Les McKeown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Les McKeown
McKeown in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Leslie Richard McKeown
Born	(1955-11-12)12 November 1955 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	20 April 2021(2021-04-20) (aged 65) London, England
Genres	Pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1973–2021
Associated acts	Bay City Rollers

Leslie Richard McKeown (born 12 November 1955 – died 20 April 2021) was a Scottish pop singer. He became famous as the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers. This band was very popular in the 1970s.

Early Life and Beginnings

Les McKeown was born in Broomhouse, a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. His birthday was 12 November 1955. His father, Francis, was a tailor who was deaf. His mother, Florence, was a seamstress. Both of his parents moved to Scotland from Ireland. The family used hand signals to talk with his father.

Les grew up in a city apartment building. He went to Broomhouse Primary School. Then he attended Forrester High School. He also volunteered in the Boys' Brigade. He left school when he was 15 years old. After leaving school, he joined a band called Threshold. He also worked at a paper mill between the band's performances. In his book, Shang-a-Lang, he said he had a happy childhood. But he felt Edinburgh was a dull place and wanted to leave.

Music Career Highlights

Les McKeown joined the Bay City Rollers in November 1973. He took the place of the band's first lead singer, Gordon "Nobby" Clark. At first, Les was not sure about joining the group. He later wrote that it was not his top choice of bands.

The Bay City Rollers became very popular after Les joined. They gained fame first in their home country, then around the world. When Les arrived, the band also changed its look. They started wearing shorter trousers, platform shoes, and tartan clothes.

Bay City Rollers' Success

In 1974, the band had four songs in the Top 10 charts. These songs included "Remember" and "Shang-a-Lang". Les McKeown was the main singer on these hits.

The next year, they had two number one songs in the UK. These were "Bye Bye Baby" and "Give a Little Love". They also had a number one song in the U.S. called "Saturday Night". This song was re-recorded with Les as the lead singer.

The band's manager, Tam Paton, helped them a lot. He chose songs for them and hired songwriters. He also brought in skilled studio musicians for their recordings. Often, Les McKeown's singing was the only part of the band's music on their records.

Later Career and Reunion

Les McKeown left the Bay City Rollers in 1978. The band's popularity was starting to go down. After leaving, he started a pop band called Egotrip. He also released his first solo album in 1979. It was called All Washed Up and was popular in Japan. He released eight more solo albums after that.

In 2015, Les rejoined the Bay City Rollers for some reunion concerts. The first show in Glasgow sold out very quickly. He released his last album, The Lost Songs, in 2016.

Personal Life and Passing

Les McKeown married Peko Keiko from Japan in 1983. They had one son together.

Les McKeown passed away on 20 April 2021. He was 65 years old. He died at his home in London.

Discography

Sources

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

See also

In Spanish: Les McKeown para niños