Billy Mackenzie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Billy Mackenzie
MacKenzie performing at the University of Dundee in 1985
Background information
Birth name	William MacArthur MacKenzie
Born	(1957-03-27)27 March 1957 Dundee, Scotland
Died	22 January 1997(1997-01-22) (aged 39) Auchterhouse, Angus, Scotland
Genres	Post-punk synth-pop experimental pop new wave
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1976–1997

Billy MacKenzie (born William MacArthur MacKenzie on March 27, 1957 – died January 22, 1997) was a talented Scottish singer and songwriter. He was well-known for his special, high singing voice. Billy was a co-founder and the lead singer of a band called The Associates, which played post-punk and new wave music. He also had a short career as a solo artist, releasing his first solo album, Outernational, in 1992.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Billy MacKenzie was born in Dundee, Scotland, on March 27, 1957. When he was a boy, he lived in the Stobswell area of the city. He went to St Mary's Forebank Primary School and St Michael's Secondary School.

Billy loved to travel. When he was 16, he moved to New Zealand, and at 17, he traveled all over America. After his travels, he came back to Scotland. In 1976, he met Alan Rankine, and they formed a band. They first called themselves the Ascorbic Ones, then Mental Torture, before finally settling on the name The Associates in 1979.

Alan Rankine left The Associates in 1982. However, Billy MacKenzie continued to make music under the band's name for several more years. In the 1990s, he started releasing music using his own name.

Working with Other Artists

Billy MacKenzie worked with many other musicians throughout his career.

Collaborations with Paul Haig

He had a great partnership with Paul Haig from the band Josef K. They performed together in Glasgow and Edinburgh in the mid-1980s. They sang their own popular songs and also covered songs by other artists, like "Runnin' Away" by Sly and the Family Stone and "Walking on Thin Ice" by Yoko Ono. They even sang "Amazing Grace" on a Scottish TV show. After Billy's death in 1997, a whole album of their music together, called Memory Palace, was released.

Collaborations with Yello

In 1987, Billy wrote lyrics for two songs on Yello's album One Second. He sang on the song "Moon on Ice." Another song, "The Rhythm Divine," was sung by Shirley Bassey, but a version with Billy singing was also released later. Billy also worked with B.E.F. (British Electric Foundation) on their albums Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One (1982) and Volume Two (1991).

Final Recordings

Billy's very last recording was a song called "Pain in Any Language" with the electronic music group Apollo 440. The band remembered Billy in the notes of their album Electro Glide in Blue (1997).

Legacy and Tributes

Billy MacKenzie passed away on January 22, 1997, at the age of 39.

Many artists have paid tribute to Billy. Siouxsie Sioux, who was a friend of Billy's, wrote the song "Say" after his death. The song was released by her band the Creatures in 1999. Robert Smith from The Cure, another friend, wrote the song "Cut Here" in 2001. This song is about his regret for not spending more time with Billy before he died.

The Icelandic singer Björk thought about making a duet with Billy's voice for her album Medúlla (2004), using recordings given to her by his father, but she decided not to in the end. In 2006, Norwegian singer Jenny Hval, using the name Rockettothesky, released a song called "Barrie for Billy MacKenzie" as a tribute.

Play About His Life

From June 9 to June 27, 2009, a play called Balgay Hill was performed at the Dundee Repertory Theatre in Billy's hometown. The play told the story of his life through the eyes of four made-up characters. The title of the play comes from the name of the cemetery in Dundee where Billy was buried.

Music Releases

With The Associates

• The Affectionate Punch (1980)
• Fourth Drawer Down (1981)
• Sulk (1982)
• Perhaps (1985)
• Wild and Lonely (1990)
• The Glamour Chase (2002)

Solo Albums

• Outernational (1992)
• Beyond the Sun (1997) – Reached No. 64 in the UK
• Memory Palace (with Paul Haig) (1999)
• Eurocentric (with Steve Aungle) (2001)
• Auchtermatic (2005)
• Transmission Impossible (2005)

Solo Singles

• "Baby" (1992)
• "Colours Will Come" (1992)
• "Pastime Paradise" (1992) – This was a special release for promotion only.

Guest Vocals

Billy MacKenzie lent his voice to many songs by other artists, sometimes as the main singer and sometimes for backing vocals.

Lead Vocals

• BEF's Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One album: "Secret Life of Arabia" and "It's Over" (1982)
• Stephen Emmer's Vogue Estate album: duet with Martha Ladly on "Wish On" (1982)
• Annie Lennox: duet on "The Best of You" (1985)
• Sweden Through the Ages EP: It Helps to Cry (1986)
• Yello's Snowball and the Sound of Yello: "Life Is a Snowball" (1987)
• Yello's One Second album: "Moon On Ice" (1987)
• Yello "The Rhythm Divine" (version 2): a special 12-inch single with Billy's lead vocals (1987). This recording also appeared on the Popera album (1990).
• Uno's self-titled album: Cinemas of the World (1987)
• Holger Hiller's Oben Im Eck album: title track and version, "We Don't Write Anything On Paper or So", and "Whippets" single (1987)
• Yello's Baby album: "Capri Calling" (1991)
• BEF's Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two album: "Free" (1991)
• Loom's "Anacostia Bay" single (1996)
• Barry Adamson's Oedipus Schmoedipus album: "Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls" (1996)
• Apollo 440's Electro Glide in Blue album: "Pain in Any Language" (1997)
• "Put This Right" – Co-written by Laurence Jay Cedar and Billy MacKenzie (1996)
• "Deamanda" – Co-written by Laurence Jay Cedar and Billy MacKenzie (1996)

Backing Vocals

• The track "Fields" on the Joy album by Skids (1981)
• Yello's One Second album: "Call It Love", "The Rhythm Divine", and 'Goldrush' (1987)
• Yello's Flag album: "Of Course I'm Lying", and "Otto Di Catania" (1988)
• Jih's Take Me to the Girl single (1988)
• Boris Grebenshchikov's Radio Silence album/single: "That Voice Again" (1989)
• Yello's Baby album: "Drive/Driven" and "Rubberbandman" (1991)
• Siobhan Fahey: "Do I Scare You" (1996)
• Peach – Audiopeach album: "Deep Down Together" and "Give Me Tomorrow" (1998)
• Paul Haig "Listen to Me" single (1997)

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