Axl Rose Reacts to Death of Nazareth Singer Dan McCafferty

The death of Nazareth Singer Dan McCafferty has made waved through the rock world, and now Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose has reacted to the tragic news. Taking to Twitter, Rose sent out a thank you note to “all the fans who came n’ endured the cold November rain in Perth! U were amazing!!” He also offered “a Huge Thank You to all the fans for making r Asian 2022 tour a success!!”

Before concluding his statement, however, Rose took time to pay homage to McCafferty, who died earlier this month. “Haven’t addressed this… been a tough pill to swallow… Very, very sad to learn of the passing of Dan McCafferty of Nazareth. I learned a day or so after rt b4 r show. Was in a bit of a surreal headspace on stage for several songs. Went on a Nazareth binge for a few days.” Rose added, “Thanks Dan n’ all of Nazareth for all the music over the years. Their music n’ Dan’s voice will always have a special place in my heart. Rest in peace Dan.”

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McCafferty, the longtime singer for legendary rockers Nazareth, died on Tuesday, Nov. 8th. He was 76. According to Louder, Nazareth bassist Pete Agnew confirmed the news in a statement shared. No cause of death was provided. “Dan died at 12:40 today,” Agnew reportedly wrote in a post on Facebook. “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.”

McCafferty and Agnew formed Nazareth Dunfermline, Scotland with guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer Darrell Sweet in the late ’60s. Between 1971 and 2014, the band put out 23 albums with McCafferty as the lead singer, including their massively successful album Hair of the Dog. That album featured the hit title track, as well as Nazareth’s cover of The Everly Brothers’ tune “Love Hurts,” which has arguably become even more successful than the original. McCafferty’s final album with Nazareth was 2014’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Telephone, which was released the year after he retired from the band due to ongoing health issues. 

After McCafferty retired from Nazareth, he spoke with Classic Rock magazine about the reasons, revealing that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and not a stroke, as had been reported, was the main cause. The singer explained that his condition had “worsened in recent years” and led to him have to exit performances early. “You don’t know when it’s going to come on, but suddenly you can’t breathe,” McCafferty shared. He later added that he feels “if you can’t do the job you shouldn’t be there. Nazareth’s too big for that.”