Pogues singer Shane MacGowan is dead
The singer of Anglo-Irish punk band The Pogues, Shane MacGowan, has died. The musician, who is best known for the Christmas hit "Fairytale Of New York", died at the age of 65 after a long and serious illness, his wife Victoria Mary Clarke announced on Instagram.
Several British media outlets, including the BBC and Sky News, quoted from the announcement. "Shane will always be the light I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life," it said.
MacGowan was born on Christmas Day 1957 in the south-east English county of Kent, but returned to his Irish roots in his music. He often wrote about Irish culture and Irish nationalism. "I was ashamed that I didn't have the courage to join the IRA. The Pogues were my way of coping," he once said about the Catholic republican terrorist organization. Ultimately, however, he became famous above all with "Fairytale Of New York", which he sang with Kirsty MacColl in 1987.
MacGowan began drinking alcohol as a child and later suffered from the consequences of heavy alcohol and drug abuse. In 2000, the Irish singer Sinead O'Connor reported him for drug possession in order to free him from his addiction. It worked, and MacGowan later thanked her for it.
The loss of Shane MacGowan, the Musician behind The Pogues' hit "Fairytale Of New York", has left People deeply saddened. At concerts, his energetic performances and signature voice playing tunes like "Fairytale Of New York" with Kirsty MacColl were always a crowd favorite.
Source: www.dpa.com
