Billy MacKenzie
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William MacArthur Mackenzie (27 March 1957 – 22 January 1997) was a Scottish singer and songwriter, known for his distinctive high
tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
voice. He was the co-founder and lead vocalist of
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
and new wave band the Associates. He also had a brief solo career releasing his debut studio album, ''Outernational'', in 1992, his only solo album released during his lifetime.


Biography

William MacArthur Mackenzie was born on 27 March 1957 in
Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, Scotland. As a youngster, he lived on Park Avenue in the Stobswell area of the city. He attended St Mary's Forebank Primary School and St Michael's Secondary School. He led a
peripatetic Peripatetic may refer to: *Peripatetic school, a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece *Peripatetic axiom * Peripatetic minority, a mobile population moving among settled populations offering a craft or trade. *Peripatetic Jats There are several ...
lifestyle, decamping to
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
at the age of 16, and travelling across
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
aged 17. Here he married Chloe Dummar, the sister-in-law of his Aunt Veronica. While MacKenzie was quoted as saying the marriage was made to stave off deportation so that he could sing with the New Orleans Gospel Choir – calling his wife a '
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
type' – Dummar still believes the pair were in love. He left her after three months of marriage and returned to Dundee, and the two never had contact again. Chloe Dummar filed for divorce in 1980, and MacKenzie did not contest the filing. (Chloe's brother was
Melvin Dummar Melvin Earl Dummar (August 28, 1944 – December 9, 2018) was a Utah man who gained attention when he claimed to have saved reclusive business tycoon Howard Hughes in the Nevada desert in 1967, and to have been awarded part of Hughes' vast es ...
, who claimed to be the "one sixteenth" beneficiary of the estate of
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
until the case was thrown out in 1978.) MacKenzie returned to Scotland where he met
Alan Rankine Alan Rankine (17 May 1958 – 3 January 2023) was a Scottish musician and record producer best known as keyboardist and guitarist for rock band the Associates, which he co-founded with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s. Early l ...
and in 1976 formed the Ascorbic Ones.O'Brien, Lucy (1997) "Those Last Impressions: Billy MacKenzie", '' Q'' They changed the name to Mental Torture and finally the Associates in 1979. Rankine left the Associates in 1982, but MacKenzie continued to work under the name for several years until he began releasing material under his own name in the 1990s.


Collaborations

Mackenzie also collaborated with many other artists during his career. Mackenzie had a fruitful partnership with
Paul Haig Paul Haig (born 4 September 1960)Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 386-7 is a Scottish indie musician, singer and songwriter. He was originally a member of post-punk band Josef K, active between 1979 ...
of Josef K, the result being low key dates in
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
during the mid-1980s, which mixed their own best known songs with covers of songs such as
Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...
's " Runnin' Away" and
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...
's "
Walking on Thin Ice "Walking on Thin Ice" is a song by Yoko Ono, released in 1981. She and John Lennon concluded the recording of the song on December 8, 1980. It was upon their return from the recording studio to The Dakota (their home in New York City) that Lenn ...
". Later the pair united to perform "
Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
" on a Scots Hogmanay television programme, and each donated a song to the other's forthcoming studio album. "Chained" proved a highlight on the next Haig album, although Mackenzie's version of "Reach the Top" remained unreleased after the Associates' ''The Glamour Chase'' project was shelved by
WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...
. Following Mackenzie's untimely death in 1997 an entire album of Haig and Mackenzie material, ''Memory Palace'', appeared on Haig's own label Rhythm of Life. In 1987, he wrote lyrics for two tracks on
Yello Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983. Their sound is often charac ...
's fifth studio album '' One Second'': "Moon on Ice", which he sang himself, and " The Rhythm Divine", which was sung by
Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...
and was released as a single. A version sung by MacKenzie was released on the
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and CD versions of Associates' ''Popera'' compilation album). MacKenzie also collaborated with B.E.F. (British Electric Foundation) for their two albums ''Music of Quality and Distinction'' Volume One (1982) & Volume Two (1991). His final recording was the song "Pain in Any Language", with
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
group
Apollo 440 Apollo 440 (also known as Apollo Four Forty or @440) are a British electronic music group formed in Liverpool in 1990. The group has written, recorded, and produced five studio albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as ...
. The band made a dedication to Mackenzie in the album notes to the studio album ''
Electro Glide in Blue ''Electro Glide in Blue'' is the second studio album by English electronic music group Apollo 440. It was first released on 3 March 1997 in the United Kingdom by Stealth Sonic Recordings and Epic Records and on 9 September 1997 in the United St ...
'' (1997).


Death and legacy

On 22 January 1997, Mackenzie took his own life by overdosing on a combination of
paracetamol Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol. At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decreases body temperature; it is inferior ...
and prescription medication in the garden shed of his father's house in Auchterhouse,
Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...
. He was 39 years old. Depression and the death of his mother are believed to have contributed to his suicide. He was the subject of a biography by Tom Doyle, ''The Glamour Chase'', in 1998.
Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
, a friend of Mackenzie, wrote the song "
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", revealing in the lyrics that they were going to meet just before his death. The song was released as a single by
the Creatures The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie (musician), Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first extended play, EP ''Wild Things (EP), Wild Things'' in ...
in 1999, peaking at No. 72 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
song "
Cut Here "Cut Here" is a song by English rock band The Cure, released as a single in October 2001 from their best-of compilation ''Greatest Hits'' released the same year. Content Cure frontman Robert Smith wrote the song in memory of his friend Billy ...
" in 2001, written by Robert Smith, a friend of Mackenzie, is about the regret Smith felt about seeing Mackenzie a few weeks before his death backstage at a Cure concert, and not giving him any of his "precious time" and fobbing him off. For her fifth studio album ''
Medúlla ''Medúlla'' is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 30 August 2004 in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. After the release of her electro ...
'' (2004), Icelandic singer
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
considered singing a beyond the grave duet with Mackenzie using recordings given to her by his father, but eventually decided against it. In 2006, Norwegian singer
Jenny Hval Jenny Hval (born 11 July 1980) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and novelist. She has released eight solo albums, two under the alias Rockettothesky and six under her own name. In 2015, Hval released her fifth studio ...
, under the name Rockettothesky, released her debut single "Barrie for Billy Mackenzie" as a tribute. Between 9 and 27 June 2009, a play entitled ''Balgay Hill'' about the story of Mackenzie's life was showing at
Dundee Repertory Theatre Dundee Repertory Theatre, better known simply as the Dundee Rep, is a theatre and arts company in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It operates as both a producing house - staging at least six of its own productions each year, and a receiving house ...
, in Mackenzie's home town. It tells the story of his life through the eyes of four fictional characters, and the title of the play derives from the name of the Dundee cemetery where Mackenzie was buried. The novel ''Spying on Strange Men'' by
Carole Morin Carole Morin is a Glasgow-born novelist who lives in Soho, London. She has had five novels published: ''Lampshades'', ''Penniless in Park Lane'', ''Dead Glamorous'', ''Spying on Strange Men'' and ''Fleshworld''. Morin's fiction is critically acc ...
, contains the following section: :"I checked my face in the mirror, opened the book about Billy Mackenzie. : :One day at Billy's house his dad brought in a cake and Billy said, 'That cake is like your aunty's hat.' : :'That image kept replaying in my mind, another memory of something I didn't witness, as James came out of the bathroom. : :'What are you reading?' he asked. : :'A book,' I said, flicking to the end where Billy kills himself and goes to sleep for ever in the dog basket." Morin said in an interview:
I was devastated by his death which is odd because I didn't know him. My husband did. Mackenzie's death affected me in a way that
Ian Curtis Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist of the post-punk band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums ''Unknown P ...
's didn't. Curtis seemed born to die. Mackenzie should have outgrown his gloom and become an eccentric old man. I think our work is similar. It's the duality of glamour and spirituality in his voice that attracts me. His toughness and fragility; darkness and laughter. He could be a character from one of my books. I always meant to send him a copy of ''Dead Glamorous''.


Discography


With the Associates

* ''
The Affectionate Punch ''The Affectionate Punch'' is the debut studio album by Scottish post-punk and new wave band The Associates. It was released on 1 August 1980 on the Fiction label. The song title "Even Dogs in the Wild" became the title of a novel by Scottish ...
'' (1980) * '' Fourth Drawer Down'' (1981) * ''
Sulk ''Sulk'' is the second studio album by Scottish post-punk and pop band the Associates. It was released on 14 May 1982 on their own Associates imprint of Beggars Banquet Records for the UK and throughout the rest of Europe on WEA Records and i ...
'' (1982) * '' Perhaps'' (1985) * '' Wild and Lonely'' (1990) * ''The Glamour Chase'' (2002)


Solo


Albums

* ''Outernational'' (1992), Circa * ''Beyond the Sun'' (1997), NudeUK No. 64Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 207 * ''Memory Palace'' (credited with
Paul Haig Paul Haig (born 4 September 1960)Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 386-7 is a Scottish indie musician, singer and songwriter. He was originally a member of post-punk band Josef K, active between 1979 ...
) (1999), Rhythm of Life * ''Eurocentric'' (credited with Steve Aungle) (2001), Rhythm of Life * ''Auchtermatic'' (2005),
One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In ...
* ''Transmission Impossible ''(2005), One Little Indian


Singles

* "Baby" (1992), Circa * "Colours Will Come" (1992), Circa * "Pastime Paradise" (1992), Circa – promotional release only


Guest vocals


Lead vocals

* BEF's ''Music of Quality and Distinction Volume One'' album: " Secret Life of Arabia" and " It's Over" (1982) * Stephen Emmer's ''Vogue Estate'' album: duet with
Martha Ladly Martha Jane Ladly is a Canadian academic, designer and musician. She is a professor of design at OCAD University. Ladly also has had a long career as a musician and achieved international fame as part of rock band Martha and the Muffins. She ha ...
on "Wish On" (1982) *
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
: duet on "
The Best of You "The Best of You" is a song by American musician Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & t ...
"; the original ''Perhaps'' sessions version, the re-recorded album featured
Eddi Reader Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE (born 29 August 1959) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as frontwoman of Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards. In 2003, she showcased the wo ...
(1985) † * Sweden Through the Ages EP: ''It Helps to Cry'' (1986) *
Yello Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983. Their sound is often charac ...
's ''Snowball and the Sound of Yello'': "Life Is a Snowball" (1987); unreleased promo CD * Yello's '' One Second'' album: "Moon On Ice" (1987) † * Yello " The Rhythm Divine" (version 2): special limited edition 12" single (MERXR253) featuring MacKenzie's lead vocals in place of Shirley Bassey's (1987); the same recording later appeared on the ''Popera'' album (1990). "Norma Jean", a variation of the "The Rhythm Divine" song with different lyrics originally recorded for an unfinished project by Yello's Dieter Meier about Marilyn Monroe, was released as track 9 from his "Auchtermatic" CD compilation (One Little Indian - TPLP442CD, 2004) * Uno's self-titled album: ''Cinemas of the World'' (1987) *
Holger Hiller Holger Hiller (born 26 December 1956) is a German musician. Hiller studied art at the Hochschule für bildende Künste in Hamburg, where he met Walter Thielsch and Thomas Fehlmann and recorded first works with them. With Fehlmann he later fou ...
's ''Oben Im Eck'' album: title track and version, "We Don't Write Anything On Paper or So", and "Whippets" single (1987) * Yello's ''
Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
'' album: "Capri Calling" (1991) * BEF's ''Music of Quality and Distinction Volume Two'' album: " Free". (1991) " Free" also appears on the 1998 BEF 'Best Of' album, later reissued by Disky in 2001 * Loom's "Anacostia Bay" single (1996) † ‡ *
Barry Adamson Barry Adamson (born 11 June 1958) Discography Studio Albums Compilation Albums EPs Singles Soundtracks References External links * Adamson's art-house
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Barry 1958 births Living people People from ...
's ''
Oedipus Schmoedipus ''Oedipus Schmoedipus'' is an album by the English musician Barry Adamson, released in 1996. Like Adamson's previous albums, ''Oedipus Schmoedipus'' was conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film. The album peaked at No. 51 on the UK Albums Ch ...
'' album: "Achieved in the Valley of the Dolls" (1996) ‡ *
Apollo 440 Apollo 440 (also known as Apollo Four Forty or @440) are a British electronic music group formed in Liverpool in 1990. The group has written, recorded, and produced five studio albums, collaborated with and produced other artists, remixed as ...
's ''
Electro Glide in Blue ''Electro Glide in Blue'' is the second studio album by English electronic music group Apollo 440. It was first released on 3 March 1997 in the United Kingdom by Stealth Sonic Recordings and Epic Records and on 9 September 1997 in the United St ...
'' album: "Pain in Any Language" (1997) † ‡ * "Put This Right" – Co-written by Laurence Jay Cedar and Billy MacKenzie. (1996) * "Deamanda" – Co-written by Laurence Jay Cedar and Billy MacKenzie. (1996) ''† lyrics by Mackenzie'' ''‡ also appear on ''Auchtermatic * Unreleased tracks "Sinking Deeper" and "The Hungry Look" recorded 1980 under the name Strange News. Billy, Steve Reid and rhythm section Andy and Gavin. Only copies of tracks exist.


Backing vocals

* The track "Fields" on the ''
Joy The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
'' album by fellow Scottish band Skids: "Fields" single (7" and 12" mixes) (Virgin, 1981) also released on Skids' ''Dunfermline'' CD (1987) *
Yello Yello is a Swiss electronic music band, which formed in Zürich in 1979. For most of the band's history, Yello has been a duo consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank; founding member Carlos Perón left in 1983. Their sound is often charac ...
's '' One Second'' album: the singles "Call It Love", " The Rhythm Divine", and 'Goldrush' (1987) * Yello's ''
Flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
'' album:, the single "Of Course I'm Lying", and "Otto Di Catania" (1988) * Jih's ''Take Me to the Girl'' single >, title track plus "Come Summer Come Winter" and "Wake Up" (1988) *
Boris Grebenshchikov Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov (russian: link=no, Борис Борисович Гребенщиков; born ) is a prominent member of the generation which is widely considered to be the "founding fathers" of Russian rock music. He is the fou ...
's ''
Radio Silence In telecommunications, radio silence or Emissions Control (EMCON) is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop transmitting for safety or security reasons. The term "radio station" may include anything ca ...
'' album/single: "That Voice Again" (1989) * Yello's ''
Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
'' album: "Drive/Driven" and the single "Rubberbandman" (1991) ''(6 of MacKenzie's Yello tracks later released on the '' Essential Yello'' album) (1992)'' *
Siobhan Fahey Siobhan Maire Fahey (; born 10 September 1958) is an Irish singer whose vocal range is a light contralto. She was a founding member of the group Bananarama, who have had ten top-10 hits including the US number one hit single "Venus". She later ...
: "Do I Scare You" (1996) ''unreleased until 2004 when it first appeared on
Shakespears Sister Shakespears Sister is an alternative pop and rock musical duo based in the United Kingdom that was formed in 1988 by singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act, but became a duo ...
's 'Best Of' double CD, and then on the "3" album in 2005'' *
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
– '' Audiopeach'' album: "Deep Down Together" and "Give Me Tomorrow" credited as the MacArthurettes with Caragh McKay (1998) * Paul Haig "Listen to Me" single (1997)''> = lyrics by MacKenzie''


Other credits

* Orbidöig's "Nocturnal Operations" single: Mackenzie played tubular bells (1981) – this single was reissued in 1984, credited as the Sensational Creed * Sweden Thru the Ages "It Helps to Cry" single, produced by Mackenzie (1986) * Paul Haig ''Chain'' album: "Chained", lyrics by Mackenzie, performed by Haig (1989)


References


External links


Details of 28 March 2007 London tribute concert
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mackenzie, Billy Beggars Banquet Records artists British synth-pop new wave musicians Scottish new wave musicians Scottish tenors 20th-century Scottish male singers Scottish singer-songwriters Bisexual singers British post-punk musicians Male new wave singers Scottish LGBT singers Drug-related suicides in Scotland People with mood disorders Musicians from Dundee The Associates (band) members Warner Music Group artists 1957 births 20th-century Scottish musicians 1997 suicides 20th-century LGBT people