Pioneering Australian singer who performed with rock star Johnny O’Keefe dead at 69
Beloved Australian singer Margaret McLaren passed away earlier this year at the age of 69.
The Melbourne-born singer was born in 1954 and rose to fame in the early 1970s as the backup singer for legendary Australian rock star Johnny O’Keefe.
She rose to national fame in 1973 when she performed a duet with O’Keefe called Mockingbird, which reached number eight on the Australian charts.
O’Keefe’s daughter Vicky announced the heartbreaking news of Margaret’s death in an Instagram post: ‘Very sad to hear about Margaret’s passing. She was such a vibrant, powerful singer alongside Dad and his band.β
Vicky added that McLaren was a key member of O’Keefe’s live band The Stuart Park Group and brought something special to her performances.
Beloved Australian singer Margaret McLaren died earlier this year at the age of 69. She rose to national fame in 1973 when she performed a duet with O’Keefe called Mockingbird, which reached number eight on the Australian charts. Both shown
‘Margaret was only 15 years old when she started singing with Dad and I remember loving seeing her perform with him.
‘JOK and Margaret’s duet was absolutely fantastic and got all the attention over the rival version by Carly Simon & James Taylor, which was released at the same time.
‘Rest in peace. Our condolences to your family,β Vicky added.
Heartbroken fans quickly went online to express their condolences.
The Melbourne-born singer was born in 1954 and rose to fame in the early 1970s as a backing vocalist for legendary Australian rock star Johnny O’Keefe’s band The Stuart Park Group.
O’Keefe’s daughter Vicky announced the heartbreaking news of Margaret’s death in an Instagram post: ‘Very sad to hear about Margaret’s passing. She was such a lively, powerful singer next to Dad with his band’
“A beautiful lady, a great friend and always a pleasure to be around,” one fan wrote.
βShe touched the lives of so many people with her larger than life personality, infectious smile, amazing voice, kindness, warmth and great sense of humor,β a second person wrote.
McLaren became a popular touring musician in the 1980s, playing numerous pubs across Australia in her band Vocamotion.
Margaret is survived by her three children John, Jesse and Holly and seven grandchildren.