(NewsReady.com) – Singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan was known for his Celtic punk rock. As the lead singer of the Irish band The Pogues, he brought the struggle of the Irish people to the mainstream. Like so many other entertainers of his influential generation, he has now passed away.
On November 30, MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, announced his passing on Instagram. She said her husband went “to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese.” Clarke went on to say she was “blessed beyond words to have met” MacGowan and to have “been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him” for so long.
Clarke didn’t explain what led to MacGowan’s death, but according to reports, he’d been released from Dublin’s St. Vincent’s Hospital on November 22. He was treated at the medical facility for an infection. During that time, Clarke regularly posted updates about his health for his fans. Over the years, he had suffered from a number of serious health problems.
In 2015, MacGowan broke his pelvis, which left him wheelchair-bound. Then, in 2022, the singer fell ill with viral encephalitis, which causes swelling of the brain and can lead to death.
MacGowan was born in Kent, England, in 1957 to Irish parents and spent his summers in Ireland. He fell in love with music while he was growing up and joined the Nipple Erectors before finding fame with The Pogues. The group went on to produce several hit songs, including the Christmas hit “Fairytale of New York.” Unfortunately, the band fired the singer in 1991 for unprofessional behavior.
Shane MacGowan on Fairytale of New York.
I know both Shane and Kirsty’s careers extended far beyond this song, but to be immortalised in something this wonderful is really special. I’m glad he learned to love it again ♥️ pic.twitter.com/6OY0LdjAHH
— •✨A F T E R G L O W✨• (@Afterglow85) December 1, 2023
Tributes poured in for MacGowan as people learned of his death. American comedian Jon Stewart said a concert by The Pogues in 1986 was “one of the best shows” he ever worked.
Pogues. City Gardens. 1986. One of the best shows I ever worked. Thank you Shane. RIP.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) November 30, 2023
Musician Billy Bragg called him “one of the greatest songwriters of [his] generation.”
Sorry to hear of the demise, after a long illness, of one of the greatest songwriters of my generation, Shane MacGowan. The Pogues reinvigorated folk music in the early 80s and his songs put the focus onto lyric writing, opening doors for the likes of myself and others.
— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) November 30, 2023
MacGowan is survived by his wife, various family members, colleagues, and hordes of adoring fans.
Copyright 2023, NewsReady.com
