Raphael Ravenscroft (4 June 1954 – 19 October 2014), was a musician, composer and author.
In January 1978, Scottish singer-musician Gerry Rafferty released his 1st solo material since 1972 and first material of any kind since the demise of Stealers Wheel in 1975. A then unheralded session musician, Ravenscroft was asked to play saxophone on the album City to City. Ravenscroft’s contribution included the sax riff on the best known song from the album and of Rafferty’s career, “Baker Street”. The song was an international hit, charting at number 3 in the UK and number 2 in the USA. “Baker Street” was reported in 2010 as having received 5 million air plays worldwide to date. City to City reached number 1 in the US album charts and went platinum. In the UK the album reached number 6 and went gold.
From his breakthrough with Baker Street he went on to perform with Pink Floyd (The Final Cut), Abba and Marvin Gaye. Other Ravenscroft performing credits include work with America, Maxine Nightingale, Daft Punk, Kim Carnes, Mike Oldfield, Chris Rea, Robert Plant, Brand X, Hazel O’Connor and Bonnie Tyler. In 1979, he released the solo album Her Father Didn’t Like Me, Anyway (CBS Portrait JR 35683). In 1983, Ravenscroft released the track “Maxine” which gained airplay, but performed poorly on the charts. His track “A Whole Lot of Something Going On” was sampled by producer Heavy D on the track “Feel It In The Air”, by Beanie Sigel.
In 2010, Ravenscroft played on albums and on sessions with Duffy, Mary Hopkin and Jamie Hartman. In 2011-12, Ravenscroft contributed to the album Propeller by Grice.
Ravenscroft died on 19 October 2014 at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, aged 60, of a suspected heart attack.
Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Ravenscroft