Remembering Kirsty MacColl 18 Years after her Death

Kirsty MacColl - (image youtube)

Kirsty MacColl died just before Christmas, on December 18th 2000, while on holiday in Mexico with her two sons and her partner James Knight. She and her sons were diving at the Chankanaab reef, part of the National Marine Park of Cozumel, in a specific diving area that watercraft were restricted from entering.

As the group was surfacing from a dive, a speeding powerboat entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons did; Louis was not in the boat's path, but Jamie was. She was able to push him out of the way but in doing so, she was hit by the boat and killed instantly. MacColl's remains were repatriated to the United Kingdom and the subsequent funeral took place at Mortlake Crematorium in London.

The boat involved in the accident was owned by Mexican supermarket billionaire Guillermo González Nova, who was on board with several members of his family. An employee of González Nova's, boathand José Cen Yam, took the blame. There were claims that he was paid to take the rap.

The Christmas song, "Fairytale of New York," in which Kirsty MacColl collaborated with the Pogues, is now 31 years old. It was first recorded in November 1987 and remains a perennial Christmas favourite, making the charts in ten separate years.

The song was written by Jeremy Finer and Shane MacGowan.

The following verse was a bit too controversial for the BBC.

You're a bum you're a punk
You're an old slut on junk.
Lying there almost dead, on a drip in that bed.
You scumbag you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot.
Happy Christmas your arse I pray god it's our last.

On December 18, 2007, BBC Radio 1 put a ban on the words "faggot" and "slut" to avoid offence. The words, sung as Kirsty MacColl and MacGowan trade insults, were dubbed out. MacColl's mother, Jean, called the ban "too ridiculous", while the Pogues said they found it "amusing".

The politically correct BBC said: "We are playing an edited version because some members of the audience might find it offensive". Later that evening they reversed the decision. Radio 1 backed down after a day of criticism from listeners, the band, and MacColl's mother.

Further reading:

Tragedy behind Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Daily Telegraph

The story behind the Pogues' classic Christmas anthem The Guardian    

Kirsty MacColl memorial bench in London's Soho Square (image - Wikipedia)

Close-up of the plaque (image - Wikipedia)

Another Kirsty MacColl classic - There's a Guy works down the Chip Shop swears he's Elvis, from UK Top of the Pops 1981.