Clodagh Rodgers, former UK Eurovision contestant, dies at 78

Clodagh Rodgers, the UK’s Eurovision contestant in 1971, has died on the age of 78.

The information was confirmed on Saturday (April 19) by her son Sam Sorbie, who wrote on Facebook: “With a heavy coronary heart, my pricey lovely mum Clodagh has sadly handed away after battling an sickness for the final three years. She handed away peacefully yesterday surrounded by her household in Cobham.”

He went on to say that she had “lived an unbelievable life, full of affection and happiness” and that “life is not going to be the identical with out Mum, however she's going to lastly be at peace now with dad, nanny and pappa. All of us love and miss her terribly.”

Rodgers was the UK’s entry in Eurovision 1971 with ‘Jack In The Field’, ending fourth. Watch the observe right here:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJE7BW_qZUk[/embed]

A local of Warrenpoint, County Down, she was chosen to signify the UK on the heights of the Troubles in Northern Eire, with the competition being held in Dublin that yr. Coming from a Catholic household, her illustration of the UK led to her turning into the goal of kidnap threats from the IRA, who thought of her to have been a traitor to Eire.

On the time, Rodgers was a profitable solo artist, scoring high ten singles with ‘Come Again And Shake Me’ and ‘Goodnight Midnight’ in 1969. ‘Jack In The Field’ additionally made Quantity 4 within the UK and Quantity 5 in Eire.

She had been singing stay since she was 12 years previous and left faculty at 15, when her father secured her an audition for a document firm, which proved profitable. Her household moved to England to pursue her profession, but it surely took a number of years for her to have a industrial breakthrough.

Following her Eurovision success, Rodgers spent a lot of her profession showing on high-profile TV reveals similar to The Two Ronnies, Sunday Night time At The London Palladium and The Morecambe And Clever Present. She additionally had a stage profession, starring in Discuss Of The City and Cinderella within the West Finish in London.