Bye Bye Les McKeown . . .

[Jellybean]

Les McKeown (12 November 1955 – 20 April 2021)

Lead singer of the 1970's tartan clad sensations; The Bay City Rollers has died. His sudden death, aged 65, was reported today.

The band was from my home city of Edinburgh and, back in the 70’s, I recall liking their music or rather I enjoyed watching them perform on TV pop shows. I shall admit to being attracted to Les and a couple of the other members of the band. I was sorry to hear of his sudden death, the cause of which hasn't yet been disclosed.

I didn’t however like them enough to become a ‘roller’ (a tartan clad fan), but I can disclose on the forum, without fear of any retribution, that my sister and a few of her friends were.

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Former Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown has died aged 65, his family has told the BBC.
The Scottish pop singer fronted the Edinburgh band during their most successful period in the 1970s.
They had hits with tracks like I Only Wanna Be With You, Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-Lang and Give a Little Love.
His family announced online on Thursday that he had died suddenly at his home on Tuesday . . .

Source: BBC News

The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and "the first of many acts heralded as the 'biggest group since the Beatles'".[4] . . .

Source: Wikipedia

And lastly, who could forget such pop classics as Bye Bye Baby and Shang-a-lang . . .

[Ninodf1]

In my late teens early 20’s I remember my fascination watching teen girls dressed in tartan on my bus to work in the mornings.I read more recently there was a dark side with certain band members and their management. RIP.

[a447]

I once saw an old vcr R- rated video of them running around butt naked at a party.

One of the guys - doubt know which one - was hung like a horse! His cock was flopping about as he ran around the room.

I would have loved to have seen it hard. It would have been very impressive indeed.

[StevieWonders]

In my late teens early 20’s I remember my fascination watching teen girls dressed in tartan on my bus to work in the mornings.I read more recently there was a dark side with certain band members and their management. RIP.

A dark side?! Any further details?

[Jellybean]

This is what my local newspaper; Edinburgh Evening News had to say about the sudden death of Les McKeown, the Edinburgh born pop star:

Les McKeown dead at 65: Bay City Rollers singer dies suddenly at home

Bay City Rollers singer Les McKeown has died at the age of 65.

By Scott Mccartney
Thursday, 22nd April 2021, 6:48 pm

The Edinburgh-born pop vocalist was the frontman of the group during their 1970s heyday.

A statement from his family on Twitter said: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved husband and father Leslie Richard McKeown. Leslie died suddenly at home on Tuesday 20 April 2021.

"We are currently making arrangements for his funeral and ask for privacy after the shock of our profound loss. Thank you. Keiko and Jubei McKeown." . . .

For the full article see: Edinburgh Evening News

Last night I read many complementary and some not so complementary comments about his lifestyle and the quality of the band’s music on a facebook group for Edinburgh locals and those interested in Edinburgh. Even in death he quite clearly had his admirers and his detractors. And believe me, compared with some of the bile and invective that was written about him on that forum, we are a bunch of angels on this forum.

. . . I read more recently there was a dark side with certain band members and their management. RIP.

A dark side?! Any further details?

Not sure what Ninodf1 had in mind, but I could tell you a firsthand story about the band's manager, Tam Paton. However, as we do not discuss such things on the forum, if you're interested in reading background material, you'll have to Google (other search engines are available) his name and read about him elsewhere.

[Brad the Impala]

I was quite keen on Les in the early days, and even went to a gig at the Hammersmith Odeon! Where I tried, unsuccessfully, to pick up another "roller" fan. He was very surprised to be propositioned!

Re the Dark Side, Wikipedia is a good starting point. It was always rumoured that their manager, Tom Paton, was interested in more than just the band's music.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tam_Paton

[Jellybean]

Well, well, well, I never knew that Les McKeown had gay affairs, or perhaps with the passage of time I had simply forgotten reading or hearing about it. But his widow, Peko Keiko, is reported as having admitted it in the following article . . .

Bay City Rollers Les McKeown's wife tells of moment star confessed gay affairs

Speaking from her London home days after the singer died on Tuesday, aged 65, Peko Keiko paid tribute to her late husband.

By John Dingwall
04:30, 26 APR 2021 Updated12:47, 26 APR 2021

The widow of Bay City Rollers legend Les McKeown has revealed for the first time the ups and downs of their turbulent marriage following the death of the singer from a suspected heart attack.

Speaking from her London home days after the singer died on Tuesday, aged 65, Peko Keiko paid tribute to her late husband and admitted their love affair had survived for more than 30 years against the odds.

She also explained why she made him keep the first of two weddings, in London, a secret so that they could hold a second traditional Buddhist ritual on a Japanese mountaintop, for which the pop icon shaved his head.

Peko admitted she didn’t have a clue that her husband was a famous pop star and hadn’t seen him sing until after they were married . . .

. . . It was while in rehab he confessed to having had a string of sexual encounters with men. At the time, he said: “I’ve been a bit of a George Michael, meeting people, often strangers, for sex . . .

Source: Daily Record

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Les with Peko Keiko in Japan in the 1980s where they had a traditional Buddhist blessing

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Les with Peko and baby Jubei in the 80s.

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The above photo shows cute new member Ian Mitchell (far right). He joined the group
in 1976 replacing founding member and bassist Alan Longmuir. Sadly he died in 2020 aged 62.

[StevieWonders]

Same sex activities by a Bay City Roller? The kilt always has provided easy access:
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