Music
08 Oct 13

Niall Stokes recalls "ally and friend" Philip Chevron

It’s with immense sadness that Hot Press has to report the death of Philip Chevron, one of the true greats of Irish music who passed away this morning following a long battle with cancer.

Poor health didn’t stop Phil from attending August’s wonderful testimonial show in the Dublin Olympia, which included Horslips, Gavin Friday, Paul Brady, Luka Bloom, Shane MacGowan, Patrick McCabe, Aidan Gillen, Paul Cleary, Duke Special and Mary Coughlan among its all-star cast of well-wishers.
"Philip Chevron was one of the greats, among an extraordinary generation of Irish songwriters and musicians who emerged in Ireland towards the end of the 1970s,” reflects Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes. “I remember we put him on the front cover of Hot Press in 1977, when The Radiators set off for the UK with great hopes of achieving major success. The photo was taken at Dublin Airport as the band were waiting in the departure lounge. There was a magnificent innocence about it all.
"The Radiators' debut album, TV Tube Heart, was a superb record. But a commercial breakthrough eluded them. They released the magnificent Ghostown in 1979. I remember reviewing the album at the time and being stunned by the quality and the depth of the songs.
"Philip's fellow songwriter, Pete Holidai, was of course an equally important contributor to that album, providing the songwriting balance that is often crucial to bands. But in 'Kitty Ricketts' and 'Song Of The Faithful Departed', both credited to Philip Chevron alone, he had written two of the greatest Irish songs of the past fifty years and indeed more.
"I was always proud of the fact that we saw the greatness in The Radiators that was missed by so many, and that we supported them to the greatest extent that we could. Philip then went on to become a vital part of The Pogues – who of course were themselves one of the most important Irish bands of all time.
"Apart from his extraordinary talent as a songwriter, Philip was a lovely man, with a great sense of humour. He did occasional pieces for Hot Press and they were always superbly written and delivered meticulously – and on time. It meant a lot to me that Hot Press could always count on him as an ally and as a friend.
"He will be hugely missed by everyone who knew him, and by the millions who in different ways were touched by his genius."