![[Send E-mail]](../../common/icons/email.gif){kind=icon}
The Kirsty MacColl web site
GUESTBOOK
These messages were left on the freeworld site in the weeks after Kirsty's death.
I've just read Tracey's message from yesterday. My Voice of the Beehive records are sitting right by Kirsty's in my CD rack. Both are really special to me, it's lovely to know that there is a link there. It seems that Kirsty made a big impression on everyone she met - and many she didn't, too. We were blessed.
Kristen, Brighton UK
I had been listening to Kirsty's music for a long time. I remember how thrilled I was at getting to see her play live in both Glasgow & Edinburgh last year. When I met her backstage in Glasgow she was only to happy to talk to me about the new album and sign some photos and LP's. The most frustrating thing about being a MacColl fan was that she simply wasn't recognised enough for what she brought out in her records. With some of the coolest sounds around, clever lyrics and that stunning voice, there's one thing for sure - she will never be forgotten.
Thanks Kirsty,
Love,
Thomas Ovens, Glasgow, Jan 1st 2001.
May I just take this opportunity to offer my deepest and sincere sympathy to you all at this hard time. I am a huge fan of Kirsty, and have been for a very long time. Her voice was like no other, her melodies will linger with me forever. Her contribution to the music world was so enormous that there is a huge gaping hole now that she is gone.
My thoughts are with her two boys and family who must be devastated and no words that I can offer can ease the pain that they are going through. A very strong and beautiful light has gone from this world, but her music will live forever. The world has lost a most talented singer/songwriter and mostly a wonderful human being who brought a lot of happiness to a lot of music fans all over the world. May Kirsty rest in peace.
Peace and Love
Angela O'Toole, Dublin, Ireland
To the family and loved ones of Kirsty MacColl I am a 17 year old fan of Kirsty's and was greatly shocked and saddened by the news of her death. I would like to pass my condolences onto the family at this, what must be a terrible time. All the fans thoughts and love are with you. Kirsty was a beautiful and massively talented lady. Her music was amongst the best ever produced and written. The industry is a duller place without her presence She will live on through her music and in our hearts. All my love
Matthew, UK
I will always regret not going to see Kirsty in concert when I had chance. I have enjoyed her music since I first heard her sing 'They don't know about us', I could never work out why Tracy Ullman was always the one shown singing it - are the public mad? We have lost a great talent and I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to her family, all who knew her and all the ones like me who never will.
AVH
I'm deeply saddened by the tragic news and my condolences go to Kirsty's family. Kirsty was a great artist. Her music has been a pleasure and a support to me. It will continue to be so, but I will miss her very much.
Craig, Glasgow, Scotland
I only heard the news about Kirsty yesterday. I can't believe this, it's a massive loss to music and all of us fans, but obviously one's first thoughts are with her family. Reading the reports on this site makes it clear what they must be going through. Christ, this is just awful. Kirsty will be missed so much. I had already decided that Tropical Brainstorm was last year's best album, and the concert at Kentish Town the best concert. This makes the memory of that concert even more intense. A never to be forgotten lady. Michael Slater
I have been a fan of Kirsty's music since I was about 14 - I am now 28. I really love her music and her wonderful voice. Some of my favourite songs are - Innocence, Soho Square (from Titanic Days album), Caroline and He's on the Beach (from Galore), but I love most of her songs. Also - 80 Year Old Millionaire (great lyrics).
I have seen her live about 5 times. The best time was at the Borderline around 1992, also the Mean Fiddler around 1993/4. I had such a great time at her concerts. She was very much under-rated and I can't believe she's gone. I am so sorry for her children and family.
Love
Claire, London
Reading the messages posted to your site has been a most humbling experience. At the same time though, it almost makes you swell with pride that this lady that each of us held so much respect for actually had such a legion of admirers - ordinary music fans who empathised with her worldview. Kirsty was evidently a greater artist than any of us could have, in isolation, believed. That she touched a chord in so many, across the globe, tells its own story. The volume of text messages that flowed the night the tragic news broke made me realise here was a talent that would be truly missed.
After thinking A New England was a one-off when that came out and I bought it, Kite chronicled a period of transition in my life and it has ranked ever since as one of my top records. My then girlfriend took Kirsty to her heart too - I bought her Tropical Rainstorm as a 6th wedding anniversary present. Our circle of friends would inevitably have one of her LPs on at parties - a pair of us even had the privilege of seeing the Wolverhampton show on the Titanic Days tour. That magical voice will resonate in these ears forever.
The week before Christmas will always be so poignant now she's gone, when Fairytale grabs you in every elevator and mall across England. Thanks to one of the greatest artists and unrecognised talents of my generation, rest in peace you wonderful lady.
Ian, Sutton Coldfield
I'll remember Kirsty as having a wicked sense of humour, an amazing way with words and tunes I want to play as loud as possible. Condolences to Kirsty's family. God Bless.
Juls. Ireland
I can't match some of the more eloquent tributes but sent with as much love. From Hackney Empire, countless benefit nights, and dancing with my with my 2 year old while watching Kirsty at this years Fleadh, so many memories, truly a one off, never forgotten.
Chris Ellis
As a Voice of the Beehive fanatic I'd like to thank Tracey for her lovely message, much appreciated. Brilliant to think my 2 favourite singers once had such a great time together.
Thank you for the days, both of you.
Jess Cully
As a Kirsty fan living in far off Sydney Australia, I will be thinking of all those attending her memorial service on the 20th. I'm sure it will be as beautiful and uplifting as the lady herself. Thank you also to the Webmaster of this site for doing such a fantastic job of keeping us updated and posting the messages of appreciation. It is comforting to know that Kirsty and her music are so well loved and appreciated by so many different people. I have no doubt that she will live on in all our hearts.
Jennifer Pond
Now that a true talent is no longer with us, do the slugs/AOR execs at Kirsty's former record companies plan on dusting off her recordings which have been languishing in the vaults? I'm angry. Angry that someone with such a gift for clever verse and melody has been taken from us because some **** couldn't read signs...either that or the Spaniard's arrogance ignored them.
rsfinla
Some lives read like a postcard
Some lives read like a book
I'll be happy if mine
Doesn't read, like a joke, from an old Christmas cracker.
It didn't Kirsty. It didn't.
Carmel Morgan
I was driving through Salerno in southern Italy in the summer in horrible traffic when 'In These Shoes' literally jumped out of the radio at me. It was the first time I'd heard it. Classic Kirsty - sassy and witty as ever. There's a weird chemistry which happens when a thumping good pop song goes out over the radio and Kirsty always had the formula for it. It's just so bloody unfair that she's gone.
Neville Walker
I was very shocked to hear the news of Kirsty MacColl's death. She was a very special talent and although I have never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance she has always struck me as someone whose company you would welcome. I have been very fortunate, having been a long term fan, to see her perform for the first and regretfully last time in The Shepherds Bush Empire last October. The concert was amazing and she touched every single person in that room. She was a very talented lady, a born performer. I send my sincerest sympathy and lots of love to her friends and family at this sad time.
Paula E Murphy, London.
Like everyone before Christmas, I was devastated by the news. I am a radio DJ in Hong Kong and was lucky enough to have a phone chat with Kirsty last June as part of the promotion for Tropical Brainstorm. I have been fortunate enough to talk with a lot of people from this wacky business over the years, but I can honestly say that I have not enjoyed talking to anyone as much as I did with Kirsty. She came across as completely 'normal' - something sadly lacking in this world of inflated egos. She was as fun, bright, intelligent and as friendly as you'd expect. Completely unassuming as a 'pop star' - for want of a better word. All her work was supreme, and even though it never got to the masses as much as it should, just playing the music brought you into Kirsty's own world. She seemed thrilled at the live dates she was doing for the album, and my regret was that she was never able to take the show further afield. Even though I only chatted to her for 30 minutes, I feel like I lost a friend. Her legacy is there for all to hear, even though it is far to prematurely concluded. Kirsty, you are missed.
Neil Chase, Hong Kong
My deepest of sympathies for Kirsty's family and friends. Tragically, she's gone, but her music will undoubtedly touch hearts around the world forever, as it did mine. Truly the voice of an angel.
Matt Verboys , Los Angeles, California.
Logged on my favourite Clash message board on Dec. 19th and was hit by the news. Words can't describe how devastated and saddened I was. My first reaction was: this is not happening! Forces is to admit, this has happened. Never would I imagine Fairytale of New York would once sound like a funeral anthem... Never would I imagine such a beautiful life could end so tragically.
My heart goes to her family who will miss her love, especially her two sons. To her friends and colleagues who have lost someone never to be replaced. And her numerous fans all around the world who have lost a gifted artist who had so much to give. R.I.P., you deserve it.
Dominique, Montreal (Quebec)
It's taken me a long time to post something here. Not for lack of thoughts, but the fact that there's way too much to say. When I heard the tragic news, I felt I had to tell people a friend of mine had died. That's how it felt...... Kirsty, you were my friend, we just hadn't got around to actually meeting yet. Your music thankfully lives on and these wonderful songs will continue to be the soundtrack to my life.
Jane Lillas, Sydney, Australia
I heard the news after New Year's; since then I've been reading through quite a few of these posts, wanting to add something of my own, finding it hard to add anything not already said by someone else. This is one more case of you never knew how much someone meant to you, until. At first I was surprised at just how much I was moved by her loss; I never met her; I own a couple of her CDs and once saw her perform live, and have recommended her to a friend or two over the years. Only now, going through a couple of Kirsty web sites, have I realized just how many stunningly good songs there were that I loved, that were hers. And how she could reinterpret someone else's creation and make it her own, if not provide the definitive version. Then I remembered how I always considered her one of the best at her craft, and how people who knew what good music was always agreed that she was, no question, someone to hold in high regard. Consider all the things Kirsty had: high intelligence, fantastic sense of humor, not an ounce of pretension, ability to follow her own star, immunity to pop fads and fashions, and an ability to write like a dream and sing to match. How rare is a package like that in one person? And how effortless she made it all look, how seamlessly she was able to make it appear that her personality, being, essence, flowed naturally outward to a public creative manifestation that was complete, original and all-around exquisite. She was someone on the side of the good and the real, of All That Which Is Not Fake. It all appeared so natural that we were fooled into thinking it wasn't so uncommon. At least, I was.
The Kirsty concert I saw happened one Sunday night a few years ago at a small club in Boston, filled with her proverbial small but loyal band of local New England followers. She teased us from the stage as "you Sunday night rockers, you," and did all of those varied gems that belonged to her, and everyone loved it and was glad they'd come. Before the last encore, she hinted that the appropriate way to close such a show would be with something soft, gentle, filled with reverie. Then she and the band slammed into "I Wanna Be Sedated." I went home with a big grin on my face. What else is there to say? Strictly in terms of the loss to the world of music, and the stupid, infuriating way she died, I would put this up there with Buddy Holly's plane crash. I am sincerely sorry for her family, her multitude of friends (judging from what I've read here, Kirsty didn't seem to have an enemy in the world, or anyone she ever met who wasn't at least very fond of her), and all of us who won't get to hear the songs that won't be written. We do, of course, have the recordings; but right now I'm selfish, all I want is Kirsty MacColl back in this world. The only consolation is in realizing, reading all of these messages from everywhere, that we are far from alone in our thoughts.
Kirsty, thank you -- we will never forget.
Wes E., USA/Ljubljana, Slovenia
What a tragic loss. My heart goes out to Kirsty's sons, family, and friends. Kirsty was such a treasure and will live on in so many people's hearts. She was full of wit and insight. Her lyrics and voice touched a chord in my soul. Thank you for the days Kirsty. Love,
Deborah Fullerton, CA
I heard on the 19th, I am still devastated. Been a fan since 1985 when I bought the Polydor LP in London (right before I heard New England but right after seeing Billy Bragg at the Lyceum!). Just back from a diving holiday (in Bonaire) myself, with our two girls. Really brought it home. Had the good fortune to see Kirsty live here in Atlanta in mid 90s, twice. Never did get to speak with her alas. She is my wife's all-time fave artist and up there in my top 20. More importantly, sounds like she was the nicest PERSON in showbiz. I'm a freelance writer (originally from Dublin), ironically my first published piece was an obit for Ewan for Dirty Linen. I just wrote a 1400 word piece on her which will be published next week, I'll keep you posted. Anyway, I hope the family are coping okay. We saw lots of flying fish in Bonaire, as featured on sleeve of last album. They made me think of Kirsty, flying free somewhere.
J - John Falstaff, Atlanta GA
Kirsty MacColl's death has left me shaken and profoundly moved.
In a world where the shallow, the mediocre, the photogenic and the glib are disproportionately rewarded and the genuinely talented and humane are ignored, she stood out as the kind of artist who could easily pass Holden Caulfield's Thomas Hardy test, someone you could admire from a distance and still stand next to at the bar. Her songs were as real as beer and as memorable as love. It's no wonder people have written so eloquently about her on these message boards, as if she was a personal friend. The lonely girl on the park bench in Soho Square, the aging bombshell in "What Do Pretty Girls Do?" and the aging lovers in "You and Me Baby" all seem like people you've known in your life, while being as artfully composed as figures in an Edward Hopper painting.
I suppose what I loved best about her music was its humanity. No holier-than-thou grandstanding or diva histrionics. She wasn't afraid to let her narrators be tart, cruel, vain, and selfish. And she wasn't afraid to give them a hard time for being such louts either. Her secret was not only saying what the rest of us actually felt, but saying it better than we ever could. As a songwriter, I' d put her right up there with Ray Davies and Lou Reed as being the best of the literate hard-boiled romantics.
I remember seeing her at the Bottom Line and Tramps in New York and being touched by her awkward but brave stage presence and her beautiful unvarnished voice. It's notable that so many guys have written in paying tribute, because I brought two of my most macho buddies all along and they were just as smitten with her and her songs. In the end, we all walked and agreed there was nothing special about the presentation - no choreography, no media hype, no rock video poses - except that it was great music.
I hate the fact that she's gone. Forty-one with two kids, for Chrissakes. I think I need a drink. My heart goes out to her family. I hope they can take some small solace in the fact that her music meant so much to the people who heard it, and that none of us will forget her.
Peter Blauner
Kirsty' s leaving reminds me of how fragile our lives truly are and to value what we all have. Her witty lyrics, running the gamut of strength and confidence to insecurity and vulnerability, articulate the emotions and thoughts of us humans. Her music enhanced many occasions for me and even induced a few special ones, (my dates thank you KM.) As many thoughtful people realize, the mainstream commercial American music distribution business does not often value true artistry and she never received the commercial reward she deserved. I always considered it my duty to expose my friends to the music and "gospel according to Kirsty." The world was graced by her life.
After reading all these messages, it is comforting to know there are a lot of us out there who appreciate her poetry and rockin' music. Thanks for the tribute vessel Mr. Freeworld.demon.co.
My sympathies to her loved ones.
Greg Brown, San Francisco, CA, USA
It's still hard to find the right words, and desperately depressing when I think of the many, many times I looked to Kirsty to provide them for me. I will be coming to London from New York to attend the memorial. Kirsty was more than just an artist to me, she was a friend who has been there for me for most of my life, helping me celebrate the good times, inspiring me in the bad times, and generally making me laugh and feel great all the time. If anyone is interested in sharing memories and celebrating Kirsty's marvelous contributions to you, feel free to contact me.
Kathleen, Kaypeep7@aol.com
I sent a message to the BBC a few days after it happened but I guess my anger towards Kirsty's killer kept them from printing my idea (which I still think is a good one) about his treatment. To be honest, I haven't played any of her music this season, though bits of Fairytale, He's On The Beach, My Affair, Thank You For The Days, Chip Shop, & Walking Down Madison come to me once in a while. I am so very sorry her boys had to see her go like that, they're the ones I think of most anymore. It amazes me how many of us Yanks loved her but she was never a star here, kind of like Laura Nyro years ago. Like Laura, she was precious and rare and we had her all to ourselves like a good brandy or the kind of cake you only have at Christmas. She was my generation and I could identify with her and I will miss her. Sincerely,
Matt Pierard Florida
We love you Kirsty....god bless x
© freeworld 1995 - 2010