I hope people will remember me as the guy who sang all those fab, fun songs in the 1970s
Pop icon Les McKeown on legacy he wanted to leave
Les FAMILY Peko with wife
Jubei and son
Peter Robertson
Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown said he hoped to be remembered as “the guy who sang on all those fab, fun songs in the 70s”. The pop icon told in a poignant interview before he passed away at his London home last week, that despite his rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, he had lots of living still to do.
The 65-year-old singer, who helped the tartan- clad Rollers become Britain’s biggest pop group of the time, said: “I’m not sure how I want people to remember me. Obviously, on the lighter side of life, as the guy who sang on all those fab fun songs in the 70s.
“But I don’t think I’m finished with my life yet, so maybe they’re gonna remember me for something else. “I’d love to live to the age of my father, who was 91 when he died – and mum was 89. I f the genes are helping me, maybe I’ ll have another 35 years. But I’ve got my doubts. I’ve abused my body a bit too much over the years.”
And he revealed that he wanted to return to Scotland to live after decades down south. He said: “I don’t have a place in Scotland any more. After my mum and dad died, I sold up anything I had there and moved out. My brothers are living up there now and some of them I get on with, some of them I don’t, so I don’t bother that much.
“But when I go up to Scotland, I like to spend an extra couple of days, get a little cottage, take my acoustic guitar and have a wee play.
“I will probably gravitate back to Scotland in my old age. If temperatures keep changing and it gets warmer up there, yeah I definitely wil l.” The Edinburgh-born vocalist, who passed away on Tuesday, revealed his tongue-in- cheek epitaph during an unpublished interview.
His death has left wife Peko, son Jubei, 35, and the global army of Bay City Rollers fans devastated.
Former manager John McLaughlin, who arranged the band’s comeback tour in 2015, said: “I spoke to him last week and he was in great form and happy about life. I’m still in shock.”
Although Les struggled with drug and alcohol abuse throughout his life, he revealed he was clean and sober and trying to get fit.
During the interview, the Bye Bye Baby and Shang-A-Lang singer, said: “I had a dramatic breakdown in
August 2008 when I was found unconscious somewhere, taken to hospital and given a couple of months to l ive if I didn’t stop drinking immediately. I went on to do three months of rehab, which turned my life around.
“If something significantly emotional happens in my life now, I don’t think the answer would be the bottle of Wild Turkey – I would try and handle it in a much more grown-up way.
“My liver has recovered fully. It does have some scarring, or whatever the technical name is but they’re no longer worried about me.
“I get a liver test every month, last year it was every three months. Now they’ll just do it if they think I need it because I don’t have any of the signs.” Les, who fell out with his bandmates multiple times, added: “I haven’t been going to the gym as much as I should have. I’m always using the excuse that I’m too busy and need an extra hour in bed, but I really need to push myself and make myself suffer. So I’m going to get back on it.”
Les is the second of the classic “fab five” line-up of Derek and Alan Longmuir, Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood to pass away, with Alan dying in 2018 after contracting a mystery virus on holiday in Mexico.
Heartthrob Ian Mitchell, who briefly replaced Alan in the band, has also died, as has scandal-hit manager Tam Paton, dubbed “the sixth Roller”, who was jailed after pleading guilty to a sex offence. The Bay City
Rollers sold more than 120million records worldwide and were unstoppable in their heyday.
Les said: “The best time in the Rollers was 75 when, wherever you went, all the teenagers were wearing our stuff, our songs were at No1 in the charts, and it was the best summer ever.
“We really did drink milkshakes, we weren’t involved in alcohol or drugs and we weren’t envious of each other – we got along really well.
“Our main mission was to turn the world tartan – and it was good
fun.”