Les McKeown, the lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, has broken thirty years of silence after speaking out about being date-raped by a man.
The Scottish performer, who was attacked at the age of 19 while touring America, following the emotional trauma with 30 years cottaging and alcoholism.
The confession came as part of a reality television show, which will be screened on Living TV tonight.
"Date rape is the best way I can think of to explain how I was
cajoled into a situation through drugs into having sex with another
man," he told the Mirror.
"It happened in America in a hotel room. I was given Quaaludes, a drug for lowering your inhibitions and making you horny. Afterwards I felt really used and abused. I never told anybody
about it, not even the other guys in the band, because I was ashamed."
The Mirror's feature, which used the title Gay City Roller, layed more focus on the aspect of homosexuality, rather than the fact a man had been raped.
Despite McKeown's sensitive confession, the Mirror reported how the band's vocal fans would be silenced by the "shocking revelation that one of their heroes has been living a secret gay life for the past thirty years."
It also reported how McKeown had been meeting - in there words - "strange" men for sex.
"Maybe part of the shame was that I actually enjoyed it. Before
that, I always thought I was straight, but what was happening to me was
very erotic and I felt pleasure from it," McKeown continued.
"Now I think a lot of the shame I've felt ever since has to do with the person who did that to me. I hated him. I tried to drink it away and push that memory into obscurity."
He continued: "The
knock-on effect was that I found myself attracted to men, and now and
again I've taken action on that."
But the 70s star now claims he has been cured by the rehab experience. "Since I've been home I've not had the inclination to phone anybody and say, 'Do you fancy a sexual encounter in the woods?'"
"Maybe now it's not a secret it's not so naughty any more."