Post by jdv on Nov 30, 2023 13:45:30 GMT -5
Shane Macgowan, the singer/songwriter for the Irish band The Pogues, has died at 65. He of course has been battling a host of medical conditions for years as heavy drinking and cigarettes took their toll.
I call Shane a genius, 'cause that's what he was. One of his band mates was telling an interviewer once that he had once thought all the songs the band did were covers of traditional songs. It was only much later that he realized that Shane had had written about half of them, all instant classics. "Streams of whiskey," "Pair of brown eyes," a "Rainy night in Soho," and "Sally MacLennane" are all great songs that are still covered to this day.
But none was bigger then "Fairy Tale of New York," arguably the greatest Xmas song of all time, and certainly the most modern.
He was the complete, total, opposite of a corporate/label singer - every time he sang, he sang like it might be the last time. He and the band utterly revitalized Irish folk music.
Shane burned bright in life, and I'm sure he'll shine in heaven. God bless you Shane.
