After a failed legal battle, Kirsty MacColl and her son Louis Lillywhite, 39, claim that the ‘gruesome’ flashbacks still haunt him today.
The annual return of Fairytale of New York on the radio and in shops signals the start of the festive season for millions of us. But for Louis Lillywhite, this Christmas classic holds a deeper significance.
He was just 14 when his mother, Kirsty MacColl – who sang the hit duet with Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan – tragically lost her life in a devastating speedboat accident.
Inititally, people were shocked at what seemed to be a tragic accident that cut Kirsty’s life short just a week before Christmas. The incredible singer-songwriter was struck by a speedboat as she ascended off Mexico’s coast on December 18, 2000. At the age of 41, she was at the height of her career, having just released her critically acclaimed album, Tropical Brainstorm.
But since her shock death, her family members have fought hard to find out what really happened to the incredible musician, as allegations of a cover-up continue to persist.
READ MORE: ‘Mum’s tragic speedboat death gives me flashbacks 25 years on’ says Kirsty MacColl’s son
Kirsty had nearly severed her left leg and a portion of her chest as a result of a distressing coroner’s report.
Now, as the 25th anniversary of Kirsty’s death looms, with unresolved questions about the circumstances and who was responsible for the tragedy – questions that may now never be answered.
Louis, the son of Kirsty MacColl’s ex-husband and record producer Steve Lillywhite, has poignantly spoken about his mother to the Daily Express.
Louis and his older brother Jamie, then 15, were diving with their mum when the speedboat entered the protected marine area over the reef they had just explored and crashed into them. Although Jamie’s oxygen tank was clipped, their beloved mother was instantly killed when the boat’s propeller struck her.
The speedboat that killed his mother was owned by the family of wealthy Mexican businessman Guillermo González Nova, who ran the Comercial Mexicana supermarket empire. José Cen Yam, a 26-year-old employee at Nova, claimed he was at the controls and moving at a slow speed.
He was found guilty of culpable homicide and handed a sentence of just two years and 10 months behind bars. However, he avoided jail by a paltry £61 fine, which led to claims he had agreed to accept responsibility in exchange for money from his superiors.
According to MacColl’s family, witnesses who disputed who was driving the vessel and claimed that it was moving much faster than the vessel’s stated speed have long been believed to be a cover-up. Their “Justice for Kirsty” campaign halted legal proceedings after running out of options within Mexico’s justice system.
“I believe that Yam was the fall guy,” Louis asserts. “No one was actually held accountable for what occurred.” He continued to express his frustration, stating: “We spent many years as a family trying to get justice. If it had saved just one person, I’m happy about how we raised awareness, but what we would have liked was some accountability. It was never about money, it was about someone taking responsibility.
They called us “money grabbing,” which only fueled my desire to try harder to hold someone accountable. But we were dealing with the richest man in the most corrupt country..”.
He described the horrific day as “such a traumatic event” and “a lot of what happened is still a blur to me.”
” What I can say is it was really grim. I can recall being in the water while meditating on that trip to Mexico and thinking, “Where is Jamie? ” He and I have spoken about it from time to time and I still have flashbacks. It was and continues to be so. We could only have been in the water a few minutes afterwards before they got us out. I really don’t recall a lot.
Louis recently sought therapy, which he claims has improved his ability to deal with the horrific events of that day, after years of bottling up his pain. When you are a 14-year-old boy, you don’t want to talk to a stranger about the worst thing that has happened to you, “he continues.
“I eventually decided to try it when I started to notice patterns of behavior in my 20s.” I have had a lot of therapy since and that has helped. “
Louis has worked hard to get over his fear of the sea, despite his mother’s tragic passing. I really struggled with swimming or going on boats or diving but I have found therapy very useful for that. He claims that I’ve even driven a boat and snorkeled once more.
” Mum really loved the sea and she would have been gutted if I was missing out on a beautiful thing. “
The story is continued by his 70-year-old father, Steve, who reveals that Kirsty had a career as a marine biologist. He was residing in New York with his second wife Patricia Galluzzi when he received the devastating phone call from Kirsty’s musician boyfriend, James Knight, who was holidaying in Mexico with them but wasn’t in the water at the time.
It shocked me so much. I just thought, ‘ Oh s*** ‘ and was desperate to get to the boys but there were no flights that evening from New York, “he recalls”. I called Island Records owner Chris Blackwell, who gave me a private jet ride down.
No tears, just total shock as the boys and James, who were watching cartoons on the bed when I entered the hotel room, were there. James was only 26 and was closer to my age. It is so horrendous to imagine what they witnessed that day and they have never really spoken to me about what they saw”.
The reality really started creeping inside their Ealing family home when they returned to London. Steve recalls: “Kirsty had put the Christmas tree up and there were presents under it. We played her music and made an effort to have a good Christmas by returning to the house in Ealing, which was difficult.
In 2023, the Ealing Civic Society installed a green plaque at the property and recording studio that Kirsty and the boys once called home. Louis was present at the unveiling ceremony and lives nearby.
His brother Jamie, a music manager who previously represented singer Ellie Goulding, now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Louis recalls, “It was lovely to go back to the house again to get the green plaque.” It was such a party house back then, music always playing, people coming and going all the time.
“You’d come downstairs for school and there would be Boy George sat at the kitchen table. But the new owners are lovely and have done the old place up really nicely. It is much smarter now than when we lived there.”
Following their mother’s death, Louis and Jamie were raised by their mum’s partner James at the Ealing family home, alongside their father Steve. They worked together, according to Louis. We were okay. “
Steve continues, “James is a good bloke, and Kirsty and I were perfect for them.” I was glad she had found a new partner. We have spent Christmases together, and I still meet up with him while I’m in London.
Louis also celebrated his mother’s passing in May 2017 with Jean Newlove, who passed away at the age of 94, after losing his mother. Jean campaigned tirelessly for justice for her daughter.
He claims that “my grandmother was very close to me and a great inspiration.”
” Losing a parent is one thing but losing a child is another thing entirely and my grandmother was on a mission. It gave her a purpose, and if I had to give the cause more weight, I felt compelled to do so.
Kirsty hailed from folk music royalty. She was the child of Ewan MacColl, a prominent figure in the 1960s folk revival in the UK, who founded the first-ever folk music club, The Ballads and Blues Club.
His tunes have been covered by numerous artists over the years, with one of the most successful being Roberta Flack’s rendition of his beautiful ballad, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
With a number of hits, including her rendition of Billy Bragg’s song A New England and There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis, as well as joint ventures with bands like Simple Minds and The Smiths, Kirsty eked out a successful career for herself.
However, it was her 1987 duet with the late Shane MacGowan on The Pogues ‘ Fairytale of New York, the Christmas number one that never was (it peaked at number two in the charts) that cemented her place in pop music history.
Steve Lillywhite, who produced the Celtic punks ‘ album, was the catalyst for the creation of their Christmas single. The Pogues loved the song so much that they decided to keep them, and his wife, Kirsty, did the same.
Now, Steve has come full circle as Warner Bros Music requested him to produce the new live mix version.
He said, “It was recorded at Barrowland in Glasgow and you can hear all these Scots shouting “Kirsty, Kirsty, Kirsty,” which I kept in because they loved her up there with her name and red hair.
I’m not sure I want this version to reach number one, despite the fact that I have never produced a Christmas number one. It’s about a pair of losers, it’s the underdog song and so maybe it is better if it doesn’t in a way?
Louis, who turns 40 next year, is about to reach the death of his mother. Earlier this year, he attended the annual gathering at the Kirsty MacColl bench in Soho Square, London, where devoted fans congregate to commemorate her birthday on October 10.
He continued, “It was wonderful talking to all the fans about mum and her music this year because it was our 25th anniversary.” I always go. It keeps her memory fresh,” she said.
This Christmas, Louis will be in Bali, where Steve now lives. The song she is most renowned for is a Christmas song, but at least it isn’t one that makes you cringe, he said. I have been in pubs in Ireland and Fairy Tale has come on and the whole place just turns into a party. It sends out positive vibes.
” When one of my mum’s songs comes on the radio it is a double-edged sword for me though, but it is always wonderful to hear her voice again. I’m still a fan of her records. Tropical Brainstorm is my favourite album. When she wrote it, she had her old energy back, which I’m hoping for myself.
