Philip Chevron, Pogues Guitarist, Dead at 56

Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron died this morning of cancer, the band announced on its website. He was 56. Chevron was first diagnosed with head and neck cancer in 2007, and was declared cancer-free in April 2012 after undergoing treatment. Doctors discovered a new, inoperable tumor in August 2012.

“After a long illness Philip passed away peacefully this morning,” the Pogues said in a statement. “We all send our sincere condolences to his family.”

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Chevron joined the Pogues after the release of their first album, 1984’s Red Roses for Me, as a temporary member. By the time the band released the follow-up, Rum, Sodomy & the Lash, Chevron had become a permanent fixture , and contributed one of the Pogues’ most beloved songs, “Thousands Are Sailing.” 

Before joining the Pogues, Chevron founded one of Ireland’s first punk bands, Radiators From Space, in  1976.