ShaneMacGOWANThe Pogues legend Shane MacGowan has died at age 65 after a lifetime of success in the music industry.
Shane, who spent recent years in and out of hospital with various health issues, made a great impact on the world of arts and entertainment thanks to his work with his band and collaborations with artists such as Kirsty MacColl, Joe Strummer, Nick Cave, Steve Earle, Johnny Depp, Sinéad O'Connor, and Ronnie Drew.
The Fairytale of New York singer's death was announced today, with his wife Victoria Mary Clarke saying: "Shane will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life".
Shane, the son of Irish immigrants, was born in Kent to award-winning Feis Ceoil singer, and Maurice on Christmas Day 1957 and lived in many parts of southeast England throughout his childhood. The late singer drew upon his Irish heritage when he founded The Pogues in 1982, with many of the band's songs influenced by Irish nationalism, Irish history and London life in general.
He spent his early childhood in Tipperary, Ireland, where his sister Siobhan previously explained he hated school but was an avid reader. He even won a Daily Mirror literary prize when he was 13 and a scholarship to Westminster when the family moved back to England.
Shane made a name for himself at London Sex Pistols gigs and the early Punk haunts like the Roxy, the 100 club and Marquee, before forming the early line-up of the Pogues then known as Pogue Mahone – which is the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic póg mo thóin, meaning 'kiss my a**e' – in the 80s.
Between 1982 and 1991, MacGowan and The Pogues enjoyed incredible success with several album releases and co-wrote Fairytale of New York, which he performed with Kirsty MacColl. Although the song never revealed the Christmas number 1 spot, it has continued to be a staple festive song for many years and remains a much-loved festive tune to this day.
Credit mirror.co.uk for the story. Our thoughts are with Shane's family, friends and many fans. We invite you to pay tribute to Shane, and share your memories, below:
Keep me informed of updates
Leave a tribute for Shane MacGowan
