Deacon Blue Guitarist Dies Of Cancer
The Herald 12th June 2004

Friends pay tribute to star's brave battle 

GRAEME Kelling, a founding member of one of Scotland's premier bands, Deacon Blue, has died after a long struggle against pancreatic cancer. He was 47.

Since being diagnosed in 2000, the guitarist fathered a second child with his wife Julie and appeared several times on tour with the band, despite failing health.

He died at the Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow on Thursday morning, surrounded by his family.

Last night, Ricky Ross, the singer/songwriter who formed Deacon Blue in 1986, and saw it become one of Scotland's most successful pop exports of the 1980s, paid tribute to his colleague whom he said had lent style to the band.

He praised Kelling's humour, commitment to his family, and courageous fight against cancer. He said music had given him a route to recovery during the years of his illness.

Ross said: "What people probably don't know about Graeme is he faced his illness incredibly good-naturedly. He was extremely funny. He got laughs for a fairly self-deprecating humour. He just had a very, very dry wit.

"Up until the last night before he died he was still making jokes and telling stories. He was very funny about it and faced his illness with incredible humour."

Kelling was born in Paisley, and was working as a session musician in Glasgow when he was asked by Ross to form Deacon Blue along with James Prime, Dougie Vipond and Ewen Vernal.

"He was playing with so many bands, it was a matter of time before one of them was signed," Ross said. Lorraine McIntosh later joined the band on vocals and recorded hits Dignity and Real Gone Kid.

Kelling formed a relationship with Julie Smith, a television producer with STV and BBC, 10 years ago. The couple were married in 1998, and had two children, Alexander, five, and Grace, two.

Ross, who later married McIntosh, said that when the band formed he had a lot in common with Kelling.

"We were a similar age - much older than the rest of the band. We both got on really well. If it was Graeme's band, it would have been a much cooler band. Graeme had a sense of what was cool, what was right."

After undergoing treatment in 2000, Kelling made a temporary recovery and went back on tour with the band. How-ever, his condition worsened two years ago.

Ross was on tour in England at the time. He said: "Very typically of Graeme, he decided to phone everyone individually. I was on tour with a solo show when he phoned me. He wanted to talk about it and how things stood. That's the way he was. I was broken-hearted at that time. I just burst into tears."

He also recalled playing at the opening of the Carling Academy in Glasgow last year, when Kelling made a guest appearance in spite of his condition. He went on "Julie loved Graeme and loved his involvement with music, loved what it had given him. It gave him a route to recovery." Ross added: "He said he wasn't going to give in with this. That's why it's amazing that Grace is here. After he was diagnosed, he went on tour and had another daughter. He was blessed with a beautiful, fantastic wife, who has made a huge difference to his life."

The Scotsman Sun 13th June 2004
Deacon Blue guitarist dies of cancer 


THE guitarist of Scots rock legends Deacon Blue has died after a four-year battle with cancer, it emerged yesterday. 

Graeme Kelling passed away last Thursday at the age of 47 at the Marie Curie Hospice in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow. His wife Julie was at his bedside. 

The musician, who had cancer of the pancreas, also leaves children Alexander, five, and two-year-old Grace. 

The group, which had a string of hits including ‘Dignity’ and ‘Real Gone Kid’, issued a brief statement on their website. Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, Jim Prime, Dougie Vipond and Ewan Vernal said they were overwhelmed with grief. 

Deacon Blue were one of Scotland’s biggest acts of the 1980s. They split in 1994 and reformed in 1999 with an album Walking Back Home. 


Sunday Herald 13th June 2004
Deacon Blue star dies at the age of 47
By Bridget Morris


The guitarist for Scots rock legends Deacon Blue has died after a four-year battle with cancer. 

Graeme Kelling passed away on Thursday at the age of 47 at the Marie Curie Hospice in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow. 

His wife Julie was at his bedside. The musician, who had cancer of the pancreas, also leaves children, Alexander, five, and two-year-old Grace. 

The group, who had a string of hits including Dignity, Real Gone Kid and Chocolate Girl, issued a brief statement on their website. 

Lead singer Ricky Ross, his wife and co-singer Lorraine McIntosh, Jim Prime, Dougie Vipond and Ewan Vernal said they were overwhelmed with grief. 

They said: “We're all too sad to say too much just now, but we thought we would start a remembrance book on the website. 

“Any great memories, photographs or thoughts about Graeme could be added over the next while and we’ll make sure that Graeme’s wife gets to see them all.” 

The band were one of Scotland’s biggest acts of the late 1980s and early 1990s with best-selling albums such as Raintown, When The World Knows Your Name and Homesick. 

They split up in 1994 after a string of hits and reformed in 1999 for a series of gigs and an album of ballads called Walking Back Home. 

The Sunday Times 13th June 2004
Musician dies 


THE Deacon Blue guitarist Graeme Kelling, 47, has died after a four-year battle with cancer of the pancreas. The band had a string of hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Dignity and Real Gone Kid. 


Daily Telegraph 13th June 2004
Guitarist dies


Graeme Kelling, 47, guitarist with the Scottish rock group Deacon Blue, died in a Glasgow hospice after suffering from cancer for four years.

Daily Mail 12th June 2004
Guitarist loses battle with cancer


The guitarist for Scots rock legends Deacon Blue has died after a four-year long battle with cancer. 

Graeme Kelling died on Thursday at the age of 47 at the Marie Curie Hospice in Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow. 

His heartbroken wife Julie was at his bedside. The musician, who had cancer of the pancreas, also leaves children, Alexander, five, and two-year-old Grace. 

The group, which had a string of hits including Dignity, Real Gone Kid and Chocolate Girl, issued a brief statement on the band's website. 
Lead singer Ricky Ross, his wife and co-singer Lorraine McIntosh, Jim Prime, Dougie Vipond and Ewan Vernal said they were overwhelmed with grief. 

They said: "We're all too sad to say too much just now, but we thought we would start a remembrance book on the website. 

"Any great memories, photographs or thoughts about Graeme could be added over the next while and we'll make sure that Graeme's wife Julie gets to see them all." 

The band were one of Scotland's biggest acts of the late 1980s and early 90s with best-selling albums such as Raintown, When the World Knows Your Name and Homesick. 

They split in 1994 after a string of hits and reformed in 1999 for a series of gigs and an album of ballads called Walking Back Home. 

The group, which had a string of hits including Dignity, Real Gone Kid and Chocolate Girl, issued a brief statement on the band's website. 
Lead singer Ricky Ross, his wife and co-singer Lorraine McIntosh, Jim Prime, Dougie Vipond and Ewan Vernal said they were overwhelmed with grief. 

They said: "We're all too sad to say too much just now, but we thought we would start a remembrance book on the website. 

"Any great memories, photographs or thoughts about Graeme could be added over the next while and we'll make sure that Graeme's wife Julie gets to see them all." 

The band were one of Scotland's biggest acts of the late 1980s and early 90s with best-selling albums such as Raintown, When the World Knows Your Name and Homesick. 

They split in 1994 after a string of hits and reformed in 1999 for a series of gigs and an album of ballads called Walking Back Home.