Alan Rankine, the co-founder of one of Scottland's beloved indie bands, The Associates, was found dead at his home just after the holiday and New Year festivities. He was 64.
The musician's sons, Callum and Hamish Rankine shared the devastating news through social media: "It's with great sadness that my brother, Hamish, and I announce the passing of our father, Alan Rankine.
He died peacefully at home shortly after spending Christmas with his family. He was a beautiful, kind, and loving man who will be sorely missed."
According to reports, the cause of death has not been revealed.
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Music Career
Rankine hailed from Bridge of Allan in Scotland and was truly passionate about music and music-making. He served as the keyboardist and guitarist for The Associates.
Formed in 1979, The Associates consisted of two members: Rankine and Billy McKenzie, who did most of the singing; they rose to prominence in their native Scotland after performing a cover of "Boys Keep Swinging" by David Bowie, Billboard reported.
Rankine's stint in The Associates was short-lived, as he left three albums into their career. They only released three albums: "The Affectionate Punch" in 1980, "Fourth Drawer Down" in 1981, and "Sulk" in 1982.
Their music was loved and even used in the New Pop movement in England, and it performed quite well on UK Independent Albums Charts and UK's Official Albums Chart.
Rankine left The Associates shortly after the release of "Sulk," and began working as a producer and solo artist.
According to Pitchfork, he worked with several artists like Cocteau Twins for "Peppermint Pig", Anna Domino's "East & West and Anna Domino," and many others.
Aside from producing music for and with other artists, Rankine worked on his own music and released three studio albums while he was at it.
"The World Begins to Look Her Age," his debut album as a solo artist was released in 1986, followed by "She Loves Me Not" in 1987, and "The Big Picture Sucks" in 1989.
On the other hand, after Rankine left The Associates, McKenzie continued to make music, record, and perform until 1990.
The Associates, despite being an indie band, went on to become some of the bigger artists' inspiration. Their music inspired the likes of Björk and Bono from U2.
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