The Death of Kirsty MacColl
Table of Contents
I write this on Sunday 18th December 2022, in memory of Kirsty MacColl, who died tragically, twenty-two years ago today, at the age of forty-one.
Kirsty was the daughter of Ewan MacColl, a stalwart of the British folk scene in the 60’s and grew up to be a major recording star as a singer/songwriter, in her own right.
She ranged across a wide variety of genres from Irish ballad to American rap and everything in between – starting her career as part of a punk band called Addix.
\but all her output was constantly infused with a wicked sense of humour.
She had a wide range of friends, being a very sociable person with a gift for cooking and regularly hosted dinners in the family home. A domesticated background which might seem to jar with some of the performers with which she collaborated, with great success.
Greatest Hits
For those of you are not familiar with her work – I can guarantee that you have heard one of her greatest hits many times over the years and particularly at this time of year.
‘The Fairy-tale of New York’ in collaboration with Shane McGowan of the Pogues – the Irish flower trading insults with the man with a graveyard for a mouth, who made punks look softies – a match made – well. somewhere!
Number 7 in the charts when it was released in 1987 and still claimed as the most played Christmas track, on radio and TV in the UK, every year since then – and that includes, White Christmas.
And, who else, could write a top ten hit in 1981, titled – ‘There’s a Guy Works down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis’.
It does make more sense when you hear the next line –
‘But he’s a liar and I’m not sure about you’.
Or how about – ‘Don’t Come the Cowboy with me, Sonny Jim’.
Or – ‘England 2 – Columbia 0’.
Maybe more well know successes –
‘New England’ – first written and recorded by her close friend, Billy Bragg – who, when asked if she could cover it – not only said ‘yes’, but, when she said it was a bit short – he wrote a third verse, just for her.
How about 2nd. verse lyrics –
I loved you then as I love you still
Though I put you on a pedestal, you put me on the pill
I don’t feel bad about letting you go
I just feel sad about letting you know
(He once described her as – ‘A cross, between Sandie Shaw and Lilly Allen’.)
Two of my all-time favourites –
‘Days’ (Written by Ray Davies of the Kinks)
and
‘Free World’ (Written by Kirst MacColl)
and her last major recording – her third album – titled (and she can’t resist the joke)
‘Electric Landlady’.
If you need a hint – Jimi Hendrix had previously issued an album called ‘Electric Ladyland’ – so a clever play on words.
Her final album was a real eclectic mix, with many collaborators, and seemed to be doing very well to re-establish her position as a major chart contender.
One of my ‘Desert Ireland Discs’ is from the album ).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ploIlurVZ8
She had worked long and hard on the album and her, her new partner and her two young boys, went off for a holiday in Mexico to recover.
She didn’t come back alive,
The Accident
The reality is, that many would consider that what happened was not an accident at all.
I describe the circumstances of the incident below, but not the details of the injuries, and focus on the legal consequences.
They holidayed onConzumal Island, Mexico – she had visited before and been attracted to scuba diving in the warm clear waters – and completed a training course, as did her sons.
Her and the boys were diving with a qualified instructor, in an area reserved for divers and off bounds for boats.
All three surfacing from a deep dive were warned by the instructor that a boat seemed to be approaching and in fact a power boat at high speed entered the restricted area and headed towards them – she pushed one of the boys out of the way and grabbed the other to turn him around as the propellor of the boat hit her – she died instantly.
I give this level of detail, primarily because I think the consequences shed some light, amongst other things – on Mexico as a suitable holiday destination.
The Consequences
The owner of the boat was – Guillermo Gonzalez Nova, the billionaire owner of a major supermarket chain in Mexico.
He was on board, but immediately claimed that he wasn’t at the wheel and that his boat hand Jose Cem Yam was driving. It was later claimed that local witnesses had said that was not true.
Then it went quiet – no contact with the family at all – despite a concerted campaign, organised by Kirsty’s mother in the UK – numerous letters to Mexico and the UK government – hiring a private investigator to go to Mexico and talk to witnesses direct and -, eventually, a BBC documentary which got interviews with Ministers – all of whom promised to help.
Nothing happened.
The Trial
After constant, persistent requests – it was over ten years later, that the family were notified that a trial had taken place in March 2003 – some three years after the incident. There had been no advice of this before the trial and no opportunity to arrange representation for the family.
The verdict was presented as a fait accompli – no appeal.
Cem Yam was convicted of culpable homicide and sentenced to two years imprisonment – and to pay £1,450 compensation to the family
Someone, then paid the equivalent of £61 (calculated as five Pesos per day of the sentence) and Cem Yam served no time in prison at all.
Through the family’s local information sources – the BBC documentary had attracted interest locally and local journalists had become involved and the private investigator was still on the job – they also found out that:
- Cem Yam testified that it was the first time he had driven the boat.
- Gonzalez Nova -testified that Cem had been driving for five years.
- The boat, the Percalito, had a 315-horsepower engine – Nova was qualified for a maximum 100 HP.
- Nova claimed that the boat was travelling at a speed of one knot- analysis of the injuries suggested that was not possible and the speed was far more likely to be the 18 to 20 knot maximum speed of the boat.
- They also received an English translation of a statement from the Dive master on the day – which said that he heard Nova say that ‘he was driving’ to the police chief.
- A local journalist said he had statements from people in a bar, where a drunken Cem Yam was bragging that he was getting a house and money from Nova.
- Another journalist had found Cem Yam’s wife, sometime later, who swore that he was not driving and also said that Nova had not given Jose a house or any money as promised and had in fact, sacked him.
Even after a damming article in a Mexican magazine revealing some of these facts ……
No response from the Mexican government at all and the case remains closed to this day.
I don’t think I’ll be holidaying in Mexico – ever.