Dan McCafferty, the Nazareth singer who let the world know that “love hurts,” died at the age of 76.
Dan McCafferty, lead singer of the hard rock band Nazareth, known for 1970s hits like “Love Hurts” and “Hair of the Dog,” died on Tuesday at the age of 76. There was no immediate cause of death, despite the fact that he retired from the group in 2013 after 45 years due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
McCafferty (pictured above in 1976) was a founding member of the Scottish group, which formed in 1968. After leaving the group nine years ago due to his inability to sing for extended periods of time, he continued to work in the studio and released a final solo album in 2019.
The group’s bassist, Pete Agnew, confirmed McCafferty’s death on social media. “Dan died at 12:40 today,” he wrote on the band’s Instagram page Tuesday. “This is the saddest announcement I’ve ever had to make. Maryann and her family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend, and the world has lost one of the greatest singers to have ever existed. Too
After forming in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1968, with McCafferty and Agnew joined by guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer Darrell Sweet, Nazareth released its self-titled debut album in 1970 and eventually clicked in the United Kingdom in 1973 with a third album, “Razamanez,” produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover. That album produced two British top ten singles: “Bad Bad Boy” and “Broken Down Angel.” However, it wasn’t until their sixth full-length release, 1975’s “Hair of the Dog” album, that the band achieved true international success and became well-known among American rock fans. (In some ways, the group’s popularity in the United States brought things full circle, as it was named after the Nazareth, Pennsylvania, mentioned in the Band’s classic song “The Weight.”)
The hard-rocking title song of “Hair of the Dog” became a FM radio staple in the United States, but it was overshadowed by the success of an unusual ballad choice, a cover of the Everly Brothers classic “Love Hurts” that was completely transformed by McCafferty’s distinctively raspy vocals. Whereas the group had previously not charted on the Billboard Hot 100, “Love Hurts” reached No. 7 and continues to receive oldies airplay today. It was one of the group’s only two Hot 100 hits (the other, 1980’s “Holiday,” peaked at number 87).
It also rose to the top of the charts in Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, and other countries. To this day, their “Love Hurts” is still widely used in syncs and has been licensed for dozens of uses in everything from the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games to the TV shows “That ’70s Show” and “King of the Hill” to the films “Dazed and Confused” and “Toy Story 3.”
After 1982, the group’s singles dropped off the international charts, but Nazareth continued to release albums on a regular basis in the decades that followed. The band’s current lineup recently released their second album, “Surviving the Law,” with singer Carl Sentance filling in for the ailing McCafferty. The band’s last album with its founding singer was “Rock” (2014).
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