NEWS

Scottish TV star and DJ Ewan MacLeod has died aged 48

Ewan MacLeod, the Scottish TV star and DJ best known for helping to launch the Beat 106 radio station, has died aged 48.

His death was confirmed by a police spokesperson, who said they were made aware of the sudden death of a 48-year-old man at a property in Bearsden, Glasgow around 10.30am on Thursday (December 17).

“The death is being treated as unexplained but non-suspicious,” police said (via Daily Record).

The former London talent scout, who moved back to Glasgow to present STV’s Chart Bite music programme during the mid-90s, helped launch the Beat 106 with Rangers football legend Ally McCoist.

He went on to become a music correspondent for the Sunday Mail, and he tried to launch The Scottish Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame museum though despite stars including Annie Lennox and Midge Ure backing the £6 million venture, it failed to secure the necessary funds to move forward.

In 2011, he told the Daily Record he was aiming to create the “ultimate rock ’n’ roll fantasy”.

MacLeod was also a manager for Scotland’s independent record label and publishing company, Influx music.

Scottish singer-songwriter Peter MacLeod paid tribute to Ewan, writing: “RIP Ewan Macleod. Always had lovely things to say to me about my music & would send me positive messages all the time,” he tweeted. “HOLD FAST big man! Love, Pete. x”

Other tributes have poured in for MacLeod, including from Donald MacLeod, who owns The Garage and Cathouse nightclubs in Glasgow.

“Ewan was one of Scotland’s glitterati and played that part in full with some of his mad outfits,” he said. “He was a character and if there was an event on he would be there.”

He continued: “He was very much part of the contemporary music scene back in the day. It’s a tragedy and my condolences go out to his family.

“Scottish music’s community at large will miss Ewan. He tried very hard to put Scotland’s music scene on the map.”

See more tributes below: