Gerry Rafferty Scottish rock musician Date of Birth: 16.04.1947 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Gerry Rafferty

Gerry Rafferty, whose full name was Gerald 'Gerry' Rafferty, was born in 1947 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He grew up as the third and not entirely desired son of Mary Skeffington and Joseph Rafferty, a former miner and truck driver who became an alcoholic and passed away in 1963 when Gerry was 16 years old.

After finishing school, he worked in a butcher shop for a while and later got a job in the civil service. He eventually moved to London, where he initially made a living through street performances. In the 1960s, Rafferty, who was heavily influenced by the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan, began writing his own music. He played in local bands, later sang alongside future comedian Billy Connolly, and in 1972, he formed the band 'Stealers Wheel' with Joe Egan. Their music was a unique blend of refined American country rock with jangling guitars, and it was surprisingly sentimental. During this period, they released their most famous composition, 'Stuck In The Middle With You', which Quentin Tarantino later used as a soundtrack for his film 'Reservoir Dogs'.

After the band disbanded three years later, Rafferty decided to pursue a solo career. However, the breakup of the band plunged him into a deep melancholy. He returned to Scotland and remained out of the public eye for several years. In 1977, Gerry's single 'Baker Street' reached the third position in the British charts and soared to the second spot in the US. The album 'City to City', which included this composition, sold 5.5 million copies, making it a multi-platinum record. In 1979, his album 'Night Owl' achieved gold status, capitalizing on his previous success.

In the 1980s, Rafferty's popularity started to decline, with many attributing it to his reluctance to tour. His 1980 album, 'Snakes and Ladders', was relatively successful, but the following release in 1982, 'Sleepwalking', had a much lower rating. At the end of the decade, Rafferty recorded and released 'North and South'. In the 90s, he only released two albums, 'On a Wing and a Prayer' in 1993 and 'Over My Head' in 1994, which did not please his numerous fans. His last album, 'Another World', was released in 2000.

It was said that Gerry had an unbecoming attitude for a musician - to be an anti-star. However, it was possibly just a pose. Nevertheless, it was evident that he had less time, health, and perhaps even the desire to create music. It was often mentioned in the press that he was somewhat introverted, but it is unlikely that this could characterize Gerry as a person. In recent years, he had serious problems with alcohol and got involved in controversial and scandalous situations, such as escaping from a clinic in 2008 without his belongings while undergoing examination. In 2009, his representative announced to the press that Rafferty was alive and well but retiring from music and had no plans to record or tour anymore.

In late 2010, Gerry was hospitalized on suspicion of liver failure, which unfortunately proved fatal. He only lived for a few more months. Gerry Rafferty passed away on January 4, 2011. His musical legacy includes about 15 albums, including several compilations. His most recognizable composition, and his signature song, remains 'Baker Street'.

It is known that he is survived by his wife and daughter. However, Gerry had been divorced from his wife Carla Ventilla for a long time by this point. They met in 1965 at a disco, and Carla came from an Italian family. They got married in 1970, and they were together for 20 years before divorcing in 1990.