Gerry Rafferty
A Scottish singer-songwriter whose soulful, melancholic pop crafted the unforgettable sax riff of 'Baker Street' and defined the sound of the late 70s.
1947–2011 (age 64)·Scottish singer-songwriter·Birthday: April 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Gerry Rafferty's voice was a warm, weary instrument, perfectly suited for songs about late-night introspection and the loneliness within the urban grind. Emerging from the folk clubs of Scotland, he found fleeting success with the band Stealers Wheel and their sly hit 'Stuck in the Middle with You'. But it was as a solo artist that he etched his name into music history. The 1978 album 'City to City' was a phenomenon, driven by 'Baker Street,' a song whose yearning saxophone melody became an instant cultural shorthand for nocturnal longing. Rafferty was a craftsman of impeccable, soft-rock arrangements, his songs feeling both intimately personal and universally resonant. Yet the massive success he achieved sat uneasily with him; he was a private man deeply wary of the music industry's machinery. This tension led to long periods of retreat, but his musical output, though sporadic, never lost its refined, melancholic beauty. His work remains a testament to the power of a perfectly captured mood, a soundtrack for the quiet moments between the noise.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Gerry was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gerry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Gerry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2011Died at 64
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
Key Achievements
- His solo album 'City to City' (1978) topped the charts in multiple countries and sold several million copies.
- Wrote and recorded 'Baker Street,' a global smash whose saxophone riff is one of the most recognizable in pop music.
- Co-wrote the hit 'Stuck in the Middle with You' with Joe Egan for their band Stealers Wheel.
- Had a second major solo hit with 'Right Down the Line,' a staple of soft-rock radio.
Did You Know?
The famous saxophone solo on 'Baker Street' was played by session musician Raphael Ravenscroft, who was reportedly paid a flat fee of £27 for the work.
He turned down an invitation to join the folk-rock supergroup The Pogues in the 1980s.
Rafferty was a notoriously reluctant live performer and avoided touring for much of his career after his initial success.
His song 'Baker Street' has been covered or sampled by numerous artists, including the Foo Fighters and Underworld.
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