Shane MacGowan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shane MacGowan
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MacGowan in 1991
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan |
| Born | 25 December 1957 Pembury, Kent, England |
| Died | 30 November 2023 (aged 65) Dublin, Ireland |
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| Years active | 1977–2023 |
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957 – died 30 November 2023) was a famous Irish musician. He was best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the band the Pogues. This band played a special type of music called Celtic punk.
Many of Shane's songs were inspired by Irish history and the experiences of Irish people living outside Ireland. He also wrote about life in London. He often looked to old Irish writers like James Clarence Mangan and Brendan Behan for ideas.
Shane was born in England to Irish parents. He started in a punk band before forming the Pogues in 1982. He used his Irish background to create a more traditional sound for the Pogues.
Between 1985 and 1987, he helped write the popular Christmas song "Fairytale of New York". He sang this song with Kirsty MacColl. Other well-known songs he performed with the Pogues include "Dirty Old Town" and "The Irish Rover". The Pogues released several albums, with "If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988) being their most successful.
In 1991, Shane left the Pogues and started a new band called Shane MacGowan and The Popes. He later rejoined the Pogues in 2001 and stayed with them until 2014. Shane also made his own music and worked with other artists like the Dubliners and Nick Cave.
Contents
Early Life and School
Shane MacGowan was born on Christmas Day, 25 December 1957, in Pembury, Kent, England. His parents were Irish immigrants. His mother was from Tipperary and his father was from Dublin.
His mother, Therese, was a typist, and had also been a singer and dancer. His father, Maurice, worked in an office. Shane's younger sister, Siobhan MacGowan, became a writer. Even though he was born in England, Shane spent his early childhood in Tipperary, Ireland, until he was six years old.
Shane lived in different parts of southeast England, including Brighton and London. He went to an English public school. In 1971, he received a scholarship to Westminster School but was expelled in his second year. He first became known in 1976 at a concert by the band The Clash. Soon after, he joined a punk band.
Music Career
Leading the Pogues (1982–1991)
Shane MacGowan used his Irish background to create the unique sound of the Pogues. He changed his early punk style to a more traditional sound. Many of his songs were inspired by Irish history and the lives of Irish people living in other countries. He also wrote about life in London.
The Pogues' most famous album was "If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988)". This album was very popular and successful. Between 1985 and 1987, Shane helped write "Fairytale of New York" with Kirsty MacColl. This song is still a popular Christmas favorite.
Other well-known songs he sang with The Pogues include "Dirty Old Town", "Sally MacLennane", and "The Irish Rover" (which featured the Dubliners). The Pogues released several albums during these years. In 1991, Shane left the Pogues during a tour in Japan.
Shane MacGowan and the Popes (1992–2005)
After leaving the Pogues, Shane formed a new band called Shane MacGowan and The Popes. They recorded two studio albums and toured around the world. In 1997, Shane was part of a charity song called "Perfect Day" for Children in Need. This song was number one in the UK for three weeks and raised a lot of money for charity.
Returning to the Pogues (2001–2014)
The Pogues and Shane reunited for a very popular tour in 2001. They continued to tour each year from 2004 to 2009. In May 2005, Shane officially rejoined the Pogues. That same year, "Fairytale of New York" was re-released to raise money for charity, becoming the best-selling Christmas song of 2005.
In 2006, Shane was voted 50th in the NME Rock Heroes List. He was friends with other famous musicians like Johnny Depp and Joe Strummer. Joe Strummer once called Shane "one of the best writers of the century." Shane also worked with Nick Cave.
In 2015, Shane said that the Pogues were no longer actively touring. He explained that while they were still friends, they had "got a bit sick of each other" from touring so much.
The Shane Gang (2010–2011)
In 2010, Shane started playing shows in Dublin with a new band called the Shane Gang. They recorded a new album in Lanzarote. The Shane Gang also performed at the Red Hand Rocks music festival in June 2011.
Later Years (2011–2023)
Shane returned to the stage on 13 June 2019, joining Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders in Dublin. He was also scheduled to appear at Feis Liverpool, a large Irish music festival, in 2019, but the event was cancelled. In 2020, Shane reportedly recorded new songs with the Irish band Cronin.
Media and Charity Work
Shane MacGowan appeared in an episode of the TV show Fair City in 2008. In 2009, he and his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, starred in a reality show called Victoria and Shane Grow Their Own. In this show, they tried to grow their own food in their garden.
In 2010, Shane donated a unique piece of art to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). It was a drawing on a living room door, and it raised over €1,600 for the charity to help children.
Personal Life
On 26 November 2018, Shane married Irish journalist Victoria Mary Clarke in Copenhagen. They had been together for many years and engaged for 11 years. They lived in Dublin. Shane was a Roman Catholic and described himself as "a free-thinking religious fanatic."
Health
Shane MacGowan used a wheelchair after falling in 2015. He broke his pelvis, which made it difficult for him to walk. He continued to use a wheelchair until his death in 2023.
Shane was known for having dental problems. In 2015, he received a new set of teeth with a gold tooth. This procedure was shown in a TV program called Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn.
In December 2022, Shane was hospitalized for an infection and was diagnosed with viral encephalitis.
Final Illness and Death
Shane MacGowan was hospitalized in July 2023 for an infection. He was discharged in November. He passed away at home with his wife on 30 November 2023, at the age of 65.
After Shane's death, Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, said that Shane would be remembered as one of music's greatest lyricists. He said Shane's songs were like "perfectly crafted poems" that captured many feelings, especially about love and the experiences of Irish people living abroad.
Books About Shane
In 2001, Shane MacGowan wrote a book about his life called A Drink with Shane MacGowan with his partner, Victoria Mary Clarke.
He was also the subject of other books and paintings. For example, A Furious Devotion: The Life of Shane MacGowan was published in 2015. London Irish artist Brian Whelan painted Shane, including a work called Boy from the County Hell.
Awards and Recognition
In January 2018, a special concert was held in Dublin to celebrate Shane MacGowan's 60th birthday. At this event, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, gave Shane a Lifetime Achievement Award. Shane also won the 2018 Ivor Novello Inspiration Award.
Music Albums and Songs
Albums with the Pogues
- Red Roses for Me (1984)
- If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988)
- Peace and Love (1989)
- Hell's Ditch (1990)
- The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary concert at the Olympia (2012)
Albums as Shane MacGowan and the Popes
- The Snake (1994)
- The Crock of Gold (1997)
- The Rare Oul' Stuff (2001 / 2002) (a collection of songs from 1994 to 1998)
- Across the Broad Atlantic: Live on Paddy's Day — New York and Dublin (2002)
Popular Songs (Singles)
With the Pogues:
- Poguetry in Motion EP (Reached No. 29 in UK charts)
- "The Irish Rover" (with the Dubliners) (Reached No. 8 in UK charts)
- "Fairytale of New York" (with Kirsty MacColl) – (Reached No. 2 in UK charts; reissued and popular again in 2005 and 2007)
- "Fiesta" (Reached No. 24 in UK charts)
Solo Songs:
- "What a Wonderful World" (with Nick Cave, 1992)
- "Haunted" (with Sinéad O'Connor, 1995)
- "My Way" (1996)
- "I Put a Spell on You" (a charity song with many artists like Nick Cave and Johnny Depp, 2010)
Guest Appearances on Other Songs
- "What a Wonderful World" (with Nick Cave, 1992)
- "The Foggy Dew" (with Alan Stivell, 1993)
- "Death Is Not the End" (on Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album Murder Ballads, 1996)
- "Perfect Day" (Children in Need charity single, No. 1 UK, 1997)
- "The Wild Rover" and "Good Rats" (with Dropkick Murphys, 2000)
- "Ride On" and "Spancill Hill" (with Cruachan, 2004)
Film and TV Appearances
- The Punk Rock Movie – 1979 (old footage of himself)
- Eat the Rich – 1987
- Straight to Hell – 1987
- The Pogues – Live at the Town & Country – 1988
- The Ghosts of Oxford Street – 1991
- Shane MacGowan & The Popes: Live at Montreux 1995 – 1995
- The Great Hunger: The Life and Songs of Shane MacGowan – 1997
- The Filth and the Fury – 2000 (old footage of himself)
- If I Should Fall from Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story – 2001
- The Clash: Westway to the World – 2002 (old footage of himself)
- The Story of... Fairytale of New York – 2005
- Harry Hill's TV Burp – 2007 and 2010
- Rab C. Nesbitt – 2011
- The Pogues in Paris: 30th Anniversary concert at the Olympia (DVD) – 2012
- Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan – 2020
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See also
In Spanish: Shane MacGowan para niños
