Billy macKenzie has died

[Steven Pirie-Shepherd]

Billy macKenzie , who formed the associates with Alan Rankine, and
produced some of the finest 'pop' records to ever come from Scotland, has
been found dead in his garden shed in Dundee. Apparently he never got
over the death of his mother..anyone with more details pleasse post..I got
this info from my brother in Aberdeen, and I am posting it here to let
people know.

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__________________________________________________
Steven Pirie-Shepherd sr...@galactose.mc.duke.edu
919.684.8986 919.684.8689 FAX
-=pithy phrase=-

[Steven Pirie-Shepherd]

Steven Pirie-Shepherd (sr...@galactose.mc.duke.edu) wrote:
: Billy macKenzie , who formed the associates with Alan Rankine, and

: produced some of the finest 'pop' records to ever come from Scotland, has
: been found dead in his garden shed in Dundee. Apparently he never got
: over the death of his mother..anyone with more details pleasse post..I got
: this info from my brother in Aberdeen, and I am posting it here to let
: people know.

This from the Scotsman.

SCOTS singer Billy MacKenzie has been found dead near his Dundee home,
apparently after taking a drugs overdose.

The 39-year-old musician, who became a household name in the early 1980s
as singer with The Associates, was discovered in a shed close to his home in
Auchterhouse by his father,
who said he had been having problems coming to terms with his mother's
recent death.

MacKenzie recorded a string of hit singles with his partner Allan
Rankine, who comes from Edinburgh. As The Associates they topped the
charts in 1982 with the best-selling album Sulk and hit singles, Party
Fears II and Club Country.

Renowned for his trademark high-pitched singing style, MacKenzie was
critically acclaimed by his peers during a golden age of Scottish pop music.

Police were called to Auchterhouse shortly after 11pm on Wednesday. A
spokesman said last night there were no suspicious circumstances.

After his success with The Associates, MacKenzie started a solo career
and enjoyed more chart success with his Breakfast album.

He swapped the world of pop music in the mid 1980s for an alternative
career training whippets.

But by 1988, he was back in the studio working with electro-pop band
Yello, and he had more chart success with Rhythm Divine, recorded with Yello and Shirley
Bassey.

MacKenzie had recently signed a new six-album recording contract with
Sony, but last night his father said the musician had been unable to come to terms with
the recent death of his mother, Lily-Agnes, 59.

"It is a terrible waste of talent," said James MacKenzie, 59. "His mother
died a few months ago and Billy was never right after that.

"We are all finding it very difficult to come to terms with what has
happened. This is a very sad time. Billy will be sadly missed by everyone
who knew him."

MacKenzie will be buried next to his mother at Balgay Park cemetery in
Dundee on Monday.

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A sad loss.