Oscar & Grammy Winner Irene Cara Dead At 63
• Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy-winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred in and sang the title cut from the hit 1980 movie Fame, and “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from 1983′s Flashdance, has died at the age of 63 at her home in Florida, according to the AP. The cause and exact day of her death was not disclosed.
During her career, Cara had three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Breakdance,” “Out Here On My Own,” “Fame” and “Flashdance … What A Feeling,” which spent six weeks at No. 1.
Cara first came to prominence among the young actors playing performing arts high school students in Alan Parker‘s 1980 film Fame, as aspiring dancer Coco Hernandez. Three years later, she and the songwriting team of Flashdance — music by Giorgio Moroder, and lyrics by Keith Forsey and Cara – won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Flashdance … What a Feeling.”
The New York-born Cara began her career on Broadway, with small parts in short-lived shows, although a musical called The Me Nobody Knows ran over 300 performances. She toured in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar as Mary Magdalene in the mid-’90s and performed her songs in a 2012-14 musical tour of Flashdance. She also created the all-female band Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel and put out a double CD with the single “How Can I Make You Luv Me.” Her movie credits include Sparkle and D.C. Cab.
In a statement, Cara’s publicist, Judith A. Moose, commented, “Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.” Funeral services are pending, and a memorial for Cara’s fans will be planned at a future date.
