Alan Longmuir death: Bay City Rollers bassist dies 'surrounded by loved ones’

Longmuir founded the band in 1965
Safeeyah Kazi2 July 2018
The Weekender

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Bay City Rollers star Alan Longmuir has died aged 70.

The founding member of the Scottish pop group died in hospital “surrounded by family” after being flown home from Mexico, where it is reported he contracted an illness.

The news was announced in a statement from Longmuir's wife Eileen Rankin who described her late husband as an “extraordinary man with an extraordinary heart”.

Writer and director Of I Ran With The Gan, Liam Rudden, said: “Having worked closely with Alan for the last seven years I am devastated by the news he has left us.

"Alan was one of the most gentle, generous and kind-hearted people I have ever known.

“He touched the lives of everyone he met with a smile that made them feel special, insisting that despite his amazing adventures in life he was still just ‘a plumber from Edinburgh.’”

Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown simply tweeted a photo of Longmuir alongside the word “RIP.”

Guitarist Stuart 'Woody' Wood honoured the 40-year career span they shared.

He said: “Very sad to read in the paper that Alan has passed away...I’ll remember the good times we had for over 40 years...RIP Al.”

Fans paid tribute to the star declaring the news “heart-breaking” and the “end of an era”.

One fan wrote: “Heartbreaking. R.I.P Alan My love and sympathy to Eileen, Derek, Les and the family (sic).”

Another posted: “End of an era. Glad to have met you it was truly a honour, a true gent in every sense of the word the world has lost an amazing person. RIP ALAN you rocked. X.”

A third tweeted: “Very sad to learn of the passing of Alan Longmuir. May he rest in peace I first heard the BCR when I was 4, listened to the music ever since, I only ever got to one concert sadly.”

The group saw peak success in the 1970s and are famous for hits Remember, I Only Wanna Be With You, Bye Bye Baby and Shang-A-Lang.

Longmuir is survived by his wife Eileen Rankin, sisters Betty and Alice, and his brother Derek, along with his son Jordan by his first wife Jan Longmuir.

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