A new member has joined legendary Edinburgh band The Bay City Rollers.
John McLaughlin, who has written for the likes of Westlife, Blue and Busted will join original band member Stuart Wood in the line-up, reports the Daily Record. This comes ahead of the 50th anniversary of the band next year, which includes Ian Thomson, Mikey Smith and Jamie McGrory as they plan a string of gigs around the world.
John said: "I’ve been a huge fan of the Bay City Rollers since I was eight years old watching them on the telly.
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“They gave me the inspiration to believe I could go down a similar path even at that early age. Now I complete the circle of fate, where I am now officially joining the band! It’s truly mind blowing.
“I became great friends with Les McKeown, Woody and Alan Longmuir through the reunion and even performed on keyboards with them on the last reunion show in Newcastle and on the BBC Hogmanay show, which was joyous and what I thought would be a one-off experience that I’d never forget.”
Since then, both Alan and Les have passed away but the Rollers legacy has got stronger, especially after their recent ITV documentary Secrets of the Bay City Rollers with Nicky Campbell.
John said: “Singing the classic hits like Shang-a-lang, Bye Bye Baby and US No1 Saturday Night, was such a thrill and the crowds were so great and accepting of me.
"I was gobsmacked when Woody asked me to join the band as a new member! I jumped at the chance! It was like a dream come true!”
John and Woody are now writing and recording a new Rollers album and plans are afoot for plenty of live gigs around the world to celebrate next year’s 50th anniversary.
