The sad news that The Pogues front man and drinking legend died today has left music fans very sad. His pioneering fusion of punk rock and Irish music has made him popular since The Pogues burst onto the music scene in the early 1980s.
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Shane McGowan was born into a musical Irish family and started performing from a young age. From a teenage punk singer in the band the Nipple Erectors, he progressed to forming Pogue Mahone. This was later changed to The Pogues due to BBC censorship (Pogue Mahone is a corruption of the Gaelic phrase for ‘kiss my arse’).
The popular raucous barn stormers were combined with thoughtful poetic songs. Shane McGowan was an accomplished poet who included commentary and insights into Irish history into his music. His most widely known for the Christmas song ‘Fairytale of New York’ performed with the late Kirsty MacColl in 1987.
He has been drinking most of his life. He started early. Very early. As a child he was given Guinness to help him get to sleep. This continued for most of his life. In 1988 he was diagnosed with hepatitis after collapsing on the way to a performance supporting Bob Dylan. After failing to turn up for concerts in Japan in 1991 due to drinking the band sacked him.
He continued to perform with Shane MacGowan and the Popes, before later rejoining The Pogues. Throughout he struggled with drinks and drugs which affected his health. From 2015 he has been a wheelchair user.
Many have paid tribute to his mercurial life.