Kenneth Irving MacLean (January 9, 1956 – November 24, 2008) was a Scottish-

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

musician, best known as a member of the multi-platinum selling band Platinum Blonde.

Biography

MacLean was born 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 pop ...

on January 9, 1956.

Musical career

A former hairdresser, he was a member of the group The Hairdressers, and then was a founding member of The Suspects in 1979. He then joined The Deserters in 1981, and released two albums, ''The Deserters'' and ''Siberian Nightlife''.MacNeil, Jason.
MacLean died of 'natural causes'
",

Sun Media Sun Media Corporation was the owner of several tabloid and broadsheet newspapers in Canada and the 49 percent owner of the now defunct Sun News Network. It was a subsidiary of Quebecor Media. On October 6, 2014, Quebecor Media announced the s ...

, 2008-11-24. Retrieved on 2008-11-26. Drummer Chris Steffler, who had worked with MacLean in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

bands The Next and The Suspects, recruited MacLean to join Platinum Blonde. MacLean was bassist and keyboardist, and songwriter for some songs, on their 1985 album ''

Alien Shores ''Alien Shores'' is the second studio album by Platinum Blonde Released by Columbia/CBS Records Canada in 1985, it contained one of the band's biggest Canadian hits with "Crying Over You" and their only US hit, "Somebody Somewhere". The album re ...

''. He was also part of the band for ''

Contact Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * ...

'' in 1987, and for their 1990 album ''Yeah Yeah Yeah'', when the band was renamed The Blondes. MacLean then released two solo albums in the 1990s, without the backing of major-label financing. In 1990, his solo debut ''Don't Look Back'' was released on a new label, Justin, and it won him a SOCAN Award for songwriting, as well as a

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...

nomination for Most Promising Male Vocalist in 1991. In 2006, MacLean spent time in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of K ...

, working as a teacher at the city's new Atlantica School of Music and Film. MacLean created the music company hMh Music, and was its artistic director. An academy officially opened in

on September 2, 2008, and featured programs such as audio engineering and DJ arts. MacLean had a big influence in getting Platinum Blonde back together after a 20-year absence, but he wouldn't live to see it come to fruition. MacLean had commented to Platinum Blonde's lead singer Mark Holmes "hundreds of times" that Platinum Blonde should re-unite. Holmes once quoted MacLean as saying, "Let’s get back together. Music doesn't have any rock stars anymore." In November 2008, Holmes took up MacLean's long-standing offer to make a guest appearance at one of his shows at the Mod Club in Toronto, a club founded by Holmes, and they performed a collection of Platinum Blonde hits. MacLean died of a heart related problem on November 24, 2008, after performing at the Mod Club the night before. His body was found by his sister, and recording artist Brock Burford. His third solo CD, ''Completely'', was released at a concert three days before his death.

Discography

Solo albums

* ''Don't Look Back'' (1990) * ''Clear'' (1995) * ''Completely'' (2008)

References

External links

Platinum Blonde
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, Kenny 1956 births 2008 deaths Canadian pop musicians Canadian rock bass guitarists Musicians from Glasgow Scottish expatriates in Canada Canadian new wave musicians 20th-century Canadian male singers 20th-century British musicians 20th-century Canadian guitarists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian bass guitarists 21st-century Canadian bass guitarists Male bass guitarists 21st-century Canadian male singers