This month while most of us here in the U.S. are celebrating a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving, there are plenty of people around the world who aren’t lucky enough for the time off, or who just need their weekly dose of something to read/listen to. Well, we here at Enter the Shell are happy to say that this week we’re still on the clock. This week’s legendary artist, acting as a springboard and half-way point between the fun of October and the coming holidays of December, sadly passed away in December of 2000. Certainly deserving of the title of “legend,” we recognize Kirsty MacColl as November’s Artist of the Week recipient.
As the daughter of folk musician Ewan MacColl and step-daughter of Peggy Seeger, Kirsty MacColl, born in 1959, was around music her entire life. Her recognition as an artist came early when in 1978 she was spotted by and signed to Stiff Records, the home of other great talents like Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Shortly after her signing, she released her first single, later to be used by Tracy Ullman, “They Don’t Know.” However, due to a strike by distributors, the single didn’t sell as well as it played on the radio and two years later MacColl moved to Polydor Records.
Throughout the years MacColl continued to put out hit music that all could enjoy, and broadened her musical horizons by refining her sound, making it more accessible to more audiences. Despite a brief hiatus from performing after marrying and raising two children, MacColl kept busy writing and doing studio work for other musicians. Aside from writing hit songs, Kirsty MacColl collaborated with many other artists. Whether she was covering (and adding verses to) Billy Bragg’s “A New England,” working with the Pogues’ Shane McGowan, or singing backing vocals for Talking Heads, MacColl was constantly making her mark, however big or small, in the musical world.
Kirsty MacColl worked until her untimely and tragic death in 2000. While on a diving trip on vacation in Mexico with her family, MacColl was struck by a speeding boat while saving her son Jamie from the fatal collision. The incident was controversial as the area where she and her family were diving was off limits to watercraft and the man accused of driving the boat was suspected of covering for the actual owner, a millionaire in Mexico. The trial that took place afterward resulted in the accused driver being sentenced to two years and ten months in prison, or roughly $90 to avoid the sentence and a $2,150 payment to the MacColl family. Many believe that justice was not served and that the accused driver was paid to take the fall for the incident. Whichever story you choose to believe, the fact is that the world was robbed of a talented individual.
Though we may no longer have new material from Kirsty MacColl, her legacy lives on with the music she wrote that continues to be played and covered by musicians today. Her song with Shane McGowan, “Fairytale of New York,” was voted favorite Christmas song from 2004 to 2006 and Billy Bragg continues to add her extra verses to “A New England” as a tribute when performing it live. Along with the music are the charitable foundations that she helped fund, bringing music to impoverished countries. So this November we invite you to get your fix below and have a happy holiday/regular day. Enjoy!
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