The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Top artists pay tribute to folk legend Noakes
Tributes have been paid to Fife folk music legend Rab Noakes following his death aged 75. The musician died suddenly in hospital yesterday morning, friends said.
Born in St Andrews and raised in Cupar, Rab was a well-loved songwriter and performer for more than 50 years.
I Know Him So Well singer Barbara Dickson announced the news of the singer’s death on social media.
Dunfermline-born Dickson, who released a six-track EP titled “Reunited” with Noakes in 2014 said: “My dear and old friend Rab Noakes has died suddenly in hospital today. “I am shocked.
“We had so much in common. Sleep well, Rab. May you rest in peace.”
Author Val Mcdermid told The Courier the pair had been planning to start a musical project together.
She said: “It’s very shocking news. I knew he was in hospital but he was his usual upbeat self and was hopeful of making a recovery.
“I’ve known Rab since I was 14 when I would attend the folk music club in Kirkcaldy and hear his music.
“He’s been a presence in my life ever since, he was the best vocalist and guitarist.”
Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross shared: “It’s very sad news.
“Everyone at Deacon Blue were together when we heard the news and we were all very fond of Rab.”
Ricky continued: “He was possibly the first Scottish artist who went international.
“He worked with Neil Young’s producer on some of his work and broke new ground for future artists to have a go.”
Author Ian Rankin also paid tribute. He said: “Terrible news. A great musician and a great guy.”
Noakes’s musical career began in 1970 with the release of his debut album Do You See The Lights, distributed by Decca Records.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, he released 29 albums.
His last, Welcome to Anniversaryville, was released in 2018.
Boasting a vast knowledge of popular music, he was employed by the BBC in 1987, later becoming senior producer of music programmes with BBC Radio Scotland.
His work saw him perform with some of the biggest acts in folk music, from English band Lindisfarne to his good friend Gerry Rafferty’s band Stealers Wheel.
Last year he told The Courier how he had become lifelong friends with the Baker Street signer.
Rab said: “The occasion was a pre-show gettogether on the afternoon of The Humblebums’ first major Glasgow concert in the City Hall.
“We had each been invited to sing a couple of songs.
“Later, as we were packing up to go, we engaged in a dressing-room rendition of The Beatles’ In My Life and a lifetime friendship was born.”
Noakes was also good friends with Michael Marra.
He spoke at the Dundonian singer’s funeral in 2012 and performed with his daughter Alice at a tribute concert held by Celtic Connections in 2018.
Alice said: “I’m shocked and stunned.
“Rab and my father knew each other since way back, when they played at folk clubs together in their teens. He of course spoke at my dad’s funeral.
“I’ve known him all my life and his music played a huge part in my life.”
Rab was a major contributor to Celtic Connections’ tributes to Bob Dylan and Martyn Bennett as well as his good friends Rafferty and Marra.
The musician was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in 2015.
Discussing the illness at the time, he said: “Cancer is one of those things that can come to all of us in our lives, it just so happened this one came to me.”