Courtney Love pays tribute after death of the Wild Colonials’ Angela McCluskey

20 March, 2024

Angela McCluskey and Courtney Love

Courtney Love has paid tribute to her friend Angela McClusky, the frontwoman of ‘90s band the Wild Colonials, who has died at the age of 64.

News of McClusky’s death was confirmed on Thursday (March 14) in a post on her official Instagram account, which read: “We are devastated to tell you that our beloved Angela McCluskey has left us to be with her fellow angels. Never did anyone live life more fully, love more generously, sing more… well, just… more.”

The singer died after being in a coma following emergency surgery for an arterial tear.

Last night (March 19), Love, who had been close friends with McClusky, dedicated her DJ set at the National Portrait Gallery’s fundraising gala to the woman that she described as “the Angel of Glasgow”.

Love said that McClusky had “maybe the world’s most beautiful voice”, before introducing the song ‘Breathe’, which McClusky made with the French dance group Télépopmusik in 2002.

McClusky was born in Glasgow in 1960, and met her husband Paul Cantelon in London in the early ‘90s, moving to Los Angeles together shortly thereafter.

They co-founded the alt-rock/folk group the Wild Colonials, with Shark, Scott Roewe and Ian Bernard, and recorded two cult studio albums, 1994’s ‘Fruit Of Life’ and 1996’s ‘This Can’t Be Life’.

After their split, McClusky went on to work on a number of solo projects, beginning with 2004 debut solo album ‘The Things We Do’, and she also worked alongside artists including Robbie Robertson, Cyndi Lauper and The The.

One of her friends was Garbage’s Shirley Manson, who reacted to the news of her passing by writing: “Darling… I’m broken-hearted. A Scottish treasure. A world-class talent. A wildly irreverent, generous, loving soul who practiced kindness at all times in all the dark places.”

The actress and musician Rain Phoenix was another to share her tribute: “Rest in power deal Angela, a most truthful and loyal friend. A generous, no-nonsense powerhouse, with effortless style, wicked humor, and a voice most beautiful – there will never be another.”

See further tributes to Angela McCluskey from X/Twitter below:

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