Colin Gibb, the singer who represented the UK at Eurovision with British pop band Black Lace in 1979, has died just days after retiring, aged 70.
With Black Lace, the Leeds-born musician rose to fame through the annual song contest after the four-piece were selected to represent the UK, finishing seventh with their song “Mary Ann”.
They went on to enjoy success with a string of novelty party songs including their inescapable No 2 hit “Agadoo”, widely regarded as one of the worst songs of all time, along with “Do the Conga”, “Hokey Cokey” and “I Am the Music Man”.
Gibb’s wife, Sue Kelly, shared the news of his death with fans on Sunday (2 June), writing on Facebook: “It is with heartbreaking news that I am letting you all know my dearest husband Colin Gibb died this afternoon.
“I love you Colin, spent 22 years living your Agadoo dream, we were due to retire to Spain on Thursday, you were so happy, so looking forward to our new life, now you’re gone.
“As we used to say, always love you forever.”
The official Black Lace page also confirmed the news of Gibb’s death, writing: “It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our great friend Colin Gibb.
“Colin was one of the founder members of Black Lace, together with Alan Barton, and will be truly missed by everyone who knew him.
“We’d like to send his family and friends all our love and support at this extremely difficult time.”
Gibb was the longest serving member of Black Lace, having joined in 1953 after replacing Ian Howarth and fronting the band with fellow singer Dene Michael. Since 2002, he had entertained revellers in Tenerife around the popular resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas.
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The musician had only just announced his retirement, issuing a statement on 13 May that said: “All good things must come to an end.”
While “Agadoo” was undoubtedly the band’s most successful song, it was voted the worst song ever in pop history by a panel of music writers in 2003, and was once banned by Radio 1 because it wasn’t “credible”.
It was also sent up in Spitting Image by “The Chicken Song”, in which Black Lace were immortalised as “those two wet gits with their girly curly hair”.
Michael, who was imprisoned in July 2016 for six months for falsely claiming almost £25,000 in benefits, called the TV spot “a real highlight”.
Gibb’s bandmate also once claimed that he led a massive conga line while in prison with around 60 inmates around the exercise yard, to the tune of “Agadoo”.
Over a pulsating dance-techno tune, the lyrics included the chorus: “Agadoo doo doo, push pineapple, shake the tree/ Agadoo doo doo, push pineapple, grind coffee/ To the left, to the right, jump up and down and to the knees/ Come and dance every night, sing with a hula melody.”
Further recognition for Black Lace came in the form of the 1987 film Rita, Sue and Bob Too, in which George Histogan played Bob, a married man who embarks on an affair with two schoolgirls.
Based on two stage plays by Andrea Dunbar, the movie was set in Black Lace’s native Bradford, west Yorkshire, and included scenes where the characters dance to the band’s songs “Agadoo” and “Gang Bang” in a local nightclub.
Gibb is survived by his wife, Sue.