Mourning The Great Loss Of Kirsty MacColl

[dbt]

In the summer of 1999, I happened across the online broadcast of Clare FM out of Ennis, Ireland (www.clare.fm) and a fellow name of Gerry Cooney played a cut entitled "There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" by one Kirsty MacColl. To this day, it's one of the greatest Rockabilly (and borderline Psychobilly ) pieces I've ever heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL2GmaI3Xus

A little Google led me to the fact that she was the daughter of the great songwriter Ewan MacColl ("The First Time Ever I saw Your Face") and the female voice of The Pogues' "Fairytale Of New York," among other accomplishments.

Fast forward to December of 2000: the Formerly Supreme Court had just elected George W. bu$h as "president," which was immediately followed on 12.15 by the worst pair of ice storms that Arkansas had seen in at least twenty years--as if the South was being punished again for its transgressions. Everything ground to a halt as those of us without fireplaces trembled under blankets in the cold.

When the power at long last was restored, there came the news on 12.18 that Kirsty had been run over and killed by some Privileged Asshole in a speedboat in the Mexican waters where She and Her children had been swimming that winter. All I could think was, She died in the ice along with America.

Ten years on, it doesn't get any better. There's any number of bastards who OUGHT to be dead still walking around free while voices like Hers are stilled untimely. So let's all raise a glass to Kirsty, and a dozen more besides!

:loveya:

[NoGOPZone]

1. A tragedy compounded by the fact that no one was jailed for killing her.

The party convicted was allowed to escape jail time by paying a fine. Furthermore, there are serious questions about whether he was in fact the one driving the boat at the time. He was only a deckhand on a boat owned by a millionaire. Why would he be allowed at the controls?

[LeftishBrit]

2. RIP Kirsty MacColl

A great singer/songwriter, who died far too young.

[Dr Morbius]

3. One day I'll be waiting there; an empty bench in Soho Square.

I miss her.

[Withywindle]

4. The boys of the NYPD choir were singing "Galway Bay"...

:toast:


Thanks for the reminder. What a tragic loss that was. I've been mourning Don Van Vliet/Captain Beefheart (my new avatar) but, I have to say, that was not a shock. He had MS, a terrible disease, and he'd been very ill for a long time. Kirsty MacColl's death was so random and shocking and cruel.