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Born: Kenneth Irving MacLean on January 9, 1956
Died: November 24, 2008
MacLean was born in Glasgow and after emigrating to Canada got work as a hairdresser in the Greater Toronto Area while trying to get his music career off the ground. He was originally a member of the group The Hairdressers, and then was a founding member of The Suspects in 1979 with Chris Gibb (ex-Wanka) and Chris Steffler (who would be replaced by Henri DeClemente).
The band released an independent single called "Raining Over France" which gained them some airtime on Toronto radio stations and brought them to the attention of Capitol-EMI Records in Canada.
Capitol had the band change its name to The Deserters and groomed them with a new, Police-esque mystique for their eponymous 1980 debut. The album sported a charting single in the track "Alien" and the Deserters was able to do opening slots for other Capitol New Wave acts in Canada.
To augment and expand their sound beyond the obvious Police boundaries, they added keyboardist Greg Stephens for their follow-up album 'Siberian Nightlife' in 1981. Despite fervent touring the album failed to ignite. The band split up not long afterward. The Deserters' second drummer Chris Steffler and MacLean briefly formed another band called The Next, before Steffler took a gig with Platinum Blonde.
When it came time to augment Platinum Blonde's live line-up, MacLean was the natural choice to be added as keyboardist, bass player and vocalist.
MacLean was officially added to the band for their 2nd album 'Alien Shores' in 1985 and recorded two more albums with the group -- 'Contact' and 'Yeah Yeah Yeah' (under their revised name The Blondes) before the group split up in 1991.
Meanwhile, MacLean had parlayed his Justin Entertainment association into a solo deal and released 1990's 'Don't Look Back'. The title track became a radio hit and it won him a SOCAN Award for songwriting, as well as a Juno Award nomination for 'Most Promising Male Vocalist' in 1991.
In 1995, MacLean returned with another solo album, produced by Terry Brown (Klaatu, Rush, Max Webster) called 'Clear' and featuring one song written with Mark Holmes and a cover of the Sylum tune "Walk The Stranger". The album also featured an all-star Canadian music line-up including Gowan, Tony "Wild T" Springer, Curtis Lee (Sweet Blindness), Sascha (Platinum Blonde), and Anne Bourne.
In 2006, MacLean moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, working as a teacher at the city's new School of Rock and Film.MacLean created the music company hMh Music, and was its artistic director. An academy officially opened in Toronto on September 2, 2008, and featured programs such as audio engineering and DJ arts.
MacLean also became an integral part of Rock Through The Ages (or Rock TTA), a show featuring a line-up of seasoned musicians doing a decades spanning rock and roll revue.
Kenny MacLean was found dead on November 24, 2008 of a heart related problem. His third solo CD, 'Completely', was released at a concert the night before his death.
Singles
1990 Don't Look Back (Justin/MCA) JED-9006
with THE SUSPECTS
1979 Raining Over France/
with THE DESERTERS
1981 Alien/Inner Visions (Capitol-EMI) 72856
1981 Inner Visions/A.W.O.L. (Capitol - UK) CL-212
1981 Alien/Protection (Capitol - UK) CL-225
1981 Take It Away/Raining Over France (Capitol-EMI) 72870
1983 Nothing Ever Happens/Siberia (Capitol-EM) 72913
1983 Julie/Take It All (Capitol-EMI) 72918
with PLATINUM BLONDE
1985 Crying Over You/It Ain't Love Anyway (Columbia/CBS) C4-7085
1986 Hungry Eyes/Hungry Eyes [Alternative Mix] (Columbia/CBS) C4-7149
1986 Situation Critical/Out Of Time (Columbia/CBS) C4-7120
1986 Somebody Somewhere/Crying Over You [Radical Mix] (Columbia/CBS) C4-7127
1986 Father Christmas/Pere Noel (Columbia/CBS) C4-7195
1987 Contact/Tough Enough (Epic/CBS) E4-3017
1988 Connect Me/Automatic Drive (Epic/CBS) E4-3025
1988 Fire/System (Epic/CBS) 07717
1988 If You Go This Time/Chaperone Sally (Epic/CBS) E4-3048
with THE BLONDES
1990 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah/Hold On Me (Justin/MCA) JEC-35002
Albums
1990 Don't Look Back (Justin/MCA) JE-0001
1995 Clear (MMP/Page) PP-61595
2008 Completely (independent)
with THE DESERTERS
1981 The Deserters (Capitol-EMI) ST-12164
1983 Siberian Nightlife (Capitol-EMI) ST-12257
with PLATINUM BLONDE
1983 Platinum Blonde [EP] (Columbia/CBS) CEP-80074
1984 Standing In The Dark (Columbia/CBS) PCC-80090
1985 Alien Shores (Columbia/CBS) PCC-80105
1985 Crying Over You [4 song EP] (Columbia/CBS) 12EXP-7115
1987 Contact (Epic/CBS) FE-40949
1987 4 Play [cassette only] (Epic/CBS) 4TST-22016
1987 Contact [4 song EP] (Epic/CBS) 12EXP-3023
1988 Fire (Smokin' Mix)//Fire (5 Alarm Mix)/Fire (Epic/CBS) 12EXP-3031
1999 Seven Year Itch: 1982-1989 (Columbia/Sony)
2006 Collections (SONY/BMG - Europe)
with THE BLONDES
1990 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (Justin/MCA) JED-0002
1993 Best Of Live (BEI/A&M/Polygram) 70055-5004
Video
with PLATINUM BLONDE
1985 Crying Over You
1986 Situation Critical
1986 Somebody Somewhere
1988 Fire
Compilation Tracks
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