The Pogues Vocalist Shane MacGowan Dead at 65

Shane MacGowan, iconic vocalist of The Pogues, has passed away at 65. This was confirmed by his wife, Victoria Mary Clarke.

Clarke shares on Instagram:

“I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it,” she wrote in a statement. “Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese. 

“I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures. There’s no way to describe the loss that I am feeling and the longing for just one more of his smiles that lit up my world. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for your presence in this world you made it so very bright and you gave so much joy to so many people with your heart and soul and your music. You will live in my heart forever. 

“Rave on in the garden all wet with rain that you loved so much. You meant the world to me.”

MacGowan was admitted to the hospital in December 2022 with viral encephalitis, and unfortunately spent much of 2023 in the hospital with that condition. He was discharged from the hospital November 22 of this year.

The Pogues are a classic punk band from 1982, renowned for playing small gigs in London and then gaining a national following in the punk scene of the ’80s. They’re still a great example of how Irish folk rock plays into punk, inspiring newer generations of bands like the Dropkick Murphys.

MacGowan will be missed by the global punk and metal community, and our hearts go out to his friends and family.