Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith "Bobby" McFerrin Jr.is an American jazz vocalist and conductor. He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner, who is known for his unique 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPop Singer
Date of Birth11 March 1950
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I grew up in a time when being a musician and learning to be a musician was actually very wonderful.
Miles Davis turned his back to the audience when he came out on stage, and he offended people. But, he wasn't there to entertain; he was all about the music. I kind of do that.
I prepared five songs, I sang them, and he hired me. I started working about a month later at the piano bar.
My biggest musical influences are probably my parents.
Here's a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note. Don't worry, be happy.
So I went to California State University, the composition department, and I studied composition and orchestration and things like that.
If I can delay that for a moment and bring a little joy... and help them to see things a little differently, then I'll be successful.
I want to write more albums. Right now, I release an album every two to three years, but I would like to release one every year.
I've got one week left, and then I'm done for a year. I haven't had a sabbatical, I haven't taken a year off from touring in 15 years at least.
And I just automatically said music. I hadn't really thought about it, but I thought, well I guess I'll be a musician. It was pretty much like that.
The true musician is to bring light into people's hearts.
The voice gets to the soul of a person more than any other instrument. Because it's the voice. It sings talks, it cries, it laughs, it squeals, it barks, it shouts it whispers, There is no other instrument that can do that. We're born with it.
Remembering that life can be full of surprises is useful in any part of your life. You can try a new way of singing a song you've performed for years, a new way of showing your family your love for them, or a new recipe. Don't just play the licks you know. We're all improvising all the time - it's good to recognize that and embrace it.
In every life we have some trouble, but when you worry you make it double. Don't worry. Be happy.