Baker Street Singer Gerry Rafferty Dies

Gerry Rafferty has sadly died aged 63 following a long battle with alcoholism.

Born in Paisley, Rafferty started his musical career as a busker on the London underground. He found some fame as part of the Humbebums with Billy Connolly before founding Stealer’s Wheel with his friend Joe Egan.

‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ proved to be the biggest hit for Stealer’s Wheel, and it was given a new lease of life in 1992 when the song appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Reservoir Dogs.

However, it will always be the ubiquitous ‘Baker Street’ for which Rafferty will be remembered. It’s a remarkable musical landmark, and one which reportedly earned him around £80,000 per year in royalties alone. The irony, of course, is that the song which briefly made him a household name was about his dissatisfaction with fame.

In an obituary for the The Guardian Rafferty’s former manager Michael Gray said that his music was "a shimmering delta of sound...romantic yet pushily sardonic...thanks to Gerry's gift of perfect pitch and an obdurate determination to stick to his guns." Gray believed that the latter ultimately limited Rafferty's musical achievements" "Behind an aggressive front, and a strong awareness of his own musical excellence, was fear. He turned down working with Eric Clapton, McCartney and others..."

Recent years saw rumours and conjecture surround Rafferty’s life, with varying reports that he had been thrown out of the Westbury Hotel in London for unruly behaviour in 2008 and another report that he had gone missing for six months in 2009.

However, a new solo album in 2009 suggested that music was still very much on his mind and many had hoped that he would beat his addiction to return to the studio.

Alas, it wasn’t to be and sadly on 4 January he passed away at home in Bournemouth with his daughter Martha at his bedside.

RIP Gerry Rafferty, 1947-2011