Shane MacGowan, lead singer for The Pogues, has died at the age of 65. MacGowan had been in the intensive care unit following a diagnosis of viral encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. He later passed away on November 30th.
Shane MacGowan’s distinct vocals and the band’s melding of punk aesthetics and Celtic tradition helped make The Pogues one of the most revered bands of its genre. With songs like “Dirty Old Town”, “Haunted” and “The Irish Rover”, The Pogues positioned themselves as an undeniable presence. The Pogues garnered a new level of popularity with their song “Fairytale of New York”, an annual favorite around the holiday season, despite its rough edge and questionable language. Paired with the late Kirsty MacColl (who passed away in 2000), the song – released on the band’s 1988 album “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” – stands as one of the catchiest and somehow most beautifully orchestrated alternative holiday songs. The Telegraph deemed it the most-played Christmas song of the 21st century. So eat that, Mariah!
In a statement, Shane MacGowan’s wife wrote, in part: “I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it. Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese…There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music.”
Shane MacGowan had been plagued with health problems for some time, with bouts of alcoholism and a fall in 2015 that put him in a wheelchair for what would be the rest of his life.
The death of Shane MacGowan has already left a mark not just on the music industry but his home country of Ireland. Even the country’s president, Michael D. Higgins, noted the loss, saying, “His words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history, encompassing so many human emotions in the most poetic of ways.” Higgins bestowed a lifetime achievement award on MacGowan five years ago.
As a fan of The Pogues, I’ll certainly keep their too-short discography on repeat today. And now that it’s the holiday season, “Fairytale of New York” will be getting even more play than usual.
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