MacColl

Born: 10 October 1959 in Croydon, South London, UK.
Died: 18 December 2000 in Cozumel, Mexico.

English singer-songwriter.

The daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl and dancer Jean Newlove; sister of Hamish MacColl and half-sister to Kitty MacColl and Neill MacColl & Calum MacColl (of The Liberty Horses).

After a brief stint in 1978 with her first band The Drug Addix, she went solo and scored a big hit with the single "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis" in 1981.

In 1984, she married producer Steve Lillywhite, and had two children Jamie MacColl and Louis MacColl. She decided to concentrate less on her music and raise her children by solely performing back-up vocals on various projects. In 1987, one of her contributions was the Christmas hit with The Pogues "Fairytale of New York". She later came back in 1989 to record the "Kite" album.

In 1991, she put out her "Electric Landlady" album which provided her with the very big hit "Walking Down Madison". A few years later in 1993, "Titanic Days" was released.

Sadly, Kirsty was killed on the 19 December 2000 in Cozumel, Mexico, after being hit by a speedboat whilst in an area restricted for swimmers only.

Five months after her death, her final recording "Tropical Brainstorm" was posthumously released on Instinct records.