Book description
A first-rate charmer with a devilish twinkle in his eye, Billy
MacKenzie was a maverick figure within the music industry whose wild
and mischievous spirit possibly did him more harm than good. As
frontman of the Associates, gifted with an otherwordly, octave-scaling
operatic voice, MacKenzie, together with partner Alan Rankine, enjoyed
Top Twenty chart success in 1982. At the height of their success,
however, they split. Over the ensuing years, MacKenzie gained a
reputation for his unhinged career tactics, generous spirit and knack
for squandering large amounts of record-company money. Born in Dundee
in 1957 he was the eldest son in a large Catholic family. He was
bullied at school and sought refuge in music. He was a schemer and
dreamer, a breeder of whippets and a bisexual who kept quiet about his
private life. During his lifetime, his unique vocal gift attracted the
attention of Shirley Bassey, Annie Lennox and Björk. However, in the
tradition of Scott Walker, Syd Barrett and Nick Drake, MacKenzie's
tale is one of thwarted talent and, ultimately, tragedy. He was found
dead, aged 39, at his father's home in Scotland, on 22 January 1997,
having taken an overdose. The Glamour Chase is the colourful Â- and
frequently hilarious Â- life story of a hugely talented singer, his
whirlwind personality and his attempts to take on the music industry
on his own, free-spirited terms.
Tom Doyle has written for Q, Mojo, Elle and Melody Maker. He was born
in Dundee and lives in London.
