Obituary: Gerry Rafferty

16 April 1947 - 4 January 2011

HE started out in a Glasgow folk band with Billy Connolly, and went on to fame and fortune as one of the big-name singer-songwriters of his generation.

Paisley-born Rafferty sold more than ten million records in a 40-year music career, with Baker Street his biggest hit. Intensely private, he told an interviewer last year at his Italian home: "The important thing for any musician is to focus on becoming a better musician as opposed to a bigger celebrity."

RIP