Pogues Frontman Shane MacGowan Dead at 65

Shane MacGowan

Shane MacGowan, Irish singer-songwriter and frontman of band The Pogues, has passed away. He was 65 years old.

The musician had recently been hospitalized after being diagnosed in Dec. 2022 with encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain that "can produce a wide range of symptoms and, in extreme cases, cause brain damage, stroke, or even death," according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

His wife Victoria Mary Clarke announced the news in a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

In her post, MacGowan's longtime partner remembered her late husband as someone "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."

"I don’t know how to say this so I am just going to say it," the Irish journalist wrote. "Shane...has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese."

She also expressed that she feels "blessed beyond words" to have cultivated a relationship with the deceased musical artist "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."

Clark's touching note continued: "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," she concluded, before wrapping up by adding, "You meant the world to me" alongside several red heart emojis.

The pair had been together for three decades, though only just tied the knot a few years ago in 2018. They had no children.

MacGowan suffered worsening health since his medical diagnosis last year, but had also been in a wheelchair since 2015 after fracturing his pelvis in a fall, according to The Independent. Throughout his life, the artist battled drug and alcohol addiction, but was "sober for the first time in years" in 2016, following a bout with pneumonia, according to his wife.

The singer joined The Pogues alongside Spider Stacy, James Fearnley, Andrew Ranken, Cait O'Riordan and Jem Finer in 1982, with their biggest hit being 1988-released holiday tune, "Fairytale of New York."

Shane's bandmates issued a statement confirming the sad news on Thursday, with The Pogues' official X account sharing, "It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of SHANE MACGOWAN. Shane died peacefully at 3am this morning (30 November, 2023) with his wife Victoria and family by his side."

The social media update added, "Prayers and the last rites were read which gave comfort to his family. He is survived by his wife Victoria, his sister Siobhan and his father, Maurice, family and a large circle of friends. Further details will be announced shortly but the family ask for privacy at this very sad time."