Music
11 Feb 26

Tributes paid to The Pogues' Andrew Ranken, who has died aged 72

The Pogues in the mid-80s

"Andrew, thank you for everything, for your friendship, your wit and your generosity of spirit, and of course for the music, forever a true friend and brother."

Friends, fans and fellow musicians are paying tribute to Andrew Ranken this afternoon, following the sad news of The Pogues drummer's death, aged 72.

In a post shared to social media, The Pogues thanked Ranken for his "friendship", "wit", "generosity of spirit", and "of course for the music" – describing him as "forever a true friend and brother."

A drummer since the age of 14, Andrew Ranken – born in Ladbroke Grove, London, in 1953 – first stepped onto the music scene as a member of Lola Cobra. He later tried out his vocals with the groups The Stickers and The Operation, before his neighbours Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer approached him about playing drums in a band they were putting together. After some consideration, he went on to become a permanent member of the Pogues in 1983.

Ranken played on every Pogues album from 1984’s Red Roses For Me to 1996’s Pogue Mahone. He wrote numerous tracks for 1993’s Waiting For Herb and Pogue Mahone, and took on lead vocals for ‘My Baby’s Gone’. Andrew’s also credited with coming up with the title Rum Sodomy & The Lash for the Pogues’ iconic second album, noting that “it seemed to sum up life in our band.”

The Pogues' James Fearnley, Shane MacGowan and Andrew Ranken

In 2023, Andrew and his blues/R&B band The Mysterious Wheels released a charity single, in support of St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney – inspired by an encounter with a nurse from the hospice during a rehab class for his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Commenting under The Pogues' online tribute, Victoria Mary Clarke noted that Ranken "was a beautiful human", "a total gentleman", and "an absolutely legendary drummer."

"He was very much loved by Shane MacGowan and I have no doubt that he will be warmly welcomed by Shane but he will be very much missed here on Earth," she added.

Back in November, The Pogues marked Ranken's 72nd birthday with a special post on Instagram.

"Joe Strummer once said that a band is only as good as its drummer and Andrew is a fucking great drummer, the man who gave us our shape and muscle and turned us into a proper band," they wrote. "But above all that he’s an absolute titan of a man, one of the best human beings in the world."