Don't Worry, Be Happy Don't Worry, Be Happy "Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a popular worldwide hit song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first "a cappella" song to reach number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. The Indian mystic and sage Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the West. In the 1960s, the expression was printed up on inspirational cards and posters of the era. In 1988, McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of the jazz duo Tuck
John Berry McFerrin John Berry McFerrin John Berry McFerrin (1807–1887) was an American Methodist preacher and editor. He served as a chaplain in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. John Berry McFerrin was born on July 15, 1807 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. His paternal great-grandfather, William McFerrin, Sr., emigrated to York County, Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1730. His paternal grandfather, William McFerrin, Jr., served in the American Revolutionary War of 1775-1783, including at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780. His maternal great-grandfather, James Laughlin, emigrated to the United States from Belfast. His father, James McFerrin, was born in Washington