Obituary: John Byrne, writer, artist

Scottish artist John Byrne attends the press launch of the exhibition 'Ages of Wonder: Scotland's Art 1540 to Now' at the Royal Scottish Academy Building on November 2, 2017 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Getty Images

Playwright, artist and designer, John Byrne was one of Scotland’s finest creative minds. An artist whose work included album covers for The Beatles and his friend, the singer Gerry Rafferty, Byrne’s first plays, The Slab Boys Trilogy, debuted in 1978. Set in a carpet factory, it told the tale of a group of young, workers from 1957-72: it ended up on Broadway and set Byrne — already an exhibiting artist — on a new career path. His biggest hit, the 1987 TV series Tutti Frutti, starred Robbie Coltrane and Emma Thompson and told the story of a legendary Scottish band trying to make a comeback tour. Byrne married twice and also had a long-lasting relationship with actress Tilda Swinton: the couple had twins. Byrne’s most recent works were murals, including one in Glasgow to mark the 75th birthday of his friend Billy Connolly. Byrne died on November 30, aged 83. — Agencies