Deacon Blue

Formed in Glasgow in 1985, Deacon Blue is a Scottish pop-rock band renowned for creating heartfelt, narrative-driven songs like "Dignity" and "Real Gone Kid."

The band took their name from "Deacon Blues," a deep cut on Steely Dan's Gaucho album. Singer Ricky Ross liked the way the title captures a kind of wistful, romantic melancholy, something he was already trying to write into his lyrics.

Before becoming a full-time musician, Ross worked as an English and religious education teacher in Dundee. Early Deacon Blue songs sometimes came together while he was marking homework, which helps explain why they often read like short stories set to pop melodies.