The singer Clodagh Rodgers, who represented the United Kingdom in the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest, has died at the age of 78, her family confirmed.
Rodgers, who hailed from County Down in Northern Ireland, took part in the competition with her song “Jack in the Box” and ended up coming in fourth place, scoring 98 points.
She went on to star in TV shows and theatre productions, including West End shows Pump Boys and Dinettes and Blood Brothers.
Rodgers’ son Sam Sorbie shared a statement on Facebook confirming news of her death, which came after a three-year illness.
“With a heavy heart, my dear beautiful mum Clodagh has sadly passed away after battling an illness for the last three years,” he wrote. “She passed away peacefully yesterday surrounded by her family in Cobham.”
“Mum has lived an incredible life, full of love and happiness,” he added. “Her fantastic career performing, traveling the world, devoting her life to her two sons and being the rock of this family.
“Life will not be the same without Mum, but she will finally be at peace now with dad, nanny and pappa. We all love and miss her terribly.”
Born in Warrenpoint, County Down, in 1947, Rodgers began her singing career as a teenager and soon became a fixture on British music TV shows, also appearing in musical films such as Just For Fun and It’s All Over Town.
Her hits “Come Back and Shake Me” and “Goodnight Midnight” made her the top selling female singles artist in 1969.
Not long after, she insured her voice for one million pounds and was announced as the UK’s representative for the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Dublin.
Rodgers, a Catholic from Northern Ireland, became the target of kidnap threats from the IRA, who considered her a traitor for agreeing to represent the UK.
After Eurovision, “Jack in the Box” reached number four in the UK singles chart.
Rodgers continued to be a successful TV performer, appearing in shows such as Sunday Night at the Palladium, The Morecambe and Wise Show and The Two Ronnies.
