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General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: Fansome on January 05, 2011, 0623 UTC
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I thought "Star" was one of the best pop songs of all time. RIP
'Baker Street' singer Gerry Rafferty dead at 63
The Associated Press
Tuesday, January 4, 2011; 6:11 PM
LONDON -- Gerry Rafferty, the Scottish singer-songwriter behind hit songs "Baker Street" and "Stuck in the Middle With You," has died. He was 63.
Rafferty's agent Paul Charles confirmed Tuesday that his client had passed away following a long illness, but said he had no additional information on how or where he had died.
Rafferty's classic record "Baker Street" - renowned worldwide for its distinctive haunting saxophone solo - climbed to No. 3 in the U.K. and No. 2 in the U.S. music charts in 1978. It still achieves considerable airplay on radio stations.
The singer also recorded "Stuck in the Middle With You" in 1972 while performing as part of the Scottish folk-rock band Stealers Wheel. The ode - or mocking tribute- to Bob Dylan's raspy voice grew new wings in film maker Quentin Tarantino's movie "Reservoir Dogs," and has sold more than a million copies worldwide.
Rafferty made headlines in recent years for his public struggles with alcoholism and had also undergone treatment for liver failure. He reassured fans of his well-being in February 2009 after a former bandmate expressed concerns over his health and whereabouts in the press. Later that year, Rafferty released the album "Life Goes On."
After initially cutting his teeth as a busker, Rafferty appeared with Scottish comedian Billy Connolly in folk group the Humblebums and released a solo record before founding Stealers Wheel.
Despite his brushes with negative press - from a long-running contract dispute with Stealers Wheel to scathing character critiques posted online by his brother, Jim - Rafferty was described by employees at his latest record label as a man who kept to himself and shunned the spotlight.
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"...grew new wings in film maker Quentin Tarantino's movie "Reservoir Dogs..."
I guess my age is showing. I always associate Stealers Wheel with high school and Rafferty's solo peak with cycling through Rock Creek Park to and from work at NNMC Bethesda in '78. City to City was among the handful of '70s highlights that doesn't sound dated now.
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I was just a kid in the 70's but every time I hear the opening of "Right Down the Line" I'm zapped right back there. Great music.