The 1978 album City to City sold over 5.5 million copies, eventually displacing the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack from the top of the Billboard 200 chart. This commercial breakthrough followed a difficult three-year period of legal inactivity, firmly establishing the Scottish composer as a significant force in the pop music landscape of the late twentieth century.
Early influences and formative years
Born in 1947 to a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Gerald Rafferty was the son and grandson of coal miners. Raised in a council house on Underwood Lane, he attended St Mirin's Academy until 1963. His introduction to music came through Irish and Scottish folk songs taught by his mother, while his later songwriting was shaped by Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
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Take the IQ test →Early career and the Humblebums
Before achieving solo fame, Rafferty held various jobs in a butcher shop and as a civil service clerk, though he maintained his commitment to music. He performed in local groups and busked on the London Underground during the mid-1960s. By 1969, he joined the folk-pop trio the Humblebums alongside Billy Connolly, eventually continuing as a duo after the departure of Tam Harvey.
Stealers Wheel and solo transitions
In 1972, Rafferty reunited with collaborator Joe Egan to form Stealers Wheel. The group achieved a major hit with "Stuck in the Middle with You," though their tenure was marred by internal legal disputes. After the band dissolved in 1975, Rafferty returned as a solo performer, having previously released his first album, Can I Have My Money Back?, in 1971.
Peak success and musical legacy
Rafferty remains most recognized for the track "Baker Street" from his 1978 album City to City. The song earned the 1979 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. Despite his success, he struggled with alcohol dependency for much of his life and died of liver failure in Stroud in 2011, at the age of 64.
Fast facts
- Born: 1947, Paisley
- Died: 2011, Stroud
- Education: St Mirin's Academy
- Primary Occupations: singer-songwriter, guitarist
- Early Group: the Humblebums
- Band Membership: Stealers Wheel
- Key Album: City to City
- Notable Hit: Baker Street
Questions readers ask
What were Gerry Rafferty's primary musical influences?
He was influenced by traditional Irish and Scottish folk music, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan.
Why was there a gap in his releases during the 1970s?
Legal disputes following the break-up of his group Stealers Wheel prevented him from releasing new material for three years.
Achievements
- Instruments: guitar and voice
- Genres: rock music
