Gerry Rafferty

Gerry Rafferty
Rafferty performing at Dublin's National Stadium on 6 September 1980.
Background information
Birth name	Gerald Rafferty
Born	(1947-04-16)16 April 1947 Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Died	4 January 2011(2011-01-04) (aged 63) Stroud, Gloucestershire, England
Genres	Rock, pop, folk rock, soft rock, blues rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, electric guitar, piano, saxophone, bass guitar
Years active	1966–2000, 2009–2010
Labels	Transatlantic, United Artists, Liberty, London, Avalanche Records, Hypertension
Associated acts	The Humblebums, Stealers Wheel, Joe Egan
Notable instruments
Fender Mustang Bass Fender Telecaster Gibson Dove Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop Gibson J-160E Gibson L-5 Martin D-45 Ovation Guitar Gibson Les Paul

Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer-songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Night Owl", as well as "Stuck in the Middle with You" recorded with the band Stealers Wheel.

Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. He joined the folk-pop group The Humblebums in 1969. After they disbanded in 1971, he recorded his first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back? Rafferty and Joe Egan formed the group Stealers Wheel in 1972, producing several hits, most notably "Stuck in the Middle with You" and "Star". In 1978, he recorded his second solo album, City to City, which included "Baker Street", his most popular song.

Rafferty was born on 16 April 1947 into a working-class family in Underwood Lane in Paisley, a son and grandson of coal miners. A son of Joseph and Mary (Skeffington) Rafferty, he had two brothers, Jim and Joe (died 1995).

Rafferty grew up in a council house on the town's Foxbar estate and was educated at St Mirin's Academy. His Irish-born father, a violent alcoholic, was a miner and lorry driver who died when Rafferty was 16. Rafferty learned both Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy. He recalled, "My father was Irish, so growing up in Paisley I was hearing all these songs when I was two or three. Songs like "She Moves Through the Fair", which my mother sings beautifully. And a whole suite of Irish traditional songs and Scots traditional songs". Heavily influenced by folk music and the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan, Rafferty started to write his own material.