Irene Cara, the award-winning actress and singer greatest identified for her position in Fame and main the Flashdance soundtrack, has died. She was 63. Cara’s publicist, Judith A. Moose, confirmed Cara’s passing on social media, writing that Cara had died in her house in Florida and that the reason for demise was “currently unknown.” Moose wrote: “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.”
Cara was born in 1959 within the Bronx and started taking dance classes at simply 5 years previous. Her first performances have been on Spanish-language tv and on The Tonight Show. In the early Seventies, Cara carried out on PBS’ The Electric Company as a member of the present’s band, the Short Circus. She additionally appeared in a live performance tribute to Duke Ellington, which additionally featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., and Roberta Flack.
Later, Cara appeared in on-and off-Broadway reveals corresponding to Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Me Nobody Knows, Maggie Flynn, and Via Galactica. Cara additionally appeared within the acclaimed TV mini-series Roots: The Next Generations and Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones. Prior to showing in Fame, Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams within the authentic 1976 musical drama movie Sparkle.
In 1980, Cara appeared within the hit movie Fame, the place she starred as Coco Hernandez and sang the unique title track, plus “Out Here On My Own,” for which Cara earned Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Cara additionally received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress In A Musical.
In 1983, Cara sang the title track for Flashdance, “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which she co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. That 12 months, she received an Oscar for Best Song. In 1984, she received a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, amongst different awards.
In 1987, Cara launched her third and closing album, Carasmatic . Following Fame and Flashdance, Cara made soundtrack appearances within the 1989 animated movie All Dogs Go To Heaven, 1990’s Happily Ever After, 1997’s The Full Monty, and others. Cara additionally starred in an early ’90s touring revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, the place she portrayed Mary Magdalene.
Tributes to Cara poured on social media, together with from Canadian singer/actress Deborah Cox and actress/singer Holly Robinson Peete, who remembered seeing Cara carry out: “The insane combination of talent and beauty was overwhelming to me. This hurts my heart so much.”