Phil Chevron of the Irish drunk/punk band the Pogues died today after enduring a long battle with cancer. He was 56 years old. Chevron was originally invited to join the Pogues as a fill-in banjo player following the release of their debut album Red Roses For Me in 1984, but he ended up playing with the band until 1994. Chevron wrote the classic Pogues songs “Lorelei” and “Thousands Are Sailing.” He is largely credited with overseeing the remastering and re-release of the Pogues’ catalogue in 2004. In addition to playing with the Pogues, Chevron fronted the punk band the Radiators (also known as the Radiators From Space).