Philip Ryan (17 June 1957 – 8 October 2013), professionally known as Philip Chevron, was an Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist and record producer. He was best known as the lead guitarist for the celtic punk band

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

and as the frontman for the 1970s punk rock band The Radiators from Space. Upon his death in 2013, Chevron was regarded as one of the most influential figures in Irish punk music.

Career

Chevron grew up in

Santry Santry () is a suburb on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin, Kilmore and Ballymun. It straddles the boundary of Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council jurisdictions. The character of the area has changed ...

, a suburb of Dublin. Beginning in the late 1970s, he was lead singer and co-founder of the punk rock group The Radiators from Space, receiving some critical acclaim but little widespread popularity or financial success. Following a temporary breakup of the band in 1981, he lived in London for a while, meeting and befriending

Shane MacGowan Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGow ...

through time spent working together at a record shop. Following the release of the Pogues' 1984 debut album '' Red Roses For Me'', he was invited to join the band on a short-term basis as cover for banjo player Jem Finer's paternity leave. He took over as guitarist following MacGowan's decision to concentrate on singing—thereby becoming a full-time member of the band in time for the recording of its second album, '' Rum, Sodomy and the Lash''. Chevron wrote the songs " Thousands Are Sailing" and "Lorelei" among others. He left The Pogues in 1994 following problems with drugs and alcohol. In 2003, he reformed The Radiators (Plan 9) with ex-Pogues bassist

Cait O'Riordan Caitlín O'Riordan (born 4 January 1965) is a British musician of Irish and Scottish descent. She played bass guitar for the Irish punk/folk band the Pogues from 1983 to 1986. She later played with Elvis Costello (her husband from 1986 to 200 ...

. They released the album ''Trouble Pilgrim'' in 2006. In later years, he became The Pogues' unofficial spokesperson and frequently visited online forums, answering questions from fans. In 2004, he oversaw the remastering and re-release of The Pogues' entire back catalogue on CD. He toured regularly with The Pogues, who reunited after a reunion tour in 2001.

Personal life

Chevron was openly gay and penned the anti-homophobia song "Under Clery's Clock", which was first performed in 1987 when The Radiators reformed for one gig, an AIDS benefit in Dublin, and released as a single in 1989.

Illness and death

In June 2007,

' website announced that Chevron had been diagnosed with

oesophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...

. In early 2008, the website announced that Chevron had recovered, and that his hearing had returned to almost pre-treatment levels. He embarked on the March 2008 tour of the United States and sang " Thousands Are Sailing" at each performance. By 2009, Chevron was free of cancer. However, in May 2013, it was announced that the cancer had returned and Chevron was terminally ill. His last public appearance was at the Olympia Theatre for a fundraiser in August of the same year. Chevron died on 8 October 2013 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

at age 56.

Discography

Solo

* ''Songs From Bills Dance Hall'' (1981, Mosa Records); 12" 45 rpm EP * ''The Captains and The Kings'' (b/w ''Faithful Departed'') (1983, Chapel/Demon Records); 7" 45 rpm

Compilations and anthologies

* ''For The Children'' (1990, Alias Records); Includes Philip Chevron on lead vocals on title song. * ''Life in the Folk Lane'' (1992, Demon Records); Includes 1983 recording of "The Captains and The Kings" * ''Life in the Folk Lane Vol. 2'' (1995, Demon Records); Includes 1983 recording of "Faithful Departed" * ''Bringing It All Back Home Vol. 3'' (2000, Valley Entertainment); Includes a new recording of " Thousands Are Sailing"

References

External links

The Pogues official websiteThe Radiators from Space official website
from Socialist Democracy {{DEFAULTSORT:Chevron, Phil 1957 births 2013 deaths Gay musicians Irish male guitarists LGBT singers from Ireland Musicians from County Dublin The Pogues members Irish male singer-songwriters LGBT songwriters Deaths from cancer in the Republic of Ireland Deaths from esophageal cancer The Radiators from Space members 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people