Bay City Rollers in Southampton and Eastleigh

The pop world is mourning the passing of the former Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown who died suddenly at the age of 65.

He led one of the UK's original boy bands who turned the world tartan.

The Scottish pop singer fronted the Edinburgh band during their most successful period in the 1970s with hits like I Only Wanna Be With You, Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-Lang and Give a Little Love.

They were most the most screamed at teenybopper bands of the seventies. The Bay City Rollers were as big as The Beatles and Rollermania became enshrined in pop history.

In recent years Les McKeown had reprised those famous hits by taking his Legendary Bay City Rollers on the road and they had been regular headliners at Eastleigh's Concorde Club.

Paying tribute to the Scottish star the Stoneham Lane club's Jamie Mathieson said: “He was a fantastic performer who always had the tartan crowd in raptures. Such a pleasant guy back stage with no pretence. Once again one of the great pop stars departs but we have some fantastic memories and hits to remember him by. RIP Les.”

Within hours of news breaking of the death of the Rollers leader, a fan had posted a tribute on the Concorde Facebook site with the message “ So upset to hear about Les Mckeown. His annual visit to The Concorde was one of my favourites! RIP Les. Top man!“

Along with the tribute was a video with Les McKeown in full flow singing Shang-a-Lang to an ecstatic tartan swaying Concorde chorus, filmed on November 20, 2015.

Famed for their trademark tartan trimmed outfits and platform shoes, The Bay City Rollers became pop sensations on both side of the Atlantic in the 1970s, selling more than 120 million records. They turned the world tartan and paved the way for the boy band revolution.

As the nation came out of lockdown Les had been planning another big tour including a gig at The Concorde in September.

When his Bay City City Rollers rolled into town it was always the cue for a big party as tartan clad Roller fans raised the rafters of the Concorde by chanting the band's stirring anthems which had been the soundtrack to so many teenagers' lives.

Tartan and roller scarves swayed in a Mexican wave style across the dance floor. The ladies squeezed into their little tartan dresses which had been hanging in the back of wardrobes and took to the dance floor to bop again to one of Scotland's most famous exports.

One devoted fan got into the mood by sporting a tam o' shanter bonnet.

The band was such a popular draw that The Concorde once devoted a weekend special to the Legendary Bay City Rollers.

Before appearing at Eastleigh in 2012 Les McKeown spoke exclusively to former Daily Echo journalist Duncan Eaton about his recovery from addiction, court battles and his love of rock 'n roll.

Asked if he enjoyed touring he said: “I feel that this is my calling, touring and recording is what I love.”

At the time of the interview he and his former bandmates were going through the courts to recoup lost royalties of £100 million.

Asked if he still felt bitter at the way the Bay City Rollers were ripped off Les said: “I have forgiven everyone, money is an irresistible force and people in power want to keep it. Justice will be seen to be done. I feel confident in a positive outcome.”

At the height of their seventies fame the Bay City Rollers took Southampton by storm and the Daily Echo reported how the five Edinburgh lads – Les McKeown, Eric Faulkner , Alan Longmuir, Stuart “Woody” Wood and Derek Longmuir – caused huge excitement as they played The Gaumont – now The Mayflower – in 1975 and 1976.

As Rollermania gripped the city there was a huge police presence outside the theatre as teenage girls, who had posters of their pop idols plastered over their bedroom walls, eagerly queued to get in.

Fans camped outside the Southampton Park Hotel where the band had been staying.

The tartan army dressed like the Rollers with trademark tartan caps, tartan edged flares, platform boots with striped socks bearing images of their favourite band member's faces up the side, tartan bedecked tops and tartan scarves.

Rollermania is permanently etched in popular music history and their dedicated fans will never say Bye Bye Baby to their boy band heroes' timeless hits.