# Is Gerry Rafferty Missing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019 "2008-11-16T18:57:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/1 "2008-11-16T18:57:54Z")
I read this in the [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Rafferty) that singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty is missing. Is this correct? I couldn’t find anything in Google News and every other thing on a Google search is blogs, which aren’t always reliable. Gerry Rafferty is probably best known for the songs “Baker Street” and “Stuck In The Middle With You.” ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/2 "2008-11-16T21:57:46Z")
From [ultimateguitar.com](http://ultimateguitar.com) Gerry Rafferty Still Missing artist: stealers wheel date: 09/08/2008 category: general music news Original Stealers Wheel frontman Gerry Rafferty is still missing, one month after checking out of a London hospital August first. Rafferty, who had been experiencing liver problems, checked into St. Thomas Hospital July 25th. He underwent a series of tests to determine the status of his health - most likely damaged from years of heavy drinking. Doctors have yet to release his condition to the public. On August 1st, nurses entered Rafferty’s room to find him gone, his bed empty, but his personal belongings left behind. London authorities have to yet to determine a suspect for the apparent kidnapping. The 61-year old rocker remains missing one month after his brief hospital stay. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/3 "2008-11-16T22:38:57Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > London authorities have to yet to determine a suspect for the apparent kidnapping. Who here is assuming that he was kidnapped: the London authorities or the author of this article? How do they know that he didn’t decide to leave the hospital and leave his posessions behind? I hope he’s alright, in any case, but it seems like a long shot. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/4 "2008-11-16T22:47:56Z")
Yeah, the assumed kidnapping things strikes me as odd, too, especially since no one elaborated on it or specified why they thought it was a kidnapping. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/5 "2008-11-16T22:53:22Z")
According to [one blog](http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/gerry_rafferty_still_missing.html), he’s fine: > [@some blogger](#): > > Don’t worry. He’s fine. I served him in a restaurant just off Piccadilly Circus tonight, then helped him to his hotel. Thought he looked familiar, so I went back and asked the porter his name. Googled him, saw all the reports, and called the cops. Cops came and said he’s fine and all this internet rumour is just internet rumour. Gerry Rafferty is fine. Take it for what it’s worth . . . ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/6 "2008-11-16T23:31:09Z")
I couldn’t find anything on a news site, can anyone else? I would think the media would cover this. I know he’s not famous anymore, but I would think I could find some info other than blogs. I know he had huge issues with drugs as recently as 2005 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/7 "2008-11-17T00:03:04Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I couldn’t find anything on a news site, can anyone else? I would think the media would cover this. I know he’s not famous anymore, but I would think I could find some info other than blogs. Well, if it’s truly an Internet rumor/nonevent, it’s not like the major news sources are going to report something that **didn’t** happen. Gerry Rafferty Not Missing George Stephanopoulos Has Not Been Abducted By Aliens Cher not Caught on Camera Picking Her Nose Generalissimo Francisco Franco Is Still Dead [etc.] ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/8 "2008-11-17T00:17:00Z")
Having gotten tired of left-wing jokers and right-wing clowns, he just gave up the gurus and the one night stands, and went off to forget about everything. As for the purported abduction, the Great Detective, reached at his home at No. 221B, would only say that it’s “most irregular.” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/9 "2008-11-17T01:24:06Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Having gotten tired of left-wing jokers and right-wing clowns, Isn’t that the other way around? **Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right Here I am Stuck in the middle with you** [lyrics](http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/7902/RealAudio/StealersWheel/stuck.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/10 "2008-11-17T01:50:48Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Having gotten tired of left-wing jokers and right-wing clowns, he just gave up the gurus and the one night stands, and went off to forget about everything. As for the purported abduction, the Great Detective, reached at his home at No. 221B, would only say that it’s “most irregular.” Heh. Until I saw your last line I was going to pipe up with a joke about how he left the hospital because it was normal for him to be irregular or something. Good one. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/11 "2008-11-17T03:50:49Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Isn’t that the other way around? > > **Clowns to the left of me > Jokers to the right > Here I am > Stuck in the middle with you** > > [lyrics](http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/7902/RealAudio/StealersWheel/stuck.html) - comes up with a fast save \* Yes, but [the one on the right was on the Left](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnnycash/theoneontherightisontheleft.html). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/12 "2008-11-17T04:01:24Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > According to [one blog](http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/gerry_rafferty_still_missing.html), he’s fine: > > Take it for what it’s worth . . . Also, why would he have had to been helped to his hotel? ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/13 "2008-11-17T05:22:24Z")
Well, wherever he is I hope he’s okay. If I could tell him anything, I’d say, “Thanks Gerry, for the long version of Baker Street, I love that song more than you could imagine. And if and when you see Raphael Ravenscroft, tell him his sax solo always makes me cry. And say the same thing to Hugh Burns, for his guitar solo.” Wonderful, wonderful stuff. Gerry Rafferty’s not famous any more? Hah. He’s always going to be famous to me. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/14 "2008-11-17T05:58:11Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > he just gave up the **gurus** and the one night stands, and went off to forget about everything. I guess that makes some sense, since he didn’t give up the **booze**. > [@](#): > > He’s got this dream about buyin’ some land > He’s gonna give up the booze and the one night stands > And then he’ll settle down, in some quiet little town > And forget about everything. [Lyrics](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Baker-Street-lyrics-Gerry-Rafferty/DD915592FAD9FC9A48256DB80015D417) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gerry-rafferty-missing/473019/15 "2008-11-17T08:56:07Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Also, why would he have had to been helped to his hotel? He’s 61 with possible cirrhosis of the liver and my still be drinking and/or drugging. I don’t imagine he is in any kind of good health.