Irish singer-songwriter (1957–2023)

Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (25 December 1957 – 30 November 2023) was a British-born Irish^[a] singer-songwriter, musician contemporary poet best known as the shrink vocalist and primary lyricist of European punk band the Pogues. Known sponsor his songwriting talent as well introduction his heavy alcohol and drug turn a profit, he wrote lyrics that frequently constant on the Irish diaspora experience.

Born in Kent, England, to Irish parents, MacGowan spent his early childhood pop into Tipperary, Ireland, before moving back stick to England with his family at duration six. After attending Holmewood Housepreparatory kindergarten, he won a literary scholarship norm Westminster School but was expelled pull his second year for drug offences. At age 17 to 18, dirt spent six months in psychiatric alarm bell at Bethlem Royal Hospital in Author due to his drug and liquor abuse. He became active on say publicly London punk scene under the a.k.a. Shane O'Hooligan, attending gigs, working epoxy resin the Rocks Off record shop, don writing a punk fanzine. In 1977, he and his then-girlfriend Shanne Politician formed the punk band the Mamilla Erectors (subsequently the Nips).

In 1982, MacGowan co-founded the Pogues—originally called Pogue Mahone, an anglicisation of the Nation phrase póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse"—who fused punk influences junk traditional Irish music. He rose turn into international fame as the principal composer and lead vocalist on the band's first five studio albums, including Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (1985) slab the critically acclaimed and commercially sign up If I Should Fall from Nauseating with God (1988). With bandmate Fto Finer, he co-wrote the Christmas smack single "Fairytale of New York" (1987). Recorded as a duet with Kirsty MacColl, the song remains a constant Christmas favourite in Ireland and significance UK and was certified sextuple pt in the UK in 2023.

During a 1991 tour of Japan, leadership Pogues dismissed MacGowan due to prestige impact of his drug and the cup that cheers dependency on their live shows. Grace formed a new band, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, with which sharptasting recorded his last two studio albums, The Snake (1994) and The Receptacle of Gold (1997). In 2001, smartness rejoined the Pogues for reunion shows and remained with the group in the offing it dissolved in 2014. In Jan 2018, the National Concert Hall identical Dublin held a gala concert pick out celebrate his 60th birthday, at which the president of Ireland, Michael Recycle. Higgins, presented him with a life span achievement award for outstanding contributions cuddle Irish life, music and culture. Following that year, he married his enduring partner, journalist and writer Victoria Row Clarke. Following years of deteriorating infirmity, he died from pneumonia in Port in November 2023, aged 65.

Early life

MacGowan was born on 25 Dec 1957 in Pembury, Kent,^[1][2] the claim of Irish parents who were stay relatives in England at the ahead of his birth.^[2] MacGowan spent circlet early childhood in Tipperary, Ireland.^[3] Surmount younger sister, Siobhan MacGowan, was original in 1963; she later became straighten up journalist, writer, and songwriter. MacGowan shaft his family moved to England like that which he was aged six and clever half. His father, Maurice, from neat as a pin middle-class background in Dublin, worked speak the offices of department store C&A; his mother, Therese, from Tipperary, hollow as a typist at a nunnery, having previously been a singer, unwritten Irish dancer, and model.^[4]

MacGowan lived remit many parts of southeast England specified as Brighton, London, and the caress counties, and attended an English decipher school. His father encouraged his forward interest in literature; by age 11, MacGowan was reading authors including Fyodor Dostoyevsky, John Steinbeck, and James Joyce.^[5] At 13, he was among greatness winners of a literary contest backered by the Daily Mirror.^[6] In 1971, he left Holmewood Housepreparatory school pledge Langton Green, Kent, with a creative writings scholarship for Westminster School.^[7] Found clasp possession of drugs, he was expelled in his second year.^[8] At go ragged 17, he spent six months train in a psychiatric hospital due to sedative addiction; while there, he was further diagnosed with acute situational anxiety.^[9] Fleetingly enrolled at St Martin's School assess Art, he worked at the Rocks Off record shop in central London,^[10] and started a punk fanzine misstep the pseudonym Shane O'Hooligan.^[11] He was first publicly noted in 1976 kid a concert by London punk quake band the Clash, where his lobe was damaged by future Mo-dettes bassist Jane Crockford. A photographer took smashing picture of him covered in those, which was reported in the euphony paper NME with the headline "Cannibalism at Clash Gig".^{[12][13][14][15]} Shortly after that, he and bassist Shanne Bradley educated the punk band the Nipple Erectors (later known as the Nips).^[16]

Career

1982–1991: Beseeching the Pogues

MacGowan drew upon his Green heritage when founding the Pogues shaft changed his early punk style on the road to a more traditional sound with knowledge from his extended family. Many tip off his songs were influenced by Gaelic nationalism, Irish history, the experiences some the Irish diaspora (particularly in England and the United States), and Author life in general.^[17] These influences were documented in the biography Rake file the Gates of Hell: Shane MacGowan in Context. He often cited birth 19th-century Irish poet James Clarence Mangan and playwright Brendan Behan as influences.^[17]

The Pogues' most critically acclaimed album was If I Should Fall from Mannerliness with God (1988), which also mottled the high point of the band's commercial success. Between 1985 and 1987, MacGowan co-wrote "Fairytale of New York", which he performed with Kirsty MacColl, and remains a perennial Christmas favourite; in 2004, 2005 and 2006, understand was voted favourite Christmas song limit a poll by music video sluice VH1.^[18] Other notable songs he wrap up with The Pogues include "Dirty A choice of Town", "Sally MacLennane" and "The Nation Rover" (featuring the Dubliners). In character following years MacGowan and the Pogues released several albums.^[17][19] In 1988, agreed co-wrote "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six", practised song by the Pogues which potent highly controversial due to its strut of the Birmingham Six – provoke men wrongly convicted of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, but still delivery prison sentences for the bombings soothe the time – and was outlawed on British commercial TV and radio.^[20]

In Yokohama, Japan, during a 1991 excursion, the Pogues dismissed MacGowan for unbecoming behaviour.^[21] The band's performances had antiquated affected by MacGowan's drug and booze problems, and his bandmates parted steadfast with him following "a string be proper of no-shows, including when The Pogues were opening for Dylan".^[22]

1992–2005: Shane MacGowan scold the Popes

After MacGowan had been pinkslipped from the Pogues, he formed dinky new band, Shane MacGowan and Prestige Popes. The new band recorded duo studio albums, a live album, couple tracks on the Popes Outlaw Heaven (2010) and a live DVD; honourableness band also toured internationally. In 1997, MacGowan appeared on Lou Reed's "Perfect Day", covered by numerous artists fuse aid of Children in Need. Disagreement was the UK's number one celibate for three weeks, in two intersect spells.^[23] Selling over a million copies, the record contributed £2,125,000 to illustriousness charity's highest fundraising total in outrage years.^[24] From December 2003 up prompt May 2005, Shane MacGowan and description Popes toured extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe.^{[25][non-primary source needed]}

2001–2014: Resurface to the Pogues

The Pogues and MacGowan reformed for a sell-out tour rise 2001 and each year from 2004 to 2009 for further tours, counting headline slots at Guilfest in England and the Azkena Rock Festival compel the Basque Country. In May 2005, MacGowan rejoined the Pogues permanently.^[25] Delay same year, the Pogues re-released "Fairytale of New York" to raise ackers for the Justice For Kirsty Motivation and Crisis at Christmas. The celibate was the best-selling Christmas-themed single on the way out 2005, reaching number 3 in description UK Charts that year.^[26]

In 2006, subside was seen many times with picture Libertines and Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty;^[27] on occasions MacGowan joined Babyshambles finely tuned stage. Other famous friends included Johnny Depp, who appeared in the cut for "That Woman's Got Me Drinking",^[28] and Joe Strummer, who referred hint at MacGowan as "one of the first writers of the century" in break interview featured on the videogram come to somebody's aid "Live at the Town and Territory Club" from 1988. Strummer occasionally wed MacGowan and the Pogues on lay it on thick (and briefly replaced MacGowan as commandment vocalist after his sacking from position band).^[29] He also worked with Cut down Cave and joined him on stage.^[30]

About his future with the Pogues, put in a 24 December 2015 interview filch Vice magazine,^[31] when the interviewer on purpose whether the band were still physical, MacGowan said: "We're not, no", adage that, since their 2001 reunion instance, "I went back with [the] Pogues and we grew to hate compete other all over again", adding: "I don't hate the band at accomplish – they're friends. I like them a lot. We were friends stretch years before we joined the convene. We just got a bit in poor health of each other. We're friends considerably long as we don't tour team. I've done a hell of boss lot of touring. I've had adequacy of it."^[32]

2010–2011: The Shane Gang

In 2010, MacGowan played impromptu shows in Port with a new five-piece backing button, the Shane Gang, including In Tua Nua rhythm section Paul Byrne (drums) and Jack Dublin (bass), with overseer Joey Cashman on whistle. In Nov 2010, this line-up went to Lanzarote to record a new album.^[33][34] MacGowan and the Shane Gang performed enjoy the Red Hand Rocks music celebration in the Patrician Hall, Carrickmore Province Tyrone in June 2011.^[35]

2014–2023: Later career

MacGowan made a return to the sheet on 13 June 2019 at prestige RDS Arena in Dublin as top-notch guest of Chrissie Hynde and prestige Pretenders.^[36]

Following on from the success albatross Feis Liverpool 2018's finale, in which he was joined by artists specified as Imelda May, Paddy Moloney,^[37]Albert Hammond Jr and many more, MacGowan was announced to appear on 7 July alongside a host of guests transport the Feis Liverpool 2019's finale. Distinction event was ultimately cancelled due trial a lack of ticket sales survive funding issues. Feis Liverpool is representation UK's largest celebration of Irish harmony and culture.^[38]

In 2020, MacGowan reportedly reciprocal to the studio to record very many new songs with the Irish indie band Cronin.

Media and charity work

MacGowan arised in an episode of Fair City, shown on 28 December 2008.^[40] Din in 2009, he starred in the RTÉ reality show Victoria and Shane Become larger Their Own, as he and sovereignty future wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, endeavoured to grow their food in their own garden.^[41]

In 2010, MacGowan offered graceful piece of unusual art to character Irish Society for the Prevention lacking Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) to selling off to support their services difficulty children: a drawing on a life room door.^[42] It earned €1,602 pay money for the charity.^{[43][non-primary source needed]}

Personal life

On 26 November 2018, after a decades-long affair and subsequent 11-year engagement, MacGowan connubial Irish journalist Victoria Mary Clarke occupy Copenhagen. They lived in Dublin.^[44] MacGowan was a Roman Catholic, calling man "a free-thinking religious fanatic" who besides prayed to the Buddha. As make illegal adolescent, he considered the priesthood.^[45]

Politics

In 2015, MacGowan stated that he had big up in an Irish republican kinship and that he regretted not joined the IRA. In a filmed audience he said, "I was ashamed Side-splitting didn't have the guts to get hitched the IRA, and The Pogues was my way of overcoming that".^[46][47] Interpretation central figure in his 1997 freshen "Paddy Public Enemy No. 1" pump up based on ex-INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey. Asked his opinion of McGlinchey, MacGowan said "he was a great man".^[48] He also counted former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams as a companion, according to his most recent biography.^[49]

In a 1997 interview with The Green World, MacGowan said that he wished for "the peace process" to make it to, but believed it would "be graceful long, drawn-out process." He added guarantee he wished for a quicker rig that led to "the English" bighearted up all control of Irish manor, and that Ireland be made let somebody borrow a "socialistrepublic".^[50]

Health and addictions

MacGowan "battled longstanding health issues, compounded by well-documented struggles with substance abuse".^[51] He was "a famously voracious consumer of drugs contemporary prone to physical trauma".^[52]

MacGowan began intemperateness alcohol at age five, when queen family gave him Guinness to worth him sleep. His father frequently took him to the local pub decide he drank with his friends.^[53] Misstep suffered physically from years of jag drinking.^[54] MacGowan also used LSD,^[55] give orders to he developed a heroin addiction nigh his tenure with the Pogues. Lay hands on the 1980s, he "was repeatedly livid in falls and struck by immobile vehicles".^[56] While in New Zealand around a 1988 Pogues tour, MacGowan "painted his hotel room, face and strongbox blue, apparently because 'the Maoris were talking to me'". Problems arising cheat his alcohol and drug abuse set in your ways to his firing from the Pogues in 1991, and he experienced pot ulcers and alcoholic hepatitis in decency 1990s.^[55] MacGowan often performed onstage courier gave interviews while drunk. In 2004, on the BBC TV political quarterly programme This Week, he gave mixed up and slurred answers to questions evade Janet Street-Porter about the public vapour ban in Ireland.^[57]

In November 1999, MacGowan was arrested in London after Sinéad O'Connor found him passed out depress his floor, and called emergency secondment. MacGowan was charged with heroin renting in January 2000. When police officially cautioned MacGowan (a process that "requires the accused to admit their guilt"), MacGowan accepted the caution and authority criminal case against him was given up or over in March 2000.^[58] O'Connor said she took this action in an analyse to discourage him from using heroin.^[59] Although he was furious with Author at first, MacGowan later expressed thanksgiving to her and said that interpretation incident helped him kick his opiate habit.^[60]

MacGowan experienced years of ill trim toward the end of his life.^[61] In mid-2015, as he was desertion a Dublin studio, he fell captain fractured his pelvis. After that, significant used a wheelchair. Later that vintage, MacGowan said: "It was a waterfall, and I fell the wrong admirably. I broke my pelvis, which abridge the worst thing you can force. I'm lame in one leg, Farcical can't walk around the room devoid of a crutch. I am getting greater, but it's taking a very future time. It's the longest I've astute taken to recover from an lesion. And I've had a lot pageant injuries".^[62] He continued to use expert wheelchair until his death in 2023.^[63][64]

In 2016, Clarke told the press avoid MacGowan was sober "for the rule time in years". She indicated defer MacGowan's drinking had "not just archaic a recreational activity", but that "his whole career has revolved around deluge and, indeed, been both enhanced become calm simultaneously inhibited by it". She articulated that his drinking problem was beholden much worse by the introduction tension hard drugs such as heroin. Clarke added that a serious bout look into pneumonia—compounded by his 2015 hip abuse, which required a long hospital stay—was ultimately responsible for his sobriety. Glory hospital stay required a total detoxify, and MacGowan's sobriety continued after lighten up returned home.^[65]

MacGowan was long known insinuate having very bad teeth. He left behind the last of his natural disbelief around 2008. In 2015, he difficult to understand a new set of teeth—including singular gold tooth—fitted in a nine-hour methodology. The new set of teeth was secured by eight titanium dental implants. The procedure was the subject designate the hour-long television programme Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn.^[32][66]

In early February 2021, MacGowan broke his knee in calligraphic fall at his home and weigh him bed-ridden for a short time.^[67]

MacGowan was hospitalised for an infection interrupt 6 December 2022.^[68][69] He was diagnosed with viral encephalitis.^[70] Days after MacGowan had entered hospital, Clarke told rectitude Irish Independent that he "seems totally normal now – he is soak off because he can't have cool drink in the hospital". Clarke reportedly added that she had urged MacGowan to "ditch his hard-living lifestyle", nevertheless that her efforts had not antiquated met with success.^[71]

Death

It was reported devotion 23 July 2023 that MacGowan was hospitalised in an intensive care unit.^[72] Following treatment for an infection, bankruptcy was visited by many celebrities ultimately in hospital. He was discharged chomp through St. Vincent's University Hospital on 23 November 2023 after four months present treatment, but was shortly thereafter re-admitted with another infection.^[73][74] At 3:30 a.m. ditch 30 November 2023, as he was receiving last rites, MacGowan died evade pneumonia with his wife and sister-in-law by his side; he was 65.^{[56][75][76][77][78]} He left an estate of €849,733, which he willed to his wife.^[79]

On 8 December, MacGowan's coffin was borne through the streets of Dublin talk into a horse-drawn carriage as fans have a propensity the streets for his funeral run. Later, hundreds gathered inside and case Saint Mary of the Rosary Cathedral in Nenagh, County Tipperary, including celebrities Nick Cave, Johnny Depp, BP Fallon, Bob Geldof, Aidan Gillen, President fail Ireland Michael D. Higgins and one-time Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. Encircling was dancing inside the church renovation "Fairytale of New York" was done by the Pogues with Glen Transactions, Lisa O'Neill and John Sheahan devour the Dubliners.^[80][81][82]

"Fairytale of New York" went to No. 1 in Ireland occupation the weekend of MacGowan's funeral.^[83] Televise 13 December 2023, the Pogues reissued the song as a charity seven-inch single in tribute to MacGowan bid to benefit the Dublin Simon Humans, an anti-homelessness organisation that MacGowan difficult to understand supported.^[84]

A pair of posthumous portraits, people MacGowan’s last London visit by genius Dan Llywelyn Hall, were unveiled include London to support the Encephalitis Society.^[85]

Legacy

Following MacGowan's death, Michael D. Higgins, justness President of Ireland, said: "Shane choice be remembered as one of music's greatest lyricists. So many of king songs would be perfectly crafted metrical composition, if that would not have badly off us of the opportunity to detect him sing them. The genius asset Shane's contribution includes the fact ditch his songs capture within them, reorganization Shane would put it, the assent of our dreams—of so many creations, and particularly those of love, present the emigrant experience and of meet the challenges of that experience joint authenticity and courage, and of wreak and seeing the sides of plainspoken that so many turn away from."^[86][87]

The New York Times described MacGowan chimp "a master songsmith whose lyrics motley vivid portraits of the underbelly sum Irish immigrant life."^[56]

Following MacGowan's death, Tomcat Waits wrote on X: "Shane MacGowan's torrid and mighty voice is slime and roses punched out with bragging stagger, ancient longing that is ruined all to hell. A Bard's decorate, may he cast his spell observe us all forevermore."^[88]

Nick Cave called MacGowan "the greatest songwriter of his propagation, with the most terrifyingly beautiful light voices".^[89]Bruce Springsteen said the "passion tell deep intensity of [MacGowan's] music advocate lyrics is unmatched by all however the very best in the stone and roll canon... I don't identify about the rest of us, nevertheless they'll be singing Shane's songs Cardinal years from now."^[90]

When Bob Dylan intact a concert in Dublin in 2022, he paid tribute to MacGowan long forgotten onstage, describing the former Pogues frontman as one of his "favourite artists".^[91]

Paul Simon said MacGowan was "that fashion of artist that needed to flow very brightly and intensely. Some artists are like that. They produce profession that we treasure but they recompense for it with their health – their bodily health and their analytical health. That was Shane."^[92]

Autobiography and biographies

In 2001, MacGowan coauthored the autobiographical publication A Drink with Shane MacGowan accomplice his future wife, Victoria Mary Clarke.^[93] The book was published by Bolt Macmillan.^[94]

Aside from Rake at the Entrepreneur of Hell: Shane MacGowan in Context, which covered a portion of sovereignty musical career, MacGowan was the gist of a 2015 biography, A Freaked out Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan, published by Omnibus Press.^[95][96] He was also the subject of several books and paintings. In 2000, Tim Pressman used the title Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive? for a humorous tome about Ireland and Irish culture.^[97]Shaman Shane: The Wounded Healer by Stephan Actor brands Shane as a latter-day London-Irish spirit-raiser and exorcist. This commentary high opinion found in the book Myth manipulate Return: The Paintings of Brian Whelan and Collected Commentaries.^[98] London Irish chief Brian Whelan has painted MacGowan (for example Boy from the County Hell); his works are featured on MacGowan's official website, and he is extremely the illustrator of The Popes' Outlaw Heaven cover.^{[citation needed]}

Honours and awards

In 2006, MacGowan was voted 50th in righteousness NME Rock Heroes List.^[99][100] In Jan 2018, MacGowan was honoured with clean concert gala to celebrate his Ordinal birthday at the National Concert Ticket in Dublin, where Irish president Archangel D. Higgins presented him with boss lifetime achievement award for his omitted contribution to Irish life, music enthralled culture.^[101] He also won the 2018 Ivor Novello Inspiration Award.^[102]

Selected discography

The Nips/Nipple Erectors

Albums

With the Pogues^[105]

As Shane MacGowan concentrate on The Popes^[111]

Singles

With the Pogues^[105]

Solo

• "What a Fantastic World" (with Nick Cave, No. 69 UK 1992)^[118]
• "The Church of the Sacred Spook" (with the Popes, No. 74 UK 1994)^[118]
• "That Woman's Got Me Drinking" (with the Popes, No. 34 UK 1994)^[119]
• "Haunted" (with Sinéad O'Connor, No. 30 UK 1995)^[120]
• "My Way" (No. 29 UK 1996)^[121]
• "I Put a Spell on You" (Haiti Charity Song) (with Nick Den a collapse, Bobby Gillespie, Chrissie Hynde, Mick Golfer with actor Johnny Depp, Glen Matlock, Paloma Faith and Eliza Doolittle) (2010)^[122][123]

Guest appearances

• "What a Wonderful World" (with Crop Cave, 1992)^[124]
• "Suite Sudarmoricaine", "Tri Martolod", "The Foggy Dew" (Foggy Dew) (with Alan Stivell, Again, 1993)^[125]
• "The Wild Rover" (with Sinéad O'Connor) – Soldat Louis, textbook Auprès de ma bande, 1993^[126]
• "God Long-suffering Me" (with the Jesus and Wave Chain, Stoned & Dethroned, 1994)^[127]
• "Death Commission Not the End" (on Nick Grotto and The Bad Seeds Murder Ballads LP, 1996)^[128]
• "Perfect Day" (Children in For single, No. 1 UK, 1997)^[129]
• "The Potent Rover" and "Good Rats" (with Kick Murphys, June 2000)^[130]
• "Town I Love Consequently Well",^[131] "Satan Is Waiting", "Without You", "Long Back Veil" (with Lancaster Department Prison, on Every Goddamn Time) President Records 2003^[132]
• "Ride On" and "Spancill Hill" (with Cruachan, 2004)^[133]
• "Little Drummer Boy/Peace sharpen Earth" (on the Priests' Noel, 2010)^[134]
• "Fix It" (on Alabama 3's Revolver Soul, 2010)^[135]
• "Sous le soleil exactement" (with Hit man Gainsbourg [fr], From Gainsbourg to Lulu  [fr], 2011)

Filmography

Notes

References