A statement has been issued on behalf of KIRSTY MacCOLL’s management company, which says that the speedboat which struck her was allegedly travelling illegally in an area reserved for swimmers.
The statement in full reads:
“Singer Kirsty MacColl died tragically yesterday afternoon in a boating accident in Cozumel, Mexico, where she was holidaying with her two sons.
Kirsty, who was aged 41, was taking a holiday after a busy and successful year.
“The accident happened when Kirsty, a keen diver, was hit by a speedboat travelling illegally in an area reserved for swimmers. Her two children were with her in the water at the time, but both of them are alright.
Kirsty’s former husband Steve Lillywhite is flying to Mexico to be with the children.
“Kirsty has a long and illustrious career in music ranging from hits of her own like ‘There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears His Elvis’ to work with everyone from Johnny Marr to Big Country to Simple Minds and most famously Shane MacGowan and The Pogues on the poignant ‘Fairytale of New York’ – coincidentally in the charts again, this time courtesy of Ronan Keating. She comes from a musical dynasty and her father Ewan MacColl was one of the stalwarts of the British folk scene throughout the sixties.
“Kirsty MacColl was a bright, fun loving person as well as a talented singer and writer who was loved by anybody and everybody she came into contact with. Manager Kevin Nixon, who has worked with Kirsty for four years, said: “We are absolutely distraught. I was personally immensely proud to be her manager after being a fan for so many years before that”.