What happened to the members of Black Lace? After tragic death of Eurovision star and ‘Agadoo’ singer Colin Gibb, how bandmates faced legal disputes over the group’s name, coach crash tragedy, jail for fraud and emotional lockdown reunion

Eurovision star and Black Lace singer Colin Gibb has died at the age of 70, just days after announcing his retirement to fans.

His heartbroken wife Sue Kelly paid a heartfelt tribute to her beloved husband as she shared the news with followers.

She said Colin was ‘so happy and looking forward to his new life’, where they were flying to Spain on Thursday and begin their retirement together after a final show at Villa Adeje Beach Hotel, in San Eugeneo.

She wrote further Facebook: ‘I love you Colin, lived your Agadoo dream for 22 years, we were supposed to retire to Spain on Thursday, you were so happy, so I was looking forward to our new life, now you’re gone. Like we always said, love you always forever.”

Sue also shared Colin wanted his fans and friends to wear ‘s*** shirts’ or the iconic floral pineapple T-shirts from Black Lace’s hit Agadoo to his funeral – for which no date has yet been announced.

Colin also apparently wanted people to donate to a cat charity instead of buying flowers.

While the former guitarist and lead singer remained with the band for many decades – from 1976 to 2024 – the new pop band underwent a number of changes in their group over the years and many changing fortunes in the decades since their chart success.

Here, MailOnline looks at how band members have fared since Black Lace became famous.

Black Lace singer Colin Gibb tragically died on June 2 at the age of 70, just days after announcing his retirement with fans

Pictured: Colin Gibb with Alan Barton (left), who led the band together as a duo during its most successful years

Alan Barton

Although Gibb was a founding member of Black Lace in their professional form, a few band members were older than him.

Alan Barton was one of the first members of a group that knew The Impact, Penny Arcade and Love or Confusion from 1969 onwards.

After adopting their final name in 1975, it wasn’t until 1979 that they released their first single, Mary Ann, for which Barton took on the role of lead singer due to his ‘throatier’ vocals.

Mary Ann won the right to represent Great Britain in that year’s Eurovision Song Contest, where it finished seventh. It reached number 42 in the UK singles chart.

In 1981, Black Lace broke up and Barton and Gibb eventually kept the Black Lace name after a dispute and took the band to the biggest charts – but only after years of using alternative titles such as Lace and Buzby.

Three years after becoming a duo, Black Lace had their most popular hit with Agadoo, which reached number two in the UK charts and also had success around the world.

However, Barton left the band in 1986 to join rock group Smokie, with whom he recorded six albums as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.

With Smokie and comedian Roy Chubby Brown, Barton reached number three in 1994 with Living Next Door To Alice (Who The F*** Is Alice).

Tragically, the group’s tour bus crashed in Cologne the following year and Barton died at the age of 41 from the injuries he sustained.

Alan Barton (left) and Colin Gibb

Ian Howarth

Pictured: Gibbs’ predecessor Ian Howarth, who founded the group with a school friend

Gibb’s predecessor in Black Lace was Ian Howarth, who started the original five-piece with his school friend Terry Dobson. They were joined by Barton, Steve Scholey and Nigel Scott.

The Wakefield native had a brief stint with the band before leaving for good in 1976.

However, he was part of the ‘reunion’ band in June 2020 to mark the 25th anniversary of Barton’s death. With Dobson, Gibb and Dean Barton, Howarth mixed a remake of the band’s 1979 Eurovision hit.

Despite the strict lockdown rules of the time, the four members recorded their sections individually before Howarth got things together and made their contributions from homes in Britain, Gozo and Tenerife.

In the years away from Black Lace, Howarth has built up ‘many years of experience on the pub and club circuit’ as a solo artist, according to his agency.

The group is known for their performance of Mary Ann at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 (photo)

Terry Dobson

Despite also being a founding member, Dobson left Black Lace in 1981 to join Stormer – a rock band signed to Beatles icon Ringo Starr.

Even with that support, the band only lasted three years after Dobson joined as drummer.

His musical career was in such a fallow period that Dobson got a job with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council as a maintenance joiner.

He became drummer of the semi-professional band Aircrew until 1993, since then he has been drummer of the Wakefield band Mister Twister.

In 1999, Dobson organized a reunion for the band to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the band’s Eurovision performance. Barton’s son, Dean, took the place of his father, who had since passed away.

Dobson is now 72 years old and still plays for Mister Twister to this day.

Terry Dobson is pictured here on the right, alongside (from left to right) Colin Routh, Alan Barton and Steven Scholey at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, where they finished seventh

Steve Scholey

Steve Scholey joined Black Lace as vocalist from the beginning, but was also another who left the group in 1981.

He left the remaining members – Gibb and Barton – to pay off the enormous debts the band had incurred while on tour.

Eighteen years later, he refused to join his former bandmates for a Eurovision anniversary reunion.

It appears that Scholey has made no attempts to revive his musical career in the years since leaving the band.

Den Michael

Dene Michael was convicted of benefit fraud in 2016. He claimed he was severely disabled in favor of £24,000, all the while still performing his Black Lace classics

Dene Michael did not join Black Lace until 1986, when Gibb and Barton stepped back from the band. However, he left again in 1991 due to ‘personal and professional problems’.

After agreeing not to use the name Black Lace, Michael formed a new band called Barracuda, which disbanded shortly after their formation.

Michael reneged on his agreement with his former colleagues in 2007 by performing under the name Black Lace.

He also spent time performing under the name ‘Mr Agadoo’ – previously a reference to Gibb – even though he had nothing to do with the famous song.

By 2012, Michael had begun releasing solo music, before playing alongside Gary Lineker three years later, singing along to ‘Agadoo’ in a Walker’s Crisps advert.

His solo career got him into trouble in 2016 he was jailed for benefit fraud.

He had claimed he was severely disabled in favor of £24,000, all the while still performing his Black Lace classics.

Michael reportedly played Agadoo behind bars for other inmates while serving his term.

After being released, he teamed up with Britain’s Got Talent contestant to form an alternative Black Lace called Black Lace’s Conga Party.

However, he found success again as a solo artist in 2022 with his folk album It’s All Been Done Before. However, the following year he was fired by his management company due to professional differences.

Dene Michael (centre) appears alongside former England football captain Gary Lineker in a Walker’s Crisps advert in 2015 performing the Black Lace song ‘Agadoo’

Rob Hopcraft

Rob Hopcraft replaced Michael in Black Lace in 1991, but left shortly after Black Lace became the first band to play the Millennium Dome at the turn of the century.

Rob Hopcraft replaced Michael in Black Lace in 1991 as another vocalist.

This caused tension the following year when Hopcraft was unhappy that a hits album was being released in Australia with Michael’s face on the front instead of his own.

Shortly after Black Lace became the first band to play the Millennium Dome at the turn of the century, Hopcraft left the band.

He died in 2020, probably the result of a fall.

Phil Temple and Craig Harper

Phil Temple and Craig Harper joined Michael in Black Lace Conga Party in 2023, but never played with Gibb.

Craig previously appeared as a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent in 2008.

He told followers on his Facebook page last November how the band would move forward despite Dene Michael’s decision to step back.

He wrote: “Dene Michael has retired from Black Lace due to delays at the ripe old age of 67. The traveling and the sheer amount of high energy performances we do has finally taken its toll on me, friend.

This is far from the end of Black Lace. Rest assured, we’ll be appearing at festivals and other gigs near you in 2024. The show must go on and we are ready to push them pineapple.”

Phil Temple and Craig Harper (pictured) joined Michael in Black Lace Conga Party in 2023, but never played with Gibb