Gerry Rafferty, Billy Connolly, and the epidemic of fainting old ladies in Glasgow
When it comes to Glaswegian heroes, there are plenty from throughout history that the Scottish city loves to celebrate, but two from within the world of arts and entertainment that are simply adored in their homeland are those of Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly.
Born and raised in nearby Paisley, Rafferty made a name for himself as a founding member of 1970s folk rockers Stealers Wheel before embarking on a solo career that brought such highlights as ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Right Down the Line’, but what many people forget is how he started out in a trio called The Humblebums alongside guitarist Tam Harvey, and a pre-comedic breakthrough Connolly.
While the latter would go on to become one of the most recognised stand-up comedians in the world, leaving Rafferty with the opportunity to capture all of the glory as a musician, it wasn’t just ‘The Big Yin’ who was seen as a mischief maker, despite it seeming like he would have been the one who would have been the member to cause the most chaos.
Even though he was known as something of an introvert, what made their connection such a precious one was their shared sense of humour, something that many Scots pride themselves on as being part of their identity.
However, according to Rafferty’s former manager, Jon Brewer, it was in fact Rafferty who had perhaps the most cruel practical joke of all, and that his quiet demeanour was ostensibly a front for being able to get away with pulling off japes that Connolly himself would have been proud of.
During an interview with Louder following Rafferty’s passing in 2021, Brewer recalled a story that Connolly had recounted to him about some of the antics that the duo used to get up to during their early adulthood in Glasgow, and claimed that there was a game that the two of them used to play where the primary objective was to frighten the life out of unexpecting elderly ladies who had gone out on a weekend shopping trip.
“Gerry had a glass eye,” Brewer stated, referring to the fact that Rafferty owned one rather than actively used one. “They’d wait until it was really pouring down and they’d go out, and all the old girls would put up their umbrellas. Gerry would barge into their umbrella, shout ‘Oh my god!’, and as he hit the ground, he’d take his glass eye out and let it roll on the pavement. Some of these old ladies used to pass out. Billy said, ‘We got ten points if they passed out, five points if they screamed…’ Gerry was a wonderful character in those days.”
Brewer continued, capping off his obituary with an incredibly touching remark about the wonderful personality that his former associate possessed. “Gerry was a scream,” he expressed. “He used to have me on the floor. Any time anybody saw Gerry, he was straight-faced, playing these beautiful songs, great melodies he’d composed. They’d never think he was capable of this. I miss him terribly.”
It may have been Connolly who had the bigger share of the laughs later on, but it’s clear that there was a little jester within Rafferty who could come out from time to time, and this was a part of his being that charmed so many who knew him, and caused irreversible trauma to many a Glaswegian pensioner.
