Shane MacGowan's fortune revealed as figures show how much he made from Christmas classic
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The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan left behind a huge fortune following his death in November 2023. The beloved singer amassed a huge £4million fortune after profiting £216,000 and £260,000 a year in royalties from 1988 festive classic, Fairytale of New York.
The boozy ballad, featuring the late Kirsty MacColl, came in sixth in yesterday’s Christmas chart. Shane’s net worth, which included an apartment in Dublin, was valued at around £4.3million weeks after his death. The musician had been receiving hospital treatment since June. Shane’s widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, 57, said: “I very much feel him with me. I feel him around me.”.
Speaking about her loss last year, Victoria said the “hardest part” was hearing his music, but added: “I can’t help but be grateful. It’s wonderful that he managed to achieve that in his lifetime – to have a song people sing in churches and choirs. This morning, I got sent a male voice choir singing it and I think it’s fantastic.”.
Last month, the remaining Pogues paid tribute to Shane saying his “spirit lives on” as they prepare to perform second album Rum, Sodomy & The Lash in full for its 40th anniversary next year.The new run of gigs come after the group marked the 40th anniversary of their debut album Red Roses For Me with a series of UK shows earlier this year, with six performances now planned to honour their second LP in May 2025.
Banjo player Jem Finer told the PA news agency MacGowan was “irreplaceable” but said his essence had been “flowing through” guest singers in recent concerts.The British-born Irish singer died in November 2023 aged 65. Speaking about his influence on their return, the 69-year-old, who co-wrote the band’s Christmas number two Fairytale Of New York, told PA: “A lot of the music he wrote, and most of it he sang, even if he didn’t write it.“He’s an irreplaceable person, but somehow his spirit lives on in these people, in working with these other singers, it’s kind of like flowing through them, so he’s very much there, very celebratory and beautifully respectful. “It’s a spiritual thing without being contrived at all, which if it hadn’t worked like that, we wouldn’t be doing this amazing thing that blossomed into one concert and another and has led to that uncontrivable thing.”One final performance of the first record is planned for Dublin next month with the help of guests including Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten and singer Nadine Shah, before the band prepare to take on the second album.Speaking about reuniting for the special gigs, vocalist and tin whistle player Spider Stacy said Fontaines DC drummer Tom Coll had initially suggested the trio should do something to mark the Red Roses for Me milestone.
