The Pogues’ singer Shane MacGowan has been admitted to hospital
The iconic frontman of The Pogues, Shane MacGowan, has been admitted to hospital. The Irish singer has been in and out of medical care for the last few years following a pelvis injury in 2015.
MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, posted on Twitter yesterday to announce the singer’s return to hospital. She asked his fans to “please send prayers and healing vibes,” adding: “[MacGowan is] in hospital again and really hoping to get out asap.”
Elaborating on the update in a brief interview with The Irish Mirror, Clarke revealed that the ‘Fairytale of New York’ singer was initially admitted to the hospital last Friday and seemed hopeful that he would be discharged very soon.
She also added that she thinks MacGowan is “a bit frustrated” by his ongoing visits to hospital. “He finds it very frustrating,” she said. “He wants to get out.” Despite his frustrations, Clarke assured fans that she thinks MacGowan will recover, telling them not to “get too worried” and that she’s “sure he’ll be fine”.
While the exact details of MacGowan’s hospitalisation haven’t been disclosed, the issue is likely related to his 2015 pelvis injury, which left him wheelchair-bound for a period with ongoing mobility issues. Later in 2015, MacGowan received dental implants following oral complications related to his long-lived battle with addiction.
Adding to the complications, the singer broke his knee during a fall at home. Clarke said at the time that the injury left him in bed and off his food for days. The singer himself has been open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which date back to his teenage years. Speaking with Spectator in an interview earlier this year, MacGowan said: “I am glad to be alive, so I’m grateful to wake up.”
“I have beautiful carers who come and get me out of the bed and into the lime green chair,” he added. “Sometimes I end up in hospital. If I don’t end up in hospital, I thank Jesus and His Holy Mother and all the saints and angels.”
Meanwhile, MacGowan has kept himself busy creating his first-ever art book, The Eternal Buzz And The Crock Of Gold. The book features sketches and handwritten lyrics alongside photographs of the iconic singer with fellow stars like Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Pete Doherty, and Bryan Adams.
Elsewhere, the BBC’s Radio 2 recently announced that they would play The Pogues’ classic Christmas song, ‘Fairytale of New York,’ omitting its homophobic slang for the first time.
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