Dan McCafferty Dead at 76

Toolfan66

Sad news, one of my favorites..




https://www.revolvermag.com/music/dan-mccafferty-nazareth-singer-dead-76

la2vegas

Wow! Sad indeed...
May he rest peace.

indyhawg

RIP. He had a great voice.

vmaxer

Oh man, I hate to hear this. RIP

audioluvr

RIP. My first LP was Hair of the dog.

pitdogg2

R.I.P. Dan

Thanks for the great tunes!

vmaxer

audioluvr wrote: »

RIP. My first LP was Hair of the dog.

I still love that one, mine is a CD.

JayCee

Wow, what a week. Nazareth was one of my favorite bands in high school and I've seen them several times through the years.

Long but poignant story. Indulge me....

My first Nazareth concert was in Offenbach, Germany, around 1984. Second, a short time later in 1985...a benefit concert for a local German fire department in a small village, Medenbach, near Wiesbaden. It was in a bier tent, maybe 200 people, with a small setup but they rocked. Dan was a ball of energy, so cool with that raspy voice and he played the bagpipes. Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) has the "rock flute" and Nazareth, "metal bagpipes". Pics I shot standing right below Dan...


Coolest Nazareth/Dan story was in 1989. Stationed at Pease AFB, NH, and they played the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. It was the Road Warriors tour w/Ten Years After and Blackfoot. My first concert sans new wife and I was w/a buddy getting hammered. We had front row/table seats. During the show I handed a note to Pete Agnew (Bassist) and requested "Pop the Silo". He laughed, shrugged and handed it to Dan. Dan shrugged and smiled. Didn't play it but went on to perform an excellent show.

Set complete and waiting for Blackfoot to perform...I walked up to the bar to order another bier. Looked back and noticed a girl come from the backstage area and she stood behind me. I turned and asked if she knew the band. She replied, "Yes". I proceeded to tell her about seeing them in Germany and asked if she could get me back to meet the boys. Told her I didn't want anything, autographs etc., just wanted to thank them for all the great times I'd experienced. To my surprise she ditched getting a drink and said come w/me. I followed her to stage left and a big a$$ roadie. She said, "I'll be back" and disappeared backstage. A few minutes passed and she returned. Told me they were cleaning up but, "Dan said he'd like to meet you. Wait a bit and I'll be back".

Stood there for what seemed like an eternity and thought she's ditched me. Was almost ready to head back to where my friend was seated and out she came. Told me to follow her, which I did, and the big a$$ roadie stepped in to stop me. She reached back, grabbed my hand and pulled me past him. Bam, I was backstage. Turned a corner and came to the dressing room door. She stopped and said, "Here, you'll want this" and handed me a Ramada Inn notepad and gave me a pen.

Door opened and there they were. Sweaty from their set and the first person I met was Pete Agnew. He was smiling like a Cheshire Cat and, I speculate, high as a kite. Then, there was Dan. I told them about seeing them in the small German village, thanked them for the kick a$$ tunes and said I was the guy that requested "Pop the Silo". They laughed and said they'd never had that request, hadn't played it since The Fool Circle album and weren't sure they could even remember it. Didn't spend much time w/them but Dan, in particular, was very gracious. Went to leave and looked for the girl. Nowhere to be found.

Returned to my buddy and couldn't believe I was telling this story. He was like, "Okay, you talked your way backstage...???" And then I whipped out the autographs. Needless to say he wanted to know why I didn't get him. Had to explain I wasn't sure it was really going to happen and, to boot, I wasn't leaving the girl. To this day, I have no idea who she was???? Also, didn't have a camera!

Great night and had such a "good time" that we had to sober up on the beach because we were too drunk to drive back on base. Ended up getting kicked off the beach by a cleaning truck crew at about 2 AM, which resulted in me driving a bit fubar'd. First and only time.

Coincidentally, I ended up winning tickets from a Portsmouth radio station to another Road Warrior concert and saw them at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, a few days later. Taking a pi$$ behind the bleachers and saw Ricky Medlocke from Blackfoot walk by. Zipped up, found my friend and we followed Rick. Said he'd be back in a few, so, waiting behind a security rope and up walks Pete Agnew from Nazareth. Chatted w/him and said I met him the week prior. Asked who the girl was that introduced us and he said he had no clue. A lady, I'll speculate was his significant other, said, "Girl, what girl were you with?" and she stormed off!!!! Pete said nothing and turned to follow her. We were speechless. After we'd realized what happened my buddy said, "Great, you probably just broke up Nazareth!" Stood there kind of in shock. A short time later Rick Medlocke (now w/Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Gunner Ross (Nugent, GNR, Blackfoot, etc drummer, RIP) show up and they signed the reverse side of my Nazareth autographs.

Next and last time seeing Nazareth was 2005 and it was Dan's 59th birthday. Pic's, or it didn't happen....


For anyone that's read this entire post, I appreciate it, Dan was a unique voice in the history of rock and a BIG part of my younger days.

Bagpipes...who plays bagpipes in a rock band...Dan McCafferty. Thanks, Dan, for the memories. RIP

https://youtu.be/IML9LsjnmLY

txcoastal1

That’s a lifetime story and thanks for sharing

Toolfan66

That was a great story, thanks for sharing

vmaxer

txcoastal1 wrote: »

That’s a lifetime story and thanks for sharing

Toolfan66 wrote: »

That was a great story, thanks for sharing

Agreed, great story

Dabutcher

Great memories shared with us. Thanks. D

muncybob

Great story! My Dad was stationed at Pease and I had all my elementary years in Portsmouth

JayCee

Thanks, guys. I've met a few of my music hero's by hanging out in the typical spots after a show or at a staged meet & greet but that night in 1989 was truly epic.

Will add to this thread for two more of the original members of the band...

Was reading Dan's history last night and saw where Manny Charlton (Guitarist) passed away last July @ 80 years old. He'd left Nazareth shortly after I saw him in NH but went on to a fairly prolific career. Also discovered that Darell Sweet passed away in 1999.

https://bareillycollege.org/manny-charlton/
https://www.mtv.com/news/rmdlar/nazareth-drummer-dead-at-51

More of my pic's from my 1985 and 2005 concerts...

Manny Charlton



Manny and Pete Agnew


Darell Sweet



Pete is the only remaining/living member from the founding days...




Interview's w/Dan and Pete recounting the day Darell died while on tour. Listen to how thick their Scottish accents are! Almost need a translator...
https://youtu.be/wSOJNnbA3JE

Found this documentary and will watch later today:
https://www.amazon.com/Nazareth-Beginning/dp/B078TPJFM2

Didn't expect this to turn into a full on Naz tribute. Seems like every day it's someone from the music world passing.

@muncybob, Pease/Portsmouth is a great area. One of my favorite assignments.

SIHAB

Nazareth was one of my first concerts.
No great stories.

Keiko

An elite and dying generation of musicians. RIP, Dan.