Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and Others Remember Shane MacGowan With Tribute Album ‘20th Century Paddy’

Shane MacGowan is gone, but absolutely not forgotten. A new, all-star music project is proof of that. Announced today, March 12, a tribute album, entitled 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan, celebrating the impressive legacy of the late singer, songwriter and frontman of The Pogues . “Shane was all naked bottomless humanity. Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically,” remarks Springsteen, as “A Rainy Night in Soho” arrives on streaming platforms.

“He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints.” MacGowan died on Nov. 30, 2023, aged 65 following a period of ill health. He left treasure in the form of song, his lyrics welcoming us into a gritty world away from the spotlight, articulating the hard lives of working class Irish immigrants, of finding love and hope in a dirty old town.

Born on Christmas Day 1957 in Kent, England to Irish parents, MacGowan was a force in London’s punk scene, and went on to form The Pogues...