Dan McCafferty, original vocalist for Nazareth, dead at 76

Dan McCafferty, the original lead singer of the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth, died Tuesday at the age of 76.

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Pete Agnew, the band’s longtime bassist, announced McCafferty’s passing on Nazareth’s official Facebook page.

“Dan died at 12:40 today,” he wrote, adding, “This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make. Maryann and the 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 who ever lived. Too upset to say anything more at this time.”

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, in 1946, McCafferty and Agnew founded Nazareth in 1968 with guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer Darrell Sweet, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

As per The Scotsman: “For many fans, McCafferty’s voice defined the sound of Nazareth - a band which started out as The Shadettes and kicked against the rule of covers only in the ballrooms of Dunfermline to make made their way to London…”

McCafferty’s death comes just four months after Charlton ded at the age of 80.

Nazareth failed to gain a mainstream following until its third album, 1973′s “Razamanaz,” peaked at No. 11 on the singles chart in the United Kingdom before creeping into the Billboard 200 at No. 157.

The band’s next two outings performed similarly, but 1975′s “Hair of the Dog” cemented the group’s standing as rock legends, punctuated by their amped-up cover of the Everly Brothers “Love Hurts.” The album reached the Top 20 of the Billboard 200, while “Love Hurts” scored a Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

McCafferty announced his retirement from the group in 2013, citing a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that restricted his ability to breathe, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.

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