Scottish hard rock band Nazareth’s veteran lead singer Dan McCafferty passed away at the age of 76.
Pete Agnew, the bassist in McCafferty’s band, wrote a Facebook post on the group’s website on Tuesday announcing the singer’s passing.
The performer, who co-wrote a number of the band’s songs throughout the 1970s, is best remembered for his piercing vocals on Nazareth’s top 10 hit cover of the Everly Brothers’ song Love Hurts, which became a mainstay of power ballads.
Agnew said, “Dan passed away at 12:40 today. This is the saddest statement I’ve ever had to give.
He continued, saying he was “too upset to say anything more at this moment,” adding, “[McCafferty’s wife] Maryann and the family have lost a beautiful loving husband and father, I have lost my best buddy, and the world has lost one of the finest vocalists who ever lived.”
The reason for death was not disclosed. Due to the consequences of chronic obstructive lung illness, McCafferty stopped touring with Nazareth in 2013. (COPD).
In 1968, McCafferty, Agnew, Manny Charlton on guitar, and Darrell Sweet on drums co-founded Nazareth. Scotland’s Dunfermline was the place of McCafferty’s 1946 birth.
The Band’s iconic song The Weight has a phrase that refers to the Pennsylvania town of Nazareth rather than the Middle Eastern city, which served as the group’s inspiration for choosing its name.
Despite sometimes including more pop-oriented tunes, the group’s 1971 self-titled first LP showcased the group’s powerful hard rock sound.
Touring with Deep Purple helped Nazareth gain more recognition in the rock community, and the bassist of that band, Roger Glover, eventually contributed part of his band’s aesthetic to Nazareth’s third album, Razamanaz, which was released in 1973.
Up to the band’s sixth album, Hair Of The Dog, which was released in 1975, several of the group’s early releases had very modest success in the UK.
The track Love Hurts, a modified version of the Everly Brothers’ song that hadn’t been released as a single, helped the album gain popularity.
Although it had been covered before, Nazareth’s rendition, which gained a tougher edge from Charlton’s guitars and McCafferty’s grainy but potent voice, peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and became the band’s most recognizable song right away.
Since then, it has been employed several times in movies, shows, and ads; nonetheless, it is typically used for comic or satirical effects.
Thanks to other well-known songs like the title track McCafferty co-wrote, the album sold well and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 200 albums chart.
In July of this year, McCafferty’s former bandmate Charlton passed away.
McCafferty has released three solo albums, which received mixed reviews, in addition to his efforts with Nazareth.
He discussed leaving the band after being diagnosed with COPD in an interview with Classic Rock Here And Now in 2014.
He reportedly told USA Today, “I can’t sing on tour like I used to anymore.” I believe that if you can’t do the job, you should not be working there. I’m sorry, but I can’t sing a full set live anymore.
McCafferty leaves behind his wife Maryann and two kids.