Platinum Blonde bassist found dead in studio
'80s glam-band rocker Kenny MacLean 'was incredibly happy' after releasing solo album

November 25, 2008

Kenny MacLean, who rose to fame as bassist in the 1980s Toronto-based new wave band Platinum Blonde and had just released his third solo album, was found dead yesterday in his Yonge St. recording studio-apartment.

"This is devastating," said Mark Holmes, former lead singer of Platinum Blonde who performed with his old friend Friday night at the Mod Club at a showcase for MacLean's new album, Completely.

"He was incredibly happy – everything was going well for him," Holmes said in an interview last night, adding the Scottish-Canadian musician's mother and sister were at the CD release party.

"Kenny and I even got together on the stage and sang three songs from old times. It was one of the happiest nights. It was kind of like a send-off. It was a big and successful party."

Platinum Blonde had a string of hits including Hungry Eyes and Crying Over You.

Friends said MacLean's sister Pamela had been unable to contact the musician, who was in his early 50s, and, along with his publicist and personal assistant, got the landlord to let them into his studio and living quarters on Yonge near Wellesley St.

Pamela found her brother collapsed in the bathroom holding a toothbrush with the tap running, Holmes said. MacLean had another home in Yorkville but likely stayed at the studio after the Friday night party, friends said.

The cause of death is not yet known.

Former Platinum Blonde drummer Chris Steffler, who helped recruit MacLean into the band in 1985, said his old friend was on prescription anti-anxiety medication but was otherwise healthy.

"He was in tip-top shape. He could bench-press 200 pounds," Steffler said last night in an interview, adding he still often played with his old friend who was talking to him about getting Platinum Blonde back together for a show and maybe more.

"He had everything to live for," Steffler said, calling MacLean's final show "electrifying."

Steffler met MacLean in 1978 when they played together in Toronto bands The Next and The Suspects.

He said when Platinum Blonde decided to add a fourth member, he suggested MacLean, who debuted on their Alien Shores album.

MacLean had kept busy after the bad called it quits as a full-time act, recording solo albums, working with a company called hMh Music to develop budding artists and an act that played covers of other bands' work.

As news of his death spread yesterday, heartbroken fans started to pay tributes on Facebook. Some called him a great musician, others remembered him as a funny guy.



R.I.P.

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"In a world of illusion you only see what you feel"