MacGowan's life in music: From the Nipple Erectors to Fairytale Of New York
Shane MacGowan is probably best known for Christmas hit Fairytale Of New York, the duet with the late Kirsty MacColl.
But he joined his first band Nipple Erectors, which became The Nips, more than two decades earlier in 1976, and supported the likes of The Clash and The Jam.
He also played guitar with The Millwall Chainsaws, the prototype for the band that would become Pogue Mahone (Irish slang for "kiss my arse") and eventually The Pogues.
He founded the band along with Peter 鈥渟pider鈥� Stacy, Jem Finer and James Fearnley.
Their debut album, Red Roses For Me, came out in 1984, followed by Rum Sodomy & the Lash the following year. Their singles included Dark Streets Of London, A Pair Of Brown Eyes, Sally MacLennane, Dirty Old Town and The Irish Rover.
Fairytale Of New York was released at the end of November 1987. Like many Christmas songs that came to be festive classics - such as Wham!'s Last Christmas and Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You - it was kept off the number one spot, with the accolade that year going to the Pet Shop Boys' cover of Always On My Mind.
But Fairytale has endured; in December 2022, the song was certified quintuple platinum in the UK for three million combined sales, and it is often voted the nation's favourite festive single.
As The Pogues gained commercial success, fame, touring and the chaotic lifestyle took a toll and MacGowan was eventually sacked from the band for unprofessional behaviour in 1991.
He went on to form Shane MacGowan And The Popes, before reforming with The Pogues for a sell-out tour in 2001.
Together, the band released five albums between 1984 and 1990, while MacGowan released two with The Popes in 1994 and 1997.