# Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420 "2011-01-04T23:02:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/21 "2011-01-05T17:51:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I think if I became an overnight millionaire and then received a royalty cheque of £80,000 a year for doing nothing, I might have a few demons myself. > > ETA: Just sayin. I’m picking up what you’re laying down. I get nowhere near £80,000 a year for doing more than nothing, and I’ve managed to pick up a few demons nonetheless. Also, wanted to dip a toe back in the thread to recommend the soundtrack of _[Local Hero](http://www.amazon.com/Local-Hero/dp/B002N8Q83A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294249435&sr=8-3)_ to Gerry Rafferty fans who might otherwise be unaware of it (although the excellent Guardian obit linked above mentions it). The only track on the soundtrack that has vocals, _The Way It Always Starts_, pairs Rafferty with Mark Knopfler. It’s a lovely tune. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/22 "2011-01-05T18:38:42Z")
Baker Street for me is one of the all time greats, apparently it was written about his London busking days. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/23 "2011-01-05T21:27:10Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Good to see some love for _Right Down the Line_. Also a favorite of mine. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/24 "2011-01-05T22:45:28Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Good to see some love for _Right Down the Line_. Also a favorite of mine. It’s an underrated song…overshadowed by \*Baker Street \*among Rafferty’s works. I love that song also. I always wanted a man to dedicate it to me, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/25 "2011-01-06T02:57:45Z")
Listening to “Baker Street” as we speak (well…the Foo Fighters cover version, at least) as I slowly get drunk on slightly stale eggnog & brandy. Also: > [@Equipoise](#): > > For those haven’t gone looking for it, here’s the song, [“Stuck In The Middle With You”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPgFnRdTcKE) which was a large part of my teenybopper years. Had no idea that was by Rafferty – guess I need a refresher course on 70’s pop music. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/26 "2011-01-06T03:08:12Z")
_Baker Street_ and _Right Down The Line_ kinda defined the late 1970’s for me as a young pup just catching onto rock music…RIP. _Baker Street_ is such a well-recorded song for the time. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/27 "2011-01-06T03:20:57Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Good to see some love for _Right Down the Line_. Also a favorite of mine. It’s an underrated song…overshadowed by \*Baker Street \*among Rafferty’s works. I just came in to say that we played a lot of Rafferty this morning at our oldies station (one of three in the group where I’m the news director). As I shared with the morning jock, the words are so meaningful to me that I had them printed on the funeral booklet when my wife died. It really was her, right down the line. “City to City,” from which it’s taken, is the only album I’ve purchased in all three formats — the original LP. cassette tape, and CD. It now resides on my iTunes as well. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/28 "2011-01-06T09:35:04Z")
Awww, Darn Got my first kiss to Baker Street playing in the background… sigh ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/29 "2011-01-06T13:08:46Z")
Anyone know where I can legally purchase a digital version of _Get It Right Next Time_? I can’t find it on either iTunes or Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/30 "2011-01-06T19:47:00Z")
Fond farwell to a great talent. Even if the only thing he had ever pulled out of his head was Baker Street, that would be enough to grant him popular music immortality. He crafted a song that (pretty much) everyone likes and remembers, and that will always be played and enjoyed. You could say he finally answered his ‘maker’s tweet’. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420/31 "2011-01-06T19:53:17Z")
I just found out, but I’m not surprised. The man had been in very poor health for a long time. “Baker Street” and “Stuck In the Middle” are two of my all-time favorite songs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gerry-rafferty-dies-at-age-of-63/566420.md?page=1)