John Douglas, the guitarist and vocalist of Scottish indie rock outfit Trashcan Sinatras, has died, the band announced on social media. He was 63. “We are devastated to inform all of you that we have lost our dear friend and brother John after a brief illness,” Francis Reader, Paul Livingston, Stephen Douglas, and Davy Hughes wrote. “He died peacefully in the early hours of Monday the 3rd August 2026, surrounded by loved ones, his beautiful voice and songs filling the room.” The news comes four days after the release of the group’s latest album, Ever the Optimist, their first full-length release in 10 years.
Trashcan Sinatras formed in 1986 in the small town of Irvine. John Douglas—along with his brother, Stephen Douglas, and Livingston—joined Reader and Hughes shortly after its launch. Douglas played across each of the band’s seven studio albums, including 1993 fan favorite, I’ve Seen Everthing. He released his debut solo LP in 2024.
”As you said it’s been a rollercoaster,” Douglas told AXS in 2017, about his time in the band. “We’ve seen the music business change so many ways. The one constant thing is our own dynamic hasn’t changed; and that is when we’re happy with our songs, we’re happy with our lives… Granted in some cases it’s been hard to find our records and you won’t hear it on the radio but the people that have found us, have stuck with us. We’re doing alright!”
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