With city Associate

Stobswell plans lifesize tribute to Billy Mackenzie

HIS face already adorns the side of a building in Stobswell.

But now the wheels are finally in motion to have a lifesize statue of Dundee icon Billy MacKenzie erected in his hometown.

A fundraising campaign is being launched to pay for the £50,000 sculpture which could be placed in Dundee’s Baxter Park – close to where the late Associates singer went to school.

Sculptor David Annand, from Cupar, has been lined up to produce the artwork, which will be based on the cover of The Associates’ Singles album, featuring Billy standing on a beach with two pet whippets.

David said: “I remember Billy well and I used to see him in the streets of Dundee walking his whippets.

“I was previously an art teacher at the old St Saviour’s High School and left after about 30 years.

“The plan is to create a lifesize statue, although I am thinking of making it a little bit more exaggerated.”

Over the years there have been several suggestions as to how to best honour the frontman, including holding a festival similar to Kirriemuir’s Bonfest, a tribute to late AC/DC singer Bon Scott.

Kirriemuir already has a Bon Scott statue in celebration of the town’s most famous son, and in 2017 the Stobswell Forum held a public meeting where the idea of creating a similar statue in tribute to Billy was floated.

David added: “The whole idea came about when a few fans put up Facebook pages suggesting it would be a good idea to have a statue for Billy and as I am a sculptor and do this for a living, I thought I’d go for it.

“The Stobswell Forum is involved and trying to raise funding for the project.

“I am working from a photo by Richard Haughton which was the cover of the Associates Singles album. I doctored it a bit and it is meeting with general approval from the fans. It shows Billy with his beloved whippets.

“It would be modelled in clay and bronze and should take about six to seven months to complete.”

Stobswell Forum chairman Colin Clement said: “We met with

David to discuss the possibilities of erecting a local tribute to Stobswell’s very own Billy Mackenzie.

“There is still lots to discuss not l east how to raise the funds to complete the project but we hope this is a start.”

The development comes 23 years after Billy took his own life in 1997, aged 39.

Two years ago a huge black and white portrait of him was painted on the outside wall of the Boomerang Community Centre in Kemback Street.

The stunning mural, by Stobswell artist Garry Milne, was part of the OpenClose Dundee project.

Fundraisers will likely be buoyed by the successful fundraising campaign for a statue of Dundee United’s league winning manager Jim McLean. The £60,000 statute has now been completed and will shortly be placed outside Tannadice (see page 2).

The Stobswell Forum is inviting anyone who wants to get involved with the statue project to get in touch by emailing info@stobswell.org. uk.