describe The Weeknds HBO Show. The phrase dont worry, be happy existed in the world before McFerrin wrote the song. January 20, 2022 Host Christian McBride talks with vocalist and 2020 NEA Jazz Master Bobby McFerrin. Be spontaneous; it forces you to connect every note you play to your soul, to your mood, to the environment you are in, to your audience.". There was only one explanation for this: The song made people so unbearably happy that the only antidote was to associate it with deep unhappiness, whether that involved suicide or the end of the world. At the time, in the mid-1980s, it was a sobriquet more readily associated with Frank Sinatra but in its definitive. Bobby Mcferrin Jr, he is doing well and alive, he is currently 72 as of 2022. He was aged 32 at the time, claiming that he spent six year prior to recording the album developing his style, making sure that he wouldnt listen to any other music so he could develop his own style. The highest-charting single from Andy Sambergs group the Lonely Island, the 2010 Akon collab I Just Had Sex, peaked at #30.). Bobby McFerrin, Roscoe Mitchell, Reggie Workman, Dorthaan Kirk Named 2020 Jazz Masters The four recipients of America's highest jazz honor will be celebrated at a concert in San Francisco next spring. song of the year and record of the year, and winning the "best pop vocal, male" award for Bobby McFerrin. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is known for his unique vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitchfor example, sustaining a melody while also rapidly alternating with arpeggios and harmoniesas well as scat singing . However, the false "Bobby McFerrin suicide" rumor does indeed have a real-life counterpart. Bobbie McFerrin is an exceptional performer. Following his efforts, in 1986 McFerrin was invited to perform at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, being a part of Herbie Hancocks band. McFerrin is also capable of multiphonic singing. He was the performer and composer of the short film Knick Knack in 1989. The Voice made Bobby McFerrin famous, but it didnt make him hitmaker famous. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. He was born on March 11, 1950 in Manhattan, New York. McFerrin rose to prominence with the release of his eponymous album, which wasnt released until 1982. Weve had plenty of hit songs where people made funny screeches, percussive plops, and goofy sound-effects with their mouths, but Dont Worry, Be Happy is the only song where those things are the entire song. Gravou vrios clssicos do . Hed keep time by tapping his chest, and hed sing vocal melodies and complicated basslines at the same time. At that time, he performed on the PBS TV special Sing Out America! In 1990, the song The Garden was released. 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 them. Bobby McFerrin, Soundtrack: The Two Popes. [2], McFerrin was born in Manhattan, New York City in 1950, the son of operatic baritone Robert McFerrin and singer Sara Copper. Bush's campaign apparently got the right one and moved on to other musical choices. This was followed by the singles Thinkin About Your Body and Good Lovin'. Whatever Happened to Bobby McFerrin? 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. Bob Marley had been dead for seven years when McFerrin wrote Dont Worry, Be Happy, but many, many people evidently think its a Bob Marley song. If you do not know, We have prepared this article about details of Bobby McFerrins short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, wife, girlfriend, dating, divorce, kids, todays net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. The forced calm of the thing the Andy Griffith-ass whistling, the meandering doo-wop bass tones, the little fake-reggae doot-doots mostly works to stress me out. Even after being active in his career for a long time, he has not given up and continues to engage himself with some of the popular artists in the world. (Creams original Sunshine Of Your Love, from 1968, peaked at #5. Bobby has also been to Cerritos College followed by the University of Illinois Springfield. Very soon, another nugget from that soundtrack will appear in this column. (Cruises other 1988 movie was Rain Man, the years biggest hit. It may sound odd to say this of an album rooted largely in the music of slavery, but spiritYOUall may be the closest thing to a pop album McFerrin's recorded in a long time. Its radiant, nuclear-charged dogshit. The Real Bobby McFerrin 382K subscribers SF Jazz provided this lovely testimonial to honor Bobby McFerrin upon becoming a NEA Jazz Master 2020. Its just baffling. McFerrins whole jazz style was gentle and pleasant, just as a listening experience, but its real selling point was the simple idea that this guy was making all of these sounds himself, without instruments. Corrections? Writer and Producer: Trevor Smith with Alex Ariff; Consulting Editor: Katie Simon; Host: Christian McBride; Project Manager: Suraya Mohamed; Senior Producer: Alex Ariff; Senior Director of NPR Music: Keith Jenkins; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann and Gabrielle Armand. He is the father of musicians Taylor McFerrin and Madison McFerrin, and actor Jevon McFerrin. Linda Goldstein, McFerrins manager and producer, sent a letter to the Bush campaign objecting to the use of the song. Well, if youre ready, lets start. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic The tale was justly ironic and thus much beloved: the man who'd crooned "In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double" ultimately couldn't stomach what he'd been spooning out to others. 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. "But I always had this idea of performing solo at the back of my mind. Surely a song that cheerful could only lead to a heavily ironic end, no? Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. is an American-based Folk and Jazz artist who was born on March 11, 1950. He is also the recipient of ten Grammy Awards. In the songs video, McFerrin mugs frantically with Robin Williams, whod just been in Good Morning, Vietnam and crossed over to big-deal status. 6 Toni Basil - $5 Million. Bobby McFerrin, has pursued many endeavors in his career, which has included writing and recording the huge chart topping hit Dont Worry Be Happy. BOBBY MCFERRIN. In 1994, to add to his already sterling CV, McFerrin gained the accolade of creative chair of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, with whom he embarks on regular tours around the world. He married Debbie Green in 1975. Alive Inside: 2014: Documentary performer: "Pentatonic Romp" / writer: "Pentatonic Romp" Gympl s (r)ucenm omezenm: 2013: TV Series writer - 1 episode: He makes use of percussive effects created both with his mouth and by tapping on his chest. So: Bobby McFerrin. He then came up with the chartbuster Dont Worry, Be Happy in 1988. Get your tour dates seen by one billion fans: Magyar Vasttrtneti Park / Hungarian Railway Museum. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2f222a18bcabc3 Beyond Words became available in 2002. Other times he would conduct a symphony, albeit including a segment where the musicians would put their instruments down and sing their parts. Unfortunately there are no concert dates for Bobby McFerrin scheduled in 2023. Being born on 11 March 1950, Bobby McFerrin is 72 years old as of today's date 3rd March 2023. The Cocktail soundtrack was also a big deal. He's been most comfortable collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, and other jazz and classical musiciansor classical audiences, as when he gets a crowd to sing "Ave Maria" while he performs Bach's "Bach's Prelude No 1 in C Major" as counterpoint. And Im very skeptical of the idea that theres any nuance in Dont Worry, Be Happy. Speaking personally, I have absolutely no use for the kind of think-positive mindset that the song advocates. Bobby McFerrin will celebrate 73rd birthday on a Saturday 11th of March 2023. (I dont feel great about mentioning Bill Cosby twice in one column, but hes part of the story here.) He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner, including for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 1992. Family (1) Spouse Debbie Green ( 18 October 1975 - present) (3 children) In 1982, he released the songs Moondance/Jubilee and Youve Really Got a Hold on Me. Needless to say, McFerrin has always contained a universe of sound beyond that historical smash hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." They have three children. The couple has remained married for over four decades. In 1990, McFerrin made his debut as an orchestra conductor. Bobby is also known for coming up with some of the hit singles. You might wonder what is Bobby Mcferrins age, or you might have predicted the age of Bobby Mcferrin. I cannot imagine sitting in one of these audiences, but captured on video, his work looks extremely cool. Bobby McFerrin was born on March 11, 1950 in New York City, New York, USA. His later recordings include Circlesongs (1997) and VOCAbuLarieS (2010), for which he drew from various world-music traditions to create minimally accompanied, harmonically rich choral pieces; the impressionistic jazz album Beyond Words (2002); and Spirityouall (2013), an homage to African American spirituals. On 10 February 1942, the man who in 1915 wrote the music for "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile," took his own life. These days, Bobby McFerrins kids are active, too. Bobby McFerrin was born in the Year of the Tiger. Below we countdown to Bobby McFerrin upcoming birthday. Bushs campaign invited McFerrin to have dinner with the vice president, and McFerrin declined. Still, millions of people evidently think that McFerrin was Jamaican or, rather, that Dont Worry, Be Happy is actually a song from the most famous Jamaican musician of all time. Music News Guns N' Roses to Tiffany: No.1 Songs From 1988 . McFerrin was given a lifetime achievement award at the A Cappella Music Awards on May 19, 2018. The rumor of his suicide fits an established pattern of celebrities who've become pop culture icons as much for their benign, cheerful personas as for their accomplishments either dying or furtively concealing odious secrets completely at odds to those smiling visages. and funny noises - reminds everyone it's fun to be alive. At least in part, thats by design. To his great credit, McFerrin didnt have any desire to replicate the success of Dont Worry, Be Happy. The song won Grammys for Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year fucking pathetic but McFerrin soon stopped performing it entirely. Bobby McFerrin, 1982 self-titled debut studio album by Bobby McFerrin. He later went to the California State University in Sacramento. As did McFerrin himself. McFerrin later said that he wasnt trying to sound Jamaican when he recorded the song. In 2003, Rendezvous in New York was released by Chick Corea. hide caption, Singer Bobby McFerrin performs at The 39th Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell - Day 6 at The New Orleans Fair Grounds on May 3, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Compatible with Horse or Dog. 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."[11]. Sara is survived by son Bobby McFerrin, her daughter Brenda McFerrin, her daughter-in-law Debbie and grandchildren Taylor, Jevon and Madison McFerrin. More About The Rapper Mother And Father, Was Ivana Trump Religious? He is very active in his career and continues to associate himself with music. McFerrin's show was captivating from the beginning to the end, almost two full hours of an audience experiencing a glimpse into the McFerrin's inner workings while being emotionally engaged. As per our current Database, Bobby McFerrin is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). In addition to his vocal performing career, in 1994, McFerrin was appointed as creative chair of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Join 158,744 fans getting concert alerts for this artist. On 10 February 1942, the man who in 1915 wrote the music for "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag . He is widely known for performing and recording regularly as an unaccompanied solo vocal artist. In 1988, McFerrin recorded the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy", which became a hit and brought him widespread recognition across the world. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. He is widely known for his hit song "Don't worry, be happy" which was streamed globally. Bobby McFerrin [mkfrn] 1950 311 - 86.58.174.78 Maybe Bobby McFerrin didnt mean to write a song in praise of societal stagnation, but when you write a song like Dont Worry, Be Happy, you run that risk. His response to being a pop star as the '80s turned into the '90s? 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. This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 14:25. The couple has remained married for over four decades. [2], McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a No. Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. was born on March 11, 1950, in Manhattan, New York. Thinking about recording without any accompaniment took another six years beyond that. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The No. His height is 1.75 m tall, and weight is 66 kg. It was in 1988 that McFerrin recorded, produced and released the song Dont Worry, Be Happy. Indeed his father wasan American-based operatic baritone and he is noted as the first African-American who sang at the Metropolitan Opera based in NYC. Personal life [ edit] He is the father of musicians Taylor McFerrin and Madison McFerrin, and actor Jevon McFerrin. Age is definitely a factor that mentions ones youth and maturity, and you might wonder what is Bobby Mcferrins age as well. In 1988, he came up with his fourth studio album entitled Simple Pleasures. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bobby-McFerrin, All About Jazz - Biography of Bobby McFerrin, African American Registry - Bobby McFerrin, Vocalist born, Bobby McFerrin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Bobby McFerrin started his career by coming up with an eponymous debut album. The message, I guess, was: Everythings going great! In 1993, he sang Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme" for the 1993 comedy film Son of the Pink Panther. McFerrin released his self-titled debut album in 1982, when he was 32. siamo venuti da Vicenza/Italia a Vienna per ascoltare le tue performance e sinceramente siamo rimasti delusi. This was followed by the albums Spontaneous Inventions and The Elephants Child. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) We might have witnessed a few younger versions of Bobby Mcferrin, but age passes as time passes. Bobby McFerrin (born New York City, March 11, 1950) is a jazz-influenced a cappella vocal performer and conductor. McFerrin, a New York native, is part of a proud lineage of boundary-breaking musicians. As a swinging jazz and ballad vocalist, by 1980 McFerrin was touring with popular jazz singer Jon Hendricks. In 1989, he composed and performed the music for the Pixar short film Knick Knack. Meanwhile, Bobby McFerrins mother Sara taught voice at Fullerton College in LA. McFerrin may have encountered it on a poster of Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual leader who kept a 44-year vow of silence and who had a whole flock of Western admirers, including Pete Townshend, who used his name in the title of the Whos song Baba ORiley. Baba would write dont worry, be happy in his correspondence with Western followers, and some of them started printing the phrase on things. McAulay & Wallace Mortuary. The Cocktail album went to #2 on the album charts and went quadruple platinum.