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The Glamour Chase
£8.99
The Glamour Chase—The Maverick Life of Billy MacKenzie
An otherworldly voice, a wild spirit, and a talent for squandering record-company fortunes: the story of pop's great lost maverick.
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About the Ebook
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 Bjork. 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.Why You'll Love This Ebook
- A colourful, frequently hilarious biography of Associates frontman Billy MacKenzie
- Charts a singular career that captivated Bjork, Annie Lennox and Shirley Bassey
- A poignant portrait of thwarted talent in the tradition of Nick Drake and Syd Barrett
- Read another celebrated title from Polygon - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd
About the Author
Tom Doyle is an acclaimed music journalist, author and long-standing contributing editor to Q, whose work has also appeared in Mojo, the Guardian, Marie Claire, Elle, The Times and Sound on Sound. Over the years he has been responsible for key magazine-cover profiles of Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Kate Bush, Elton John, R.E.M. and U2, amongst many others.Publication Details
Publisher: Polygon (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)
Publication Date: 01 September 2011
Print Length: 304 pages (Ebook edition)
ISBN (Ebook): 9780857900616
Format: Ebook
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