Celtic Connections to stage Gerry Rafferty tribute show

Scots singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty died in January 2011

A special show celebrating the life of Scots musician Gerry Rafferty will be one of the highlights at next year's Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

A line-up featuring The Proclaimers and Barbara Dickson will play at the show, a year on from Rafferty's death.

Other highlights include shows from The Aaron Neville Band, Bruce Hornsby and a tribute to Woodie Guthrie.

The 19th Celtic Connections will see 300 events in 20 venues across Glasgow between 19 January and 5 February 2012.

The winter festival has grown dramatically since it first began as a way of filling the Royal Concert Hall's January schedule.

Next year's tribute show to Gerry Rafferty will be curated by his daughter Martha Rafferty and long-time friend Rab Noakes.

Other acts scheduled to appear include Maria Muldaur and Ron Sexsmith.

'Arab Spring'

Rafferty died at his home in Dorset on 4 January this year following a long illness. His funeral was held 17 days later in his home town of Paisley, Renfrewshire.

More than 2,000 artists are scheduled to perform at next year's festival with acts coming from as far afield as Toronto, Senegal and Mali.

Inspired by the so-called "Arab Spring", director Donald Shaw has programmed a strong political strand with artists from Palestine exploring songs of conscience with homegrown talent.

Woody Guthrie - who gathered folk songs in Glasgow in the 1940s - will be celebrated in a special concert featuring Jay Farrar, Yim Yames, Anders Parker and Will Johnson.

Elsewhere, there will be performances from KT Tunstall and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas.