American singer and actress Irene Cara died on Friday at the age of 63 in her hometown of Florida. She was best known for the title songs of the movies Fame and Flash dance, huge hits in the eighties. The cause of her death has not yet been disclosed.
Born in New York, from parents with roots in Puerto Rico and Cuba, Irene Cara sang and acted from a young age. At the age of 21, she landed the role of her life as singer Coco Hernandez in the musical film Fame (1980). In it, a group of music and dance students at the High School of Performing Arts in New York dream of becoming famous „Fame! I’m gonna live forever. Baby, remember my name”, sings Cara the title song which became a mega hit.
At first she was cast as a dancer in the movie, until the filmmakers heard her sing. Cara won two Grammy Awards (including Best New Artist) for her performance, plus an Oscar for Best Soundtrack.
Flash dance
By the title song of the dance movie Flash dance she was successful again in 1983. Leaning heavily on Giorgio Moroder’s synthesizers ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’ became a number 1 hit in the United States with Cara’s vocals. ‘What A Feeling’ also won several major music and film awards, including the Grammy for best song and an Oscar.
Cara then played in films such as City Heat (1984), with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, and in the theatre. But her success never grew again. In 1999 she made another attempt with female band Hot Caramel. A remix with DJ Bobo of ‘What A Feeling’ in 2001 resulted in some European success. In recent years, Cara has lived a secluded life in Florida.