Why Bay City Rollers Refused to Talk About Him for Decades – The Truth Is Finally Out
Bay City Rollers – once the darlings of 1970s teen pop – seemed like a dream come true. Their tartan-clad image and bubblegum anthems like “Bye Bye Baby” made them global stars. But behind the cheers and charts was a silent, chilling reality tied to one man: Tam Paton, their manager.
For decades, his name was barely mentioned by the band. Now, we know why.
Tam Paton was instrumental in shaping the Rollers’ early success. But as time went on, disturbing allegations emerged – not from outsiders, but from the band members themselves. Claims of sexual abuse, manipulation, and psychological control shook the image of the manager once hailed as a music mastermind.
In 2004, Paton was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for indecent assault on young boys. But many, including former lead singer Les McKeown, believed this was just the beginning of what he truly got away with. McKeown and others described a toxic environment where fame was dangled as bait and silence was the price of success.
Pat McGlynn, who joined the group at a young age, spoke out years later about the trauma he endured, and how Paton used legal threats and contracts to suppress the truth.
Shockingly, the music industry remained quiet. Insiders whispered, but few acted. It wasn’t until after Paton’s death in 2009 that the truth began to surface more boldly. A documentary titled “Secrets of the Bay City Rollers” aired, unveiling a pattern of abuse and cover-ups, including taped confessions and letters that never saw the light of day.
Fans who once screamed their names from arena seats were blindsided. How could such darkness exist behind the cheerful facade of their teen idols?
Though Tam Paton is no longer alive to face justice in full, the surviving Rollers continue to share their story – not for revenge, but for closure, and to ensure that the industry never turns a blind eye again.