Gerry Rafferty(1947-2011)
- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty was born on April 16, 1947 in Paisley,
Scotland. He was the third son of Irish miner and lorry driver Joseph
Rafferty and Rafferty's Scottish wife Mary Skeffington. His abusive
alcoholic father died when Gerry was only sixteen. Rafferty grew up in
a council house on the town's Glenburn estate and attended St. Mirin's
Academy. Inspired by his Scottish mother who taught him both Irish and
Scottish folk songs and the music of Bob Dylan and the Beatles, Gerry
started writing his own material. In 1963 he left St. Mirin's Academy
and worked in a butcher's shop and as a civil service clerk while also
playing with the local group Maverix on weekends. In the mid 60s
Rafferty earned money busking on the London Underground. In 1966 he met
fellow musician Joe Egan; they were both members of the pop band the
Fifth Column. In 1969 Gerry became the third member of the folk-pop
outfit the Humblebums which also featured comedian Billy Connelly.
Rafferty and Connelly recorded two well-received albums on the
Transatlantic label as a duo. In 1972 Gerry released his first solo
album "Can I Have My Money Back?". That same year Egan and Rafferty
formed the group Stealers Wheel. Stealers Wheel had a huge hit with the
jaunty and witty song "Stuck in the Middle with You," which peaked at
#6 on the Billboard pop charts. Stealers Wheel had a lesser Top 40 hit
with "Star" ten months later and eventually broke up in 1975. In 1978
Gerry hit pay dirt with his second solo album "City to City," which
soared to #1 on the Billboard album charts and sold over five million
copies worldwide. The album also beget the hit song "Baker Street;"
this haunting and poetic ballad was an international smash that went to
#2 in America, #3 in the United Kingdom, #1 in Australia, and #9 in the
Netherlands. Rafferty's third album "Night Owl" likewise did well.
Moreover, Gerry had additional impressive chart successes with the
songs "Right Down the Line," "Home and Dry," "Days Gone Down," and "Get
It Right Next Time." Alas, a handful of albums Rafferty recorded
throughout the 80s and 90s all proved to be commercial flops. Gerry
sang the vocal on the song "The Way It Always Starts" for the
soundtrack of the movie "Local Hero." Rafferty was married to Carla
Ventilla from 1970 to 1990. He recorded his last album "Another World"
in 2000 and released the compilation CD "Life Goes On" in 2009.
Unfortunately, Gerry had problems with alcoholism that directly
contributed to his untimely death at age 63 from liver failure on
January 4, 2011; he's survived by his daughter Martha, granddaughter
Celia, and brother Jim.