# Kirsty MacColl has died. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 19, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397 "2000-12-19T19:12:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/21 "2000-12-20T01:33:55Z")
Damn (because it’s the strongest epithet I can post in here). ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/22 "2000-12-20T14:05:16Z")
☹ How sad. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/23 "2000-12-20T15:41:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Tell me about it. That’s like getting run over by an elevator. The boat was in an area reserved for swimmers, too. It’s like getting hit by a car while walking down the sidewalk. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/24 "2000-12-20T16:34:22Z")
\*\*Kristy McNichol died?! \*\* Oh damn, oh no, how horrible, why, oh why, she, uh. (looking around) Umm, (scurries towards exit) ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/25 "2000-12-20T16:50:43Z")
Saw this thread and heard the news for the first time yesterday afternoon just before I left the office and haven’t had a chance to get back online until now. Anyone who’s followed the music related threads on the SDMB for the last year or so already knows how I felt about Kirsty MacColl – I’ve mentioned her at every opportunity in lists of favorite artists, underrated artists, best female singer/songerwriter, etc. I really don’t know what else to say; I’m bummed that she’s gone and that her kids will have to finish growing up without her. I’m pissed that it seems to have been such a senseless accident. I’m sorry for all the great music she’ll never get to make now, but I’m also grateful for all that she did. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/26 "2000-12-20T17:47:38Z")
Her cover of Billy Bragg’s “New England” is one of those songs that can transport me back in time. Whenever I hear it, I’m instantly back in high school with all my girlfriends singing along with Kirsty. It was so shocking to hear about her death. I can’t imagine what her kids are going through. My heart goes out to them. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/27 "2000-12-20T19:12:30Z")
I’m saddened to hear that Kirsty has died. I liked her solo work, and I liked what she wrote for others. The two songs she wrote for Tracey Ullman: 'They Don’t Know" and ‘You Broke My Heart In 17 Places’ are great. I’m listening to them now. I just wish I knew someone who knew who she was besides my boss. A large loss to music has now happened. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/28 "2000-12-20T20:30:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > \*\*The two songs she wrote for Tracey Ullman: 'They Don’t Know" and ‘You Broke My Heart In 17 Places’ are great. I’m listening to them now. \*\* It seems almost too trivial to nitpick at a time like this, but Kirsty wrote and recorded “They Don’t Know” several years before she produced Tracey Ullman’s version (Kirsty’s=1979, Tracey’s=1982 or 1983, IIRC). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hastur \* > **I just wish I knew someone who knew who she was besides my boss.** I’m really surprised and heartened at the response this thread has received; I’ve been convinced for years that I was nearly alone in my high esteem for her. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/29 "2000-12-20T20:52:02Z")
You Broke My Heart In Seventeen places was written for Tracey, but you are very correct about They Don’t Know. I was brainfarting… I’m a bit bothered by her death and the manner in which it happened. Thus, I started a [pit thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=51991) about her murder. That she was killed by an idiot in front of her sons bothers me BIG TIME. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/30 "2000-12-20T20:59:07Z")
The driver of that boat should be ordered by the court to purchase a copy of every CD on which Kirsty makes an appearance and should be made to listen to them all until he or she is completely familiar with her _oeuvre_ and: a) either understands completely the loss his/her actions have inflicted upon the world and commits suicide; or b) is driven to madness from the constant repetition of music s/he hates and is driven to suicide. Anything else is just not enough. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/31 "2000-12-20T21:49:49Z")
Very sad news about Kirsty, the tragic nature of her premature death, the loss of her talent, and all so near to the ‘festive’ season… total bad news. I add my tribute to the many others paid to her on this board. It is also a good time to point out that if you think you’ve never heard of Kirsty, well, you have almost CERTAINLY heard her voice on a favourite song or other. While Kirsty enjoyed a successful solo career, she was also probably one of the most in-demand session singers of all time. Why? Because of her amazing facility to double- and multi-track her own voice in nigh-perfect harmony with nary a glitch. Together with her producer husband Steve Lilleywhite she worked on literally hundreds of popular hit tunes that we associate with other ‘star’ singers. They got Kirsty in to do the backgrund vocals and harmonies because she could lay 'em down faster, and more accurately, than anyone else in the business. So next time you’re enjoying a fave track by some famed star or other, if you notice particularly lush, rich, complex backgroud vocals and harmonies… that’s quite probably the MacColl girl in there. Guess the heavenly choirs will sound much richer from now on… ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397/32 "2000-12-20T22:57:36Z")
She also covered the Kinks’ “Days”, which seems all too sadly appropriate now: - > [@](#): > > Thank you for the days > Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me > I’m thinking of the days > I won’t forget a single day, believe me > I blessed the light > I blessed the light that shines on you, believe me > And though you’re gone, > I won’t forget a single day, believe me\* Godspeed Kirsty. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kirsty-maccoll-has-died/46397.md?page=1)