Rab Noakes

Rab Noakes
Noakes at the Oran Mor, Glasgow, 2010
Background information
Birth nameRobert Ogilvie Noakes
Born(1947-05-13)13 May 1947
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Died11 November 2022(2022-11-11) (aged 75)
Glasgow, Scotland
GenresFolk, country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active1970–2022
LabelsNeon Media production

Robert Ogilvie Noakes (13 May 1947 – 11 November 2022) was a Scottish singer-songwriter. He was at the forefront of Scottish folk music for over 50 years and recorded over 19 studio albums. He toured folk clubs and often performed at the Glasgow music festival Celtic Connections.

In 1970. Noakes released his first album ,Do You See the Lights, a blend of easy-going country rock which included the songs "Too Old to Die", "Together Forever" and "Somebody Counts on Me". In 1971, he was a founding member of the folk rock band Stealers Wheel, along with Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan. He played on Rafferty's Can I Have My Money Back, notably "Mary Skeffington". He recorded with Lindisfarne in 1972, on the songs "Turn a Deaf Ear", "Nicely Out of Tune", "Together Forever" and "Fog on the Tyne". He performed with Lindisfarne for a John Peel concert and in 1995 produced the BBC Radio 2 programme, The Story of Lindisfarne. One of his best-known recordings, "Branch", from his Red Pump Special album, received airplay on BBC Radio 1. Noakes' songs have been covered by Lindisfarne and Barbara Dickson.