Trashcan Sinatras guitarist and singer John Douglas has died aged 63.
The Scottish musician passed away in the early hours of Monday (03.08.26) following a “brief illness”.
His bandmates announced the news in a heartfelt message shared online, saying: “We are devastated to inform all of you that we have lost our dear friend and brother John after a brief illness.
“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.”
Douglas – who joined from their formation in 1986 – appeared on all seven studio albums, including Ever The Optimist, which arrived on July 31 – only days before his death. It marked the rock group’s first record in more than a decade.
Trashcan Sinatras reunited for a special one-off 40th anniversary show at Irvine’s Harbour Arts Centre in June. All five members performed together for the first time in nearly seven years as they filmed a music video for the album.
Douglas spoke about that night in a recent interview with Spill Magazine, calling the reunion “very emotional” and reflecting on how rare it was for the band to be in the same room again.
He said: “The show was very heartwarming just to be with the guys in the room.
“We were on stage, amongst friends and playing songs that were written over the many years…there was a lot of treasuring every minute, looking at each other. I am glad it was filmed and recorded.”
He also described the bond that kept the group together for so long: “There is a real connection that music does that you don’t get from anywhere else. To be part of the band doing that is a treasure and you only get it when you play.”
The Trashcan Sinatras also include the late musician’s brother, Steven Douglas, his brother-in-law Francis Reader, and Paul Livingston.
The group, regularly compared to The Smiths, released their debut album Cake in 1990. It spent three months in the US’ Billboard 200 chart and produced their biggest hit, Obscurity Knocks
Often likened to The Smiths, the band broke through with their 1990 debut Cake, which spent three months on the Billboard 200 and delivered their signature track Obscurity Knocks.
John Douglas is survived by his wife Eddi Reader, singer of the BRIT Award-winning folk group Fairground Attraction.
