I'd like to declare tomorrow Kirsty MacColl Day in honor of one of my favorite singer-songwriters, who died tragically 10 years ago to the day. MacColl never achieved the recognition that she deserved, her career being eclipsed by those who covered her songs (among them Tracy Ullman and Bette Midler), marriage to and subsequent divorce from superstar record producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band, etc), a horrible boating accident in Cozumel in which she saved one of her sons' lives in exchange for her own, and the Mexican authorities who deprived her sons of restitution by allowing a penniless boathand to be charged in her death instead of the millionaire tycoon who actually drove the boat through her scuba diving group.
I had the great pleasure of seeing Kirsty twice in concert (at St. Louis' own Mississippi Nights in 1993 and 1995). It was after that second concert that my friend Lisa obtained Kirsty's autograph for me, which I've had framed on my wall ever since. It gives me great pleasure that her albums and new compilations keep getting released with additional recordings as any Kirsty MacColl demo or B-side beats most of the crap filling our airwaves today. One can only imagine what kind of music Kirsty would be writing today, 10 years after the release of her last album, Tropical Brainstorm, inspired by her travels to Cuba and South America. Thankfully, she left us with a treasure chest of songs that elicit joy and pain, laughter and tears. And, hopefully one day I'll find myself in London sitting on Kirsty's "bench in Soho Square. And we'll dance around like we don't care."
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