British singer Gerry Rafferty, 63, dies

Jan 4, 2011, 23:53 GMT

London - Gerry Rafferty, the Scottish singer-songwriter who shot to international fame with his 1978 hit Baker Street, has died after a long illness at the age of 63, his agent said late Tuesday.

Rafferty, who started his musical career as a busker on the London Underground, was a member of the band Stealers Wheel, with whom he secured another massive hit, Stuck in the Middle With You, in 1972.

The song underwent a renaissance after being featured in Quentin Tarantino's hit movie Reservoir Dogs in the early 1990s. Rafferty also appeared with Billy Connolly's folk group the Humblebums.

Baker Street, with its distinctive saxophone solo, became a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic and sold more than 1 million copies in the US.

Reflecting Rafferty's own difficulties with handling his popularity, the song is a comment on the effects - and rejection - of fame and celebrity.

Rafferty withdrew from the public limelight by 1980 and has been suffering from well-documented problems with alcohol. He was admitted to hospital in England after a collapse in November.

The singer died peacefully at his home, his agent, Paul Charles, said Tuesday.

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