Former Bay City Rollers Members Caught in Drug Bust? The Truth Behind a Nearly Forgotten Scandal
In the mid-1970s, the Bay City Rollers were on top of the world. With their tartan outfits, catchy pop anthems, and legions of screaming fans, they became the ultimate teen idols of the decade. But decades later, the sheen of fame would be clouded by controversy—and in one case, a headline-grabbing scandal that almost nobody talks about today.
In 2005, two former members of the Bay City Rollers—Pat McGlynn and Les McKeown—were arrested during a sweeping drug raid in Scotland. The headlines were explosive. The public was stunned. How could these once-wholesome pop stars be linked to cocaine? Yet, in an unexpected twist, both men walked away from the incident without a single charge being filed.
This is the story behind that moment. A tale of shock, suspicion, and silence—and how a brief return to the spotlight became a reminder of how fame and infamy can become tragically entangled.
It began in October 2005. Scottish police launched a coordinated operation targeting suspected drug activity across Edinburgh. Among the properties raided was one linked to former Bay City Rollers guitarist Pat McGlynn, then 48 years old. Also taken into custody was Les McKeown, the group’s charismatic frontman during their heyday, then 50. The arrests were part of a wider crackdown that netted several individuals and an undisclosed quantity of narcotics, including cocaine and ecstasy.
The tabloids pounced. Headlines screamed: “Bay City Rollers Stars Held in Drug Bust”, “Rollercoaster of Shame”, “Pop Icons Tumble from Grace.” Photos of McKeown looking dazed and disheveled as he exited the police station made front-page news. The arrests cast a shadow over the band’s legacy and stirred questions about what had become of these former teen heartthrobs.
Yet the story didn’t unfold the way many expected. By early 2006, it was quietly reported that no charges would be filed against either man. Prosecutors cited a lack of sufficient evidence to prove either McGlynn or McKeown had knowingly possessed or trafficked illegal substances. The case effectively collapsed.
Still, the damage had been done—at least in the public eye. Suspicion lingers long after an accusation fades. Despite walking free, both men would carry the stigma of the arrest for years to come.
In interviews following the incident, both McGlynn and McKeown remained remarkably tight-lipped. McGlynn issued a short statement: “I’ve moved on. People can believe what they want. I know the truth.” McKeown, who had spoken openly in the past about his struggles with alcohol and drugs, refused to go into detail. In his 2009 autobiography “Shang-a-Lang: My Life with the Bay City Rollers,” he admitted to using cocaine “a few times a year” but denied any involvement in selling or distributing it.
The arrest came at a low point in both men’s lives. McKeown had spent years wrestling with addiction, depression, and the pressure of living up to the image of a pop icon. He had attempted a comeback in the early 2000s with modest success, but the 2005 incident seemed to derail that momentum. McGlynn, for his part, had kept a lower profile and all but disappeared from the public eye after the incident.
Behind the scenes, however, the personal consequences were more severe. Friends and former associates noted that the arrest deepened McKeown’s emotional instability. “He carried a weight on his shoulders,” one source said. “It was like he never stopped punishing himself—even when the world had moved on.”
Tragically, McKeown died in April 2021 at the age of 65. A coroner’s report later revealed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest, brought on in part by a combination of natural causes and drug-related factors. While the 2005 arrest did not directly lead to his death, it marked the beginning of what many believe was a long decline.
For Pat McGlynn, the impact was more subtle but still significant. He has since reemerged occasionally in interviews and hinted at a desire to return to music, including a planned tour in Japan. But the drug bust remains a dark cloud in his narrative—a moment he’s reluctant to revisit.
The 2005 incident also renewed scrutiny of the Bay City Rollers’ history as a whole, especially their relationship with controversial manager Tam Paton. Accusations of abuse, exploitation, and manipulation have haunted the band’s legacy for decades. Many fans began to see the arrests not as isolated events, but as symptoms of a deeper trauma inflicted during the group’s most successful years.
Today, nearly two decades later, the drug raid that once threatened to tarnish the reputation of two pop stars is largely forgotten by the public. But for those involved, it remains a painful reminder of how quickly the past can catch up with you—and how fleeting redemption can be in the eyes of fame.
The Bay City Rollers will always be remembered for their music, their tartan, and their teenage mania. But behind the cheers and the chart-toppers lies a more complicated story—one that includes not only glitter and guitars, but silence, scandal, and the haunting echo of a fall from grace.