London – Les McKeown, the lead singer of the pop band The Bay City Rollers, whose catchy songs and tartan-heavy outfits made them famous among teenagers around the world in the 1970s, has died aged 65, his family said Thursday.
The announcement was made via the singer’s Instagram account, which said he “died suddenly at home” on April 20.
McKeown sang the Scottish band’s biggest hits including “Bye, Bye, Baby” and “Saturday Night,” which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The group was particularly popular in Japan. Speaking to The Japan Times in 2015, McKeown recalled the first time he visited this country.
“If you have that image of The Beatles coming down the steps on the plane, it was just like that,” McKeown told writer Shaun Curran. “I have old pictures of us doing exactly that. We’d get on the plane in our costume, change into a tracksuit, and change back into our gear before landing, make sure our hair was looking good and get off looking like we’d just got off the stage!
“I’ve got great history of having success in Japan — they are very loyal fans.”
Two other former members of the band, original bassist Alan Longmuir and his replacement Ian Mitchell, have also died in recent years.
McKeown is survived by his wife, Peko Keiko, and their son, Jubei.
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