The exuberant Cuban singer Clive James discovered

Margarita Pracatan, the Cuban novelty singer who became famous in the 1990s thanks to appearances on Clive James’s TV shows has reportedly died at the age of 89.

Several of her friends took to Twitter to say she passed away in New York yesterday. One said: ‘‘It is will a heavy heart that I have to write this message this morning..! My dear friend the lovely #MargaritaPracatan has passed away this morning and we are all totally devastated.’

James discovered the singer's distinctive performances of pop hits on Manhattan public-access television  in 1994 and invited her to the UK to appear on his series Saturday Night Clive.

The Australian wit once said of her: ‘She never lets the words or melody get in her way. She is us, without the fear of failure.’ 

In his memoirs, he admitted that her success made him feel like a guest on his own show, but added: ‘I didn’t begrudge that at all,’ he wrote in his memoirs.’

Her appearances made her a gay icon and she appeared at Pride concerts as well as touring the UK.

Paying tribute today, broadcaster Matthew Sweet wrote on Twitter: ‘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.

And Radio 4 newsreader Corrie Corfield added: ‘Impossible to watch clips of #MargaritaPracatan and Clive James and not to start smiling... I so hope they are somewhere together again laughing loudly and singing gloriously off-key.’

Here she is singing Always On My Mind:

Published: 24 Jun 2020