Shane MacGowan was a singer and songwriter who fronted the Celtic band the Pogues, a politically charged, Celtic music-inspired folk-rock band best known for their Christmas ballad, “Fairytale of New York.”
- Died: November 30, 2023 (Who else died on November 30?)
- Details of death: Died in Dublin after chronic health problems at the age of 65.
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Shane MacGowan’s legacy
MacGowan was born in Kent, England, but spent his early childhood years in Tipperary, Ireland. In 1971, he earned a scholarship to Westminster School in London, but was expelled for drug possession in his second year. In the mid 1970s, MacGowan found himself drawn to the nascent punk rock scene in the United Kingdom, and soon found himself in the English punk band, the Nips. Like many bands of the era, their career was short-lived, lasting just one album and a handful of singles.
In 1982, MacGowan formed the Pogues. Blending punk attitude with Celtic influences, protest folk, and more, the band offered politically charged music with a focus on the life and experiences of the Irish diaspora. The band had a crossover hit with the holiday song “Fairytale of New York,” and found success with their takes on “Dirty Old Town” and “The Irish Rover.”
In the early 1990s, MacGowan was pushed out of the band because of his drug and alcohol use. He formed Shane MacGowan and the Popes, with whom he recorded two albums, before returning to the Pogues in 2001. He and the band continued to tour on and off in the years that followed, though they didn’t record any new music. Over the years, MacGowan’s alcohol use began to overshadow his work, and his appearances and interviews were often done while intoxicated. His drinking took its toll on his health, as did a 2015 fall that broke his pelvis, which required him to use a wheelchair until his death.
MacGowan recorded five albums with the Pogues and won the Ivor Novello Inspiration Award in 2018, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to him by Irish President Michael D. Higgins. He was also the co-author of “A Drink with Shane MacGowan.”
Tributes to Shane MacGowan
Full obituary: BBC
