Joe Egan Irish name: Seosamh MacAodhagain (born Joseph Egan, 18 October 1946, Paisley, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

) is a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 singer and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

.

Early career

In the 1960s Egan, together with former St Mirin's Academy

St Mirin's Academy

St Mirin's Academy was a Roman Catholic senior secondary school for boys founded in 1922 in Paisley, Scotland and dedicated to St Mirin, the patron saint of the town and of the Diocese of Paisley. The original buildings were located in East Buchanan Street next to St Mirin's Church. In 1933 the...

 school mate Gerry Rafferty

Gerry Rafferty

Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", "Days Gone Down", "Night Owl", "Get It Right Next Time", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in...

, played in various smaller British band

Band (music)

In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

s, for example The Sensors and The Mavericks, and worked as a session musician

Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...

.

Stealers Wheel

In 1972 he and Rafferty founded the folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 / rock band

Rock Band

Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...

 Stealers Wheel

Stealers Wheel

Stealers Wheel are a Scottish folk rock/rock band formed in Paisley, Renfrewshire in 1972 by former school friends Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty.The band broke up in 1975 and re-formed without Egan and Rafferty in 2008.-Biography:...

. After two unsuccessful single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

s their song "Stuck in the Middle With You

Stuck in the Middle With You

"Stuck in the Middle with You" is a song written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan and originally performed by their band Stealers Wheel....

", which he had co-written

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 with Rafferty, became a hit in 1973 and reached the Top Ten

Record chart

A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....

 of both the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart. Subsequently the band had a few smaller successes, amongst others with the Egan-penned song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

 "Star," but stagnating sales figures and artistic differences finally led to the band's break-up in 1975.

Solo work

Egan eventually recorded his solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...

 debut album Out of Nowhere, but this did not occur until 1979 as he and Rafferty were contractually obliged not to release any recordings

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

 for three years, when he registered a minor hit with his first single release "Back On The Road". That same year he released a second single titled "Out Of Nowhere".

1981 saw the release of his second album, Map, which was not a critical or commercial success, and subsequently no singles were released in support of it. Since then he has not released any new recordings and has left the music industry.

After the music business

As of 2005, Egan lives in Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...

 and runs a publishing company

Publishing

Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...

 from his home

Home

A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...

.

Discography

• 1979 - Out of Nowhere

1. "Back On The Road"
2. "Ask For No Favour"
3. "Natural High"
4. "Why Let It Bother You"
5. "The Last Farewell"
6. "Freeze"
7. "Pride"
8. "No Time For Sorrow"
9. "Leavin It All Behind"
10. "Out Of Nowhere"

• 1981 Map

1. "Tell Me All About It"
2. "Survivor"
3. "Stay As You Are"
4. "Diamonds"
5. "Maker On The Make"
6. "Miss Match"
7. "Heat Of The Moment"
8. "Price Of Love"
9. "A Little Bit Of Magic"
10. "Front Line"