Les McKeown, singer for the Bay City Rollers has died suddenly at aged 65. The Bay City Rollers were an Edinburgh based group known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have gained success with songs such as ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Shanganang’, and ‘Saturday Night’.
McKeown was part of the classic line-up during its heyday which also included guitarists Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood, bassist Alan Longmuir, and drummer Derek Longmuir. As of now, the Scottish pop rock group have sold over 120 million records worldwide. The group got together in the early 70s and found their name by throwing a dart at a map that landed on Bay City near Michigan.
— Les McKeown (@LesMcKeownUK) April 22, 2021
McKeown’s passing was announced on Twitter earlier. His family said that he “died suddenly at home” and asked for privacy following “the shock of our profound loss”. No cause of death has been announced.
McKeown enjoyed the popularity of the Bay City Rollers at its peak however the singer left the group in 1978 at aged 22. He has some success with his solo albums, most recently he released ‘The Lost Songs’ which was made up of songs he had written while on the road with the Bay City Rollers in the 1970s. McKeown had since re-joined the group for various reunion tours, most recently in 2015.
Bandmate Stuart Wood said in a statement: “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 Keiko his wife and his son Jubei and all the Bay City Rollers Fans. It’s a sad day in Bay City Roller history.”
He is survived by his wife Peko Keiko and their son Jubei.
