Fairley, Pat (14th April 1944-11th August 2020)

He was a rhythm guitarist and bassist born in Glasgow and raised in Barlanark, Glasgow who was given a guitar by his brother when he was 15 years old.

In 1961 he co-founded the band The Gaylords in Baillieston, Glasgow with the bass player Billy Johnson. Billy Johnson left later that year after several other members had been taken on and the band became more popular and became known as Dean Ford and the Gaylords once Thomas McAleese, aka Dean Ford, had joined in 1963.

After further line-up changes and further popularity in Scotland he and the band relocated to London, England in 1965. The band changed its name to The Marmalade and saw major success when they recorded a version of The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La Da” and topped the UK singles chart. They later had further success with the BMI Award winning international hit “Reflections of My Life”.

In 1972 he left the band to concentrate on running the publishing interest of the band’s music. He later worked with the Robert Stigwood Organisation and spent a lot of time working with Junior Campbell on the work of the singer Barbara Dickson after she had been successful on stage. Before long she had achieved her first solo chart success with the single “Answer Me”.

Next he administered the music publishing catalogue of the band Yes in Los Angeles and the UK. He stayed in Los Angeles to continue his work in the publishing business until the 1980s when he and his wife, Nancy, who he was married to for over 52 years, decided to change from his life in publishing to open a music venue and theme pub restaurant in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. This became a successful venture which they ran until they sold it in the 2010s.

He died of throat cancer at home on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles, California in 2020. He was 76 year old.

Sources:

Fairley, Pat (14th April 1944-11th August 2020)

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