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Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty dies following illness

The Paisley-born singer and songwriter has passed away after battling liver failure.

04 January 2011 19:46 GMT

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Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63.

The songwriter was admitted to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in November 2010 with suspected liver failure.

Rafferty, who was born in Paisley in 1947, had received treatment for liver failure in the past.

Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty dies following illness

He is best known for the 1978 song Baker Street but also had a huge hit in 1972 with Stuck in the Middle With You with his band Stealers Wheel.

The song was discovered by a new generation of fans in 1992 when Quentin Tarantino used it on the soundtrack to hit film Reservoir Dogs.

Early in his career Rafferty also worked with Billy Connolly in Clydeside folk band The Humblebums, and as a producer he had a hand in The Proclaimers hit Letter From America.

In February 2009, solicitors for the singer released a statement which said he was "extremely well" and composing new songs at his home in Italy.

The statement was released after reports that friends had not heard from him since he "disappeared" six months before while being treated at a London hospital for liver failure.

He is survived by daughter Martha, granddaughter Celia, and brother, Jim.

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  1. Default avatar

    1. 04 Jan 2011 21:07R Smith said

    Cant believe he's been taken from us at such an early age. Hope his new material get's released.

    We have all of his album's, his voice had a unique quality. RIP

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    2. 05 Jan 2011 08:22The Handyman KQIP said

    Very sad Rafferty's life is over. One of my favorite and hardest songs to find today is on a UA label called GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME. I purchased two copies about six months ago from a collection house, digitized it and is in my ipod. When I was with KQIP FM 96.9 in Odessa Midland in the 1980s it was part of our library and a great song to play. Great sax in the center of a musical bridge and just one of the coolest jazz/rock tunes of the decade.

    RIP Gerry.

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