John Douglas, guitarist and singer for the Scottish band Trashcan Sinatras, has died at the age of 63. His bandmates confirmed his passing early Monday morning, following a "brief illness."
"We are devastated to inform all of you that we have lost our dear friend and brother John after a brief illness," the band shared in a message online. "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 the band at its formation in 1986, was featured on all seven of their studio albums. The most recent, Ever the Optimist, was released on July 31, just days before his death, marking the group's first record in over a decade.
The band reunited for a 40th-anniversary performance at Irvine's Harbour Arts Centre in June, where all five members performed together for the first time in nearly seven years. Douglas described the reunion as "very emotional" in a recent interview with Spill Magazine, reflecting on the rarity of the band being in the same room and the strong connection they shared through music.
"The show was very heartwarming just to be with the guys in the room," he said. "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."
Douglas is survived by his wife, Eddi Reader, who is the singer for the BRIT Award-winning folk group Fairground Attraction.
The Trashcan Sinatras, often compared to The Smiths, released their debut album Cake in 1990. The album spent three months on the US Billboard 200 chart and included their most well-known song, "Obscurity Knocks."