Scottish singer Gerry Rafferty dies aged 63
By ANIWednesday, January 5, 2011
LONDON - Scottish singer and songwriter Gerry Rafferty, best known for the 1970s hits like ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’, has died after years of battling alcoholism. He was 63.
His daughter Martha said on Tuesday that Rafferty passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family, reports the Scotsman.
The Paisley-born musician had been admitted to Bournemouth Hospital in last November with liver failure.
After beginning his musical career with Billy Connolly’s folk group the Humblebums, Rafferty tasted success with Stealers Wheel before enjoying further hits as a solo singer.
Stealers Wheel’s 1972 hit ‘Stuck in the Middle With You’ underwent a renaissance after featuring in Quentin Tarantino’s film ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in the 1990s.
Baker Street, with its distinctive saxophone solo, reached number three in U.K. charts and No 2 in the U.S.
His most successful albums were 1978’s ‘City To City’ and 1978’s ‘Night Owl’.
But despite his professional life going strong, Rafferty suffered from alcoholism, leading to the breakdown of his 20-year marriage to wife Carla in 1990.
He later moved to California to be near his daughter Martha, but moved back to Ireland in 2008 and later Dorset.
His last and final album ‘Life Goes On’ was released in 2008. (ANI)
