Leslie Richard McKeown

born on 12/11/1955 in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

died on 20/4/2021

Alias Les McKeown

Les McKeown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Les McKeown (born 12 November 1955) is a Scottish pop singer who was the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers during their most successful period.

Biography

Leslie Richard McKeown was born in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland. He joined the Bay City Rollers in late 1973. The group's intense popularity, nicknamed "Rollermania", took off shortly afterwards. He was with the band until 1978, at which time he left to pursue a career as a solo artist. He released a series of solo albums which saw modest success, primarily in Germany and Japan.

In 1988 and 1989 McKeown worked with Dieter Bohlen. The result of their partnership was the album It's A Game.

In 1990, he participated in the UK heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Ball and Chain", which placed fifth.

He was ordered by Harlow magistrates on 23 August 2005 to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on drugs charges, following his bail release.[1] On 31 January 2006, McKeown admitted being a drug user but denied being a dealer.[2] On 3 February 2006, he was acquitted of cocaine dealing. He suggested that he would sue the Metropolitan Police for earnings he lost from an overseas tour that was cancelled as a result of the proceedings.[3]

Today McKeown resides in Hackney, England with his Japanese wife, Peko, and their son, Jubei. He still tours with his current band, "Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers" (of which he is the only former Roller). The group appeared in the Countdown Spectacular two-concert series in Australia between late August and early September 2007. McKeown has completed two UK tours called Rollermania!, undertaken a UK tour of Once In A Lifetime with David Essex, Leo Sayer and The Osmonds and has, along with Alan Longmuir, appeared in the U.S. playing four dates as well as putting on a meet and greet fest for fans. McKeown was due to go back to the US, as well as Canada, at the end of September - beginning of October for more concert dates. Longmuir had agreed to join McKeown, but health problems meant he had to withdraw from the proposed tour.

McKeown developed a serious alcohol problem from about 2002, which resulted in him drinking a bottle of whisky per day. He underwent treatment in the Passages Clinic in Los Angeles which was documented in the Rehab reality TV programme that was broadcast on the Living Channel in the United Kingdom. In an interview with Scotland on Sunday in 2009, he talked about his sexual relationship with Tam Paton and his own bisexuality.[4]

Bibliography

  • Shang-a-lang: Life as an International Pop Idol Les McKeown, Lynne Elliott, Irvine Welsh, 2003 ISBN 1-84018-651-8.

Notes

  1. UK | England | London | Rollers star faces drugs charge. BBC News (2005-08-23). Retrieved on 2012-01-01.
  2. BBC
  3. Guardian
  4. "Former Bay City Rollers front man, Les McKeown, is ready finally to leave the past behind", Catherine Deveney, Scotland on Sunday, 15 February 2009

References

Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul. 1974. St. Martin's Press, Inc., New York, N.Y. ISBN 0-312-02573-4

External links

  • Official website


This page was last modified 16.01.2014 08:28:18

This article uses material from the article Les McKeown from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.