Discover the Croydon roots of the beloved Christmas classic singer
Croydon: You might be surprised to learn that a famous Christmas singer hails from Croydon. Kirsty MacColl, born in 1959, grew up there and became known for her hit “Fairytale of New York.”
She was the daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl and dancer Jean Newlove. Kirsty went to several local schools, including Park Hill Primary and John Newnham High School.
Her music career kicked off in 1978 when she provided backing vocals for a local punk band. Even though the band didn’t make it big, the record label saw her talent and signed her for a solo career.
In 1979, she released her first single, “They Don’t Know,” which almost hit the charts but got stuck due to strikes affecting record distribution.
Despite the setback, she had a hit with “There’s A Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” in 1981. Unfortunately, when her label went bankrupt in 1986, she couldn’t record her own music for a while.
But Kirsty didn’t sit idle; she worked as a backing vocalist, often on tracks produced by her husband. She made a big comeback in 1987 with “Fairytale of New York,” a duet with Shane MacGowan.
That song became a Christmas favorite, telling a story of a complicated relationship. Sadly, Kirsty passed away in 2000 while on holiday in Mexico.
While diving with her sons, she saw a speeding boat coming and pushed her son out of the way, but she was struck and suffered fatal injuries. Her death was a tragic loss, especially so close to Christmas.