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Barney's avatar

I'm not sure the IRA would have taken him - his early life screams "sleeper agent recruited by MI5 at posh school":

"MacGowan was born on Christmas Day in Pembury, Kent, while his parents were visiting relatives. He grew up in Tunbridge Wells, often visiting family back in County Tipperary. His mother, Therese (nee Cahill), was a prize-winning Irish dancer and singer and former model, and his father, Maurice MacGowan, an executive at the C&A retail chain, loved literature and poetry. Shane was an avid reader; he attended the fee-paying Holmewood House prep school, near Tunbridge Wells, where his creative writing skills were first identified. He then won a scholarship to Westminster school in London at the age of 14, but a year later was found to be in possession of drugs and expelled."

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/30/shane-macgowan-obituary

Kirsty MacColl wasn't just "scuba diving"; she was killed while saving her son from a speedboat recklessly driven by an ultra-rich wanker who then got his employee to take the blame:

"As the group was surfacing from a dive, a powerboat moving at high speed entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons did. Louis, age 13 at the time, was not in its path, but Jamie, age 15, was. She was able to push him out of the way (he sustained minor head and rib injuries), but she was struck by the powerboat, which ran over her. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsty_MacColl#Death

"According to local newspaper reports, the Percalito’s captain and owner, 67-year-old Guillermo González Nova, who owns one of Mexico’s largest supermarket chains and hundreds of other stores and restaurants, had allegedly admitted to being at the helm when MacColl was hit. Local television coverage showed him being led away by police for questioning. However, hours later José Cen Yam, a 26-year-old deckhand employed by Nova, claimed to have been the driver, although he had no licence to handle such a powerful craft as the Percalito."

https://www.alixkirsta.com/articles/kirstymaccoll/index.htm

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Sherry's avatar

Sad story is a friend of mine’s husband killed a child boating as well. Wasn’t a speed boat but a large pontoon boat. No alcohol was involved at all. It was just impossible to see people on the water and they were supposed to have a flag but they lost it went they got pulled from the tow line. It was a tragedy all around. It is seriously hard to see people in the water from a boat. However, the rule is pretty much slow your ass down around swimming areas. The child that was killed was the same age as one of theirs. I don’t have to tell you what that does to all.

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Dshwa's avatar

True story, Ewan MacColl HATED every version of "The First Time Ever I saw Your Face" except Seegers, which is IMHO by far the worst of any. Ah, love.

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Sherry's avatar

I find the song so especially lovely by the person that made it the most popular. She’s a singer’s singer and Flack’s phrasing is a study in perfection to me.

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Bill's avatar

Kirsty MacColl is so, so, SO underrated!!! I adored her!

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Kate's avatar

One of my absolute favorite bands.

Tragic. I wish he would've taken better care of himself so he could have stayed with us longer. R.I.P., Shane. And thank you ❤️.

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Johnny Appleseed's avatar

Sad shi/stuff! RIP.

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Jennifer Romans's avatar

Thank you for a wonderful tribute. I saw MacGowen once at an Irish Festival in Chicago, I mentioned to somebody next to me that I had always wanted to see the Pogues, he said you just did. What singular talent he was.

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John Vreeland's avatar

My string band, Sticky G, performs the first three songs from time to time. I didn't even realize they were all connected. Fairytale..., Dirty Old Town, and Irish Rover. Something to talk about next practice.

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Oblio's Cap's avatar

That's a damned shame. He had a hell of a voice.

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Berkeleyfarm's avatar

I did not know that about "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"!

RIP Shane, keep on keeping on. Sing with Kirsty and the angels.

I saw them in SF in the late 80s, at the Fillmore. Memorable night.

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Daniel's avatar

"The Pogues singer did not, to our knowledge, kill three million people."

Jesus Christ, US news never covers international stories.

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Rooster Cogburn's avatar

Hard to rack up that kind of score with a pool cue

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Oblio's Cap's avatar

There are other countries?

Who knew?

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Viole Falusche's avatar

Good on him forever. RIP.

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Our_Man_In_Redneckistan's avatar

Oh no. Oh no.

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PickwickNext's avatar

It is sad, but honestly, with how he lived, 65 is pretty good. And the music dhall live forever

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Keith Richards enters the chat.

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Bruce's avatar

I almost snorted my coffee out of my nose when a web ad popped up on my screen about the Stone's new tour "Sponsored by AARP"

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Brilliant marketing move. Everyone who saw it automatically assumed it was a joke.

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Paul Curtin's avatar

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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Chris Paine's avatar

>>(H)e brought far more worldwide awareness and understanding of that cause with music than he ever would have with a car bomb.<<

For Crom's sake! Yes! Please let us have more music and fewer car bombs!

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Daniel O'Riordan's avatar

Here's a thought, and just hear me out.

More music and fewer Republicans.

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Matthew C Billips's avatar

My maternal great great grandfather was a Pogue. I feel a certain minimal kinship.

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mvario's avatar

Shane MacGowan is also one of the stars of the Alex Cox movie, Straight to Hell The film also has the rest of the Pogues, Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, and Elvis Costello. And it's free on Tubi

https://tubitv.com/movies/667509/straight-to-hell-director-s-cut

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