Singer Gerry Rafferty dies at 63

Singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died, his agent said.

Rafferty, 63, whose most famous work was the 1978 hit Baker Street, died following a long illness.

His agent Paul Charles confirmed Rafferty had passed away.

The Scot was also a member of the band Stealers Wheel with whom he secured another huge hit in 1972 with Stuck in the Middle With You.

The song underwent a renaissance after being featured in Quentin Tarantino’s hit movie Reservoir Dogs in the early 1990s.

Baker Street, with its distinctive saxophone solo, reached number 3 in the UK charts and no 2 in the US.

Rafferty cut his teeth as a busker, and also appeared with Billy Connolly’s folk group the Humblebums.

Despite his earlier success Rafferty suffered from well documented problems with alcohol.

He had also endured professional disputes during his career, most notably a long-running contract disagreement with his former band Stealers Wheel.