Fans Stunned: Old Bay City Rollers Photo Resurfaces — Everyone Notices the Handwritten Message on Les McKeown’s Shirt

It’s the photo no one expected to see again — and it’s taken the internet by storm. A rare behind-the-scenes image of the Bay City Rollers from the mid-1970s has resurfaced online, and fans can’t stop talking about one surprising detail: a handwritten message scrawled across frontman Les McKeown’s shirt that no one had noticed until now.

The black-and-white image, reportedly taken backstage during a 1975 TV taping, shows the Rollers at their peak — all smiles, tartan scarves, and youthful energy. But what caught fans’ attention wasn’t the nostalgia — it was the faint but visible marker ink on Les’s stage shirt. Zooming in, eagle-eyed followers discovered the words:

“We’re still the kids from Edinburgh.”

The discovery has sparked a wave of emotion among longtime Rollers fans, many of whom say the message perfectly captures what made the band so special — their humility and connection to their roots, even amid global fame. “That line gave me chills,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They conquered the world, but they never forgot where they came from.”

Others described the photo as “a love letter to the fans,” noting how Les McKeown often spoke about his pride in the group’s Scottish identity. In interviews throughout his career, he reminded audiences that despite the screaming crowds and world tours, “we were just lads from Edinburgh who loved music and made people happy.”

The viral image, restored and colorized by a fan archivist, has now been shared across thousands of social media accounts, with many calling it “one of the most meaningful Bay City Rollers photos ever.” Some are even printing replicas of the shirt — complete with Les’s handwritten message — as a tribute.

“This isn’t just nostalgia,” one lifelong fan commented. “It’s a reminder of what made the Rollers so real. They had fame, but they also had heart.”

Les McKeown, who passed away in 2021, was often regarded as the emotional center of the group — the voice that carried songs like “Bye Bye Baby” and “Give a Little Love” into pop history. Seeing his handwritten words decades later feels, for many, like a message sent straight from the past.

“It’s like he’s still speaking to us,” one fan wrote. “Still reminding us that fame fades, but love doesn’t.”

Now, nearly 50 years after that photo was taken, the Bay City Rollers are trending once again — not because of a new tour or a reunion, but because of a simple, heartfelt sentence written in ink by a young man who never stopped believing in his fans.

And as that message continues to circulate around the world, one thing is clear: Les McKeown’s words — and the spirit of the Bay City Rollers — are still alive, still loud, and still the heart of Edinburgh’s most beloved band.