Dan McCafferty

Born in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, Dan McCafferty was a Scottish rock vocalist best known as the front man for hard rock band Nazareth from their inception in 1968 until he had to leave the band in 2013 due to health reasons. His music career began in 1961 when he and guitarist Manuel ‘Manny’ Charlton formed the rock ‘n’ roll band The Shadettes. The group changed direction in 1968 and became Nazareth after hearing the loud force of bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. After the release of their first two albums – Nazareth (1971) and Exercises (1972) - their big breakthrough came when third album Razamanaz (1973) reached Number 11 in the UK charts and produced the Top 10 singles “Broken Down Angel” and “Bad, Bad, Boy.” Nazareth continued their ascent with acclaimed records Loud 'n' Proud (1973) and Rampant (1974) before finally breaking the US market with their album Hair Of The Dog (1975) and the hit single “Love Hurts.” Dan McCafferty took time away from Nazareth and recorded his debut self-titled solo album in 1975. Nazareth’s reputation continued to grow through the years with the release of other acclaimed albums such as Close Enough for Rock ‘n’ Roll (1976), Expect No Mercy (1977), and Malice In Wonderland (1980). When new wave and punk came along, Nazareth’s commercial hold on the charts began to slip, although they continued to be a popular live draw. In 1987, Dan McCafferty issued his second solo album, Into the Ring, before returning to the Nazareth fold. Guitarist Manny Charlton left the band in 1990 and original Nazareth drummer Darrel Sweet died on April 30, 1999. Dan McCafferty continued recording with Nazareth until health issues forced him to resign from the band in 2013. Nazareth continued with a new vocalist while he released the folk-tinged rock album The Last Testament (2019). Dan McCafferty died on November 8, 2022, at the age of 76.

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