Billy Mackenzie, born 27 March 1957, first found success in 1980 as the lead singer of Scottish band The Associates, after they were signed to fiction records thanks to releasing a cover of David Bowie’s “Boys Keep Swinging” without permission.

The band’s breakthrough came after the 1982 single “Party Fears Two” reached number 9 in the UK singles chart, with two more hits “Club Country” and “18 Carat Love Affair” following on from such.

The Associates’ career came to an end in 1992, with Mackenzie swiftly releasing “Outernational”. In 1997, at the age of 39, Billy Mackenzie took his own life using a concoction of paracetamol and prescription drugs, after which there have been 2 posthumous studio albums, and 2 compilations; “Auchtermatic”, and “Transmission Impossible”, both released through One Little Independent.