Shane McGowan, singer of The Bugs, has died at the age of 65, after a long illness, his wife announced Thursday.
His wife, Victoria Mary Clark, wrote in an Instagram post, “Shane has left (…) to be with Jesus and Mary.”
McGowan, who has been hospitalized several times since July, was born in England in 1957 to Irish parents.
In 1982, he founded the band “The Bugs”, which during the 1980s became the political voice of young Irish immigrants in London, while opposing the policies of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the censorship imposed by the authorities.
The band’s most notable commercial success was the song “Fairytale of New York”, which was performed in 1987 by Shane McGowan and Christy MacColl, and became a Christmas classic with tunes inspired by Irish folklore.
McGowan was known for his songs that reflected the lives of the Irish and their diaspora.
“Shane will remain one of the greatest songwriters,” Irish President Michael D. Higgins said in a statement, noting that his songs were “well-written poems.”
