Philip Chevron was most widely known as guitarist for the Shane MacGowan led punk/folk rock band, The Pogues. He grew up in Santry, a suburb of Dublin. He was regarded as one of the most influential figures in Irish punk music.

His most evocative Pogues work is ‘Thousands are Sailing’ which he wrote shortly after landing in America for the first Pogues tour. Chevron says his time with the Pogues “were the best ten years of my life and the worst ten years!”

In June 2007, The Pogues’ website announced that Chevron had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. In early 2008, the website announced that Chevron had recovered, and to his surprise and joy, his hearing had returned to almost pre-treatment levels. He embarked on the March 2008 tour of the United States and managed to sing “Thousands Are Sailing” at each performance. By 2009, Chevron had apparently recovered from the cancer.

However, in May 2013, it was announced that the cancer had returned and it was “lethal”. Chevron died on 8 October 2013 in Dublin at age 56. His last public appearance was at the Olympia Theatre for a fundraiser in August of the same year.