The Pogues Bassist Darryl Hunt Dead at 72: ‘We Are Saddened Beyond Words’

The Pogues took to social media on Tuesday morning (Aug. 9) to share the sad news that their longtime bassist Darryl Hunt had passed away. He was 72.

“We are saddened beyond words. Our Darryl passed away yesterday afternoon in London,” the band wrote alongside a black and white photo of a younger Hunt. “Darryl Gatwick Hunt 04/05/1950 – 08/08/2022… ‘I know you want to hear me catch my breath/ I love you till the end.'”

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Hailing from Dorset, England, Hunt initially joined the Irish punk-folk act in 1986 following the departure of Cait O’Riordan, who left the band and later married Elvis Costello. He played on five of The Pogues’ albums starting with 1988’s If I Should Fall from Grace with God all the way through 1996’s Pogue Mahone and remained with the band when they reunited from 2001 to 2014.

The musician’s song “Love You ‘Till the End,” which the band referenced in their tribute, gained its own notoriety after it was featured as a sort of musical through-line in the 2007 romantic drama P.S. I Love You starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler.

Last December, The Pogues made their annual return to the Official U.K. Singles Chart thanks to their iconic 1987 single “Fairytale of New York” featuring Kirsty MacColl. While the song managed to peak at No. 4 on the chart published Dec. 31, 2021, BBC Radio 1 announced the year prior that it would no longer play the original version of the hit due to its derogatory and potentially offensive lyrics regarding gender and sexuality.

Read The Pogues’ tribute to Hunt below.

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