ROCK MUSICIAN Edwyn Collins, a former pupil at Morgan Academy, Dundee, has beaten his hospital superbug infection and his improvement is quietly accelerating.

The star’s recovery from a life-saving operation in February following two brain haemorrhages suffered a setback when the disease infected a surgical wound.

Posting on his official website, his wife Grace said, “He is infection-clear. His improvement is quietly accelerating at the moment.”

She denied reports that the Scot, best known for his 1995 solo hit A Girl Like You and, in 1983, Rip It Up with his band Orange Juice, was fighting for his life.

“Contrary to reports that he is fighting for his life, we are in the boozer for lunch every day. (Edwyn is on the orange juice and cranberry.)”

Collins went into hospital in February and has suffered a series of setbacks on his road to recovery.

Born in Edinburgh, he spent several years in Dundee, going to Morgan Academy in the early 1970s when his father worked as a lecturer at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art.

After moving to Glasgow, he was a leading figure on the alternative Scottish scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, forming his first band, Nu-Sonics, when 17. They later became Orange Juice, who were independent favourites and briefly broke into the mainstream with Rip It Up, which went to No 3 in the singles charts in 1983 and propelled them to fame, if not fortune, in Britain and America.

When the band split, he pursued a solo career and had a massive worldwide hit with A Girl Like You at the height of Britpop, making the top 10 in seven countries and reaching the US top 40.

In 1999, he created and starred in Channel 4 sitcom West Heath Yard, which featured cameo performances from Jarvis Cocker, Natalie Imbruglia and Oasis boss Alan McGee.

He surfaced again as a guest on Rolf Harris’s album after being impressed by the Aussie’s rendition of A Girl Like You. He has spent most of his recent time producing new bands, including Sons and Daughters, The Cribs and Little Barrie.