Nazareth’s Pete Agnew gave probably the saddest news of his life on November 8 when he announced the death of his best friend and bandmate Dan McCafferty. His words reflected his sadness towards the situation, and he refused to talk about it any further.
“Dan died at 12:40 today,” Agnew sadly announced. “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.”
Already having said everything that needed to be said, including what a talented musician McCafferty was, he stated that he was “Too upset to say anything more at this time.” Agnew and McCafferty had been best friends since the formation of the band in 1968.
McCafferty retired from touring with the band in 2013 due to his health problems. He was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a lung disease that makes everyday life very difficult as the patients often suffer from severe shortness of breath and cough. However, McCafferty’s retirement was not just because of COPD, as he also suffered from a burst stomach ulcer, which occurred when he was onstage with the band in 2013.
Although he didn’t go back to performing on stage with the band, he never stopped making music since going to the recording studio was not threatening his life. He released his third solo album ‘Last Testament’ in 2019, making it his final album before the end of his life.
