From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caitlín O'Riordan (born January 4, 1965) is a British musician. She played bass guitar for the British-Irish punk/folk band The Pogues from 1983 – 1986.

O'Riordan was born in Nigeria to Irish and Scottish parents who moved to London in 1967 when the Nigerian Civil War broke out. She met future Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 1979 while he was playing with his band The Nips; he invited her to join his new band The Pogues in 1982. She appeared on the group's first two albums Red Roses for Me and Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash (singing on "I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day"), as well as the soundtrack to Alex Cox's film Sid and Nancy. She also appeared with the band in the 1987 Alex Cox film Straight to Hell and had a small role as the dance hall girl Slim McMahon. During that time she also sang in Darryl Hunt's band Pride of the Cross.

She became involved with Elvis Costello in 1985, while he was producing The Pogues' album Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash; they married on May 17, 1986. Her former Pride of the Cross bandmate Darryl Hunt filled in for her on several shows during the Pogues' 1986 U.S. tour, and he replaced her permanently when she left later that year to join Costello on his King of America tour. With Costello she cowrote the track "Lovable" from King of America, and wrote, cowrote, and appeared on songs the Costello albums King of America, Blood & Chocolate, Spike and Mighty Like a Rose. O'Riordan and Costello divorced in 2002.

The Pogues' most commercially-successful song, "Fairytale of New York" from If I Should Fall from Grace with God, was originally envisioned as a duet between O'Riordan and Shane MacGowan; the band eventually recorded it some time later with Kirsty MacColl singing the female part. O'Riordan and Costello are mentioned in the lyrics to "Fiesta", another song from If I Should Fall from Grace with God. In 2004, O'Riordan joined ex-Pogues guitarist Phil Chevron's re-united band The Radiators From Space; that year she also toured with the Pogues for the first time in 18 years. She left the Radiators and was replaced in February 2006 by Jesse Booth, and went on to form a band of divorcées named Prenup with Hothouse Flowers guitarist Fiachna ó Braonáin. They are currently recording their debut album for release in 2007.

• "Cait O'Riorden". pogues.com. Retrieved March 14, 2007.