Bay City Rollers singer Les McKeown dies suddenly aged 65 as devastated friends pay tribute
Les McKeown, the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, died at the age of 65, according to his family.
The Scottish pop star, who fronted the legendary pop-rock band in the 1970s, died unexpectedly at home.
His family made the announcement on the band's Facebook page this afternoon.
'It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved husband and father Leslie Richard McKeown,' said the statement.
'Leslie died unexpectedly at home on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. We are currently arranging for his funeral.
'If you'd like to remember Leslie, please make a donation in his honor to: [details]' We thank you and request privacy as we recover from the shock of our tragic loss.
'Thank you very much. Jubei and Keiko McKeown '
The Bay City Rollers, who formed at the end of the 1960s, achieved huge success both at home and abroad with their distinctive tartan outfits and upbeat pop tunes like Bye Bye Baby and Shang-a-Lang.
They had a massive teen fan base and sold over 100 million records.
The Scots singer rose to prominence as a member of the Rollers, with hits such as Shang-a-lang and Bye Bye Baby.
Former manager John MacLaughlan told the Daily Record, 'I'm very sad and shocked, as is his wife, Peko.'
'She is heartbroken, and she called me from Les' phone to tell me the news.' When I picked up the phone, I assumed it was Les calling to talk.
'I'm still in shock right now; I spoke with him last week, and he was in great shape, happy about life, and excited to book his tour.'
'We were friends as well as coworkers.
'He was hoping to restart everything, and he was one of the hardest working men in the music industry.'
'We got along so well, and he was a lot of fun to be around.' He had his moments, but he was always a good laugh and a great performer.
'He was a great singer,' he added. In the mid-1970s and beyond, the Bay City Rollers were the biggest band in the world.
'They had their own TV show, as well as Rollermania.' They flew the Scottish flag and taught me as a young boy watching television that you can be a pop star and a musician, and they meant a lot to me getting involved in music and the industry, and the clothes, hair, and image were fantastic, as was the gang mentality.
'It's an honor for me to have worked with them.'
Guitarist Stuart Woody Wood said: 'I am upset and shocked to hear this very sad news.
'Les and I had our differences over the years but even though we had disagreements we are sending our heartfelt condolences to Peko’s wife and his son Jubie and all the Bay City Rollers Fans. It's a sad day in the history of the Bay City Rollers.
'He gave a fantastic performance on stage and was full of energy.' I was on the road when Les first joined the band, and I saw his first show after taking over from Nobby Clark and injecting new life into the band.
'I was fifteen years old, and he was seventeen.' In 1974, I became a proper member when I turned sixteen. On stage, he was full of energy.'
In September ex-member Ian Mitchell died at the age of 62.
Mitchell joined the group in 1976 at the age of 17, replacing founding member and bassist Alan Longmuir.
After nine months, he left the band to return to his native Northern Ireland, where he performed with old school friends as Rosetta Stone.
Mitchell was a member of the Rollers when they released Dedication in 1976, as well as a cover version of Dusty Springfield's I Only Want to Be With You.
However, he found it difficult to deal with band tensions and left in December, to be replaced by guitarist Pat McGlynn.
Alan Longmuir, who died in 2018, and his younger brother Derek founded the band in Edinburgh.
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