Bay City Rollers guitarist Neil Henderson dies aged 73

Guitarist Neil Henderson has died aged 73 (Picture: middle of the road) Former Bay City Rollers guitarist Neil Henderson has died aged 73 following a period of ill health. The Scottish musician, who played with the group during their formative years before going on to join Middle of the Road, had been recovering from a stroke. His death was announced by his former Middle of the Road bandmates, who paid an emotional tribute to their ‘original lead guitarist, songwriter and friend’. ‘We are sorry to have to announce the death of Neil Henderson, our original lead guitarist, songwriter and friend,’ they wrote on Facebook on September 24. ‘Neil had been ill for some time and was fighting to recover from a stroke a few years ago.’ Sending their condolences to his two daughters, they continued: ‘We wish to send our sincere condolences to Heather and Shona, his two daughters, and all his family and friends. ‘His memory will live on with all who had the pleasure of sharing the stage with him as will his music.’ Henderson was in the pop rock band from 1970 to 1972 (Picture: Shutterstock) Henderson was part of the Bay City Rollers between 1970 and 1972, before the tartan-clad Scottish band became one of the biggest pop phenomena of the decade. He played lead guitar on their breakthrough 1971 single Keep On Dancing, which became the group’s first UK chart hit. However, Henderson departed several years before ‘Rollermania’ swept Britain and the band achieved enormous international success with songs including Bye Bye Baby and Saturday Night. His daughter Shona told the BBC that her father decided to leave because he was unhappy with the musical direction the group was taking. Although he missed out on the extraordinary success that followed, Henderson’s departure certainly didn’t end his musical career. He joined fellow Scottish pop group Middle of the Road in 1974, after they had already found major success with hits including Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, which topped the UK singles chart in 1971. Henderson went on to contribute as both a guitarist and songwriter, writing and co-writing material including the singles Rockin’ Soul and Everybody Loves a Winner. The band rose to fame with the lineup of Eric Faulkner, Les McKeown, Alan Longmuir, Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood, and Derek Longmuir. (Picture: Michael Ochs Archives /Getty Images) Music also remained an important part of his life away from the stage. His daughter said that Henderson later set up his own recording studio close to his home in Scotland, where he continued pursuing his lifelong passion. The Bay City Rollers, meanwhile, went on to become synonymous with 1970s pop hysteria. Their classic line-up featured Les McKeown, Eric Faulkner, Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood and brothers Alan and Derek Longmuir, with their young fans famously adopting the band’s fondness for tartan. Their 1974 debut album Rollin’ reached number one in the UK, as did the following year’s Once Upon a Star. The latter featured Bye Bye Baby, which became the UK’s bestselling single of 1975, while the group’s popularity soon spread far beyond Britain. Their success inspired the term ‘Rollermania’, with the band attracting huge crowds of screaming teenage fans and becoming one of Scotland’s most famous musical exports. Henderson’s contribution came before the height of that phenomenon, but his guitar can be heard on the record that gave the group their first taste of chart success. He is survived by his daughters Heather and Shona. Arrow MORE: Naked Eyes singer Peter Byrne dies aged 74 after ‘brief illness’ Arrow MORE: BBC star Mark Doyle dies aged 67 after short illness Arrow MORE: Hayden Panettiere’s cause of death confirmed after fentanyl speculation Switched On Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.