24 June 2020

Margarita Pracatan, best known for appearances on The Clive James Show, dies aged 89

Singer Margarita Pracatan has died at the age of 89.

She rose to fame when she appeared on 'The Clive James Show’ in the 90s and also regularly appeared on the BBC Night Network and BBC Radio 2.

Her daughter Maria Gorshin told Sky News that she died on Tuesday from heart failure. 

Gorshin said: “My mum was a powerhouse. She had her own life force that was so electrifying. I think anyone who has ever met her feels it, and her loss just feels like a huge hollow.”

Last year the Cuban singer also performed in an episode of ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’.

Earlier this month Pracatan posted a video of her singing and wrote: "Canta y no llores - be happy! Why? It's good for your heart and your espirit!! #joy #loveyourlife #EnjoyingEverydayLife.”

Tributes have poured in on social media, as one fan said: “Very sad to hear about the passing of  Margarita Pracatan, a fun-loving singer who loved fame and oozed joy when she appeared on the Clive James show. You’ll both be singing up on high now. RIP.”

Writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet said: “Sorry to hear of the death of Margarita Pracatan, social media star before social media. We got her live on @BBCRadio3 once, to the faint annoyance of Clive James. 

"In 2017 I saw her live in Catford & was delighted to discover she still considered the right notes unnecessary.”

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