Flashdance and Fame singer Irene Cara dies at 63 | The Art News

Singer Irene Cara, known for her hits on Fame and Flashdance, has died at the age of 63.

She died at her Florida home of unknown cause, her publicist said.

Cara won an Academy Award for the song Flashdance… What A Feeling from the 1980s hit film Flashdance and has remained an icon of her generation.

Irene Cara at the 1986 Academy Awards photo: 2793884Globe Photos/MediaPunch/IPX
picture:
Irene Cara at the 1986 Academy Awards. Image: Globe Photos/MediaPunch/IPX


“It is with deep sorrow and on behalf of her family that I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” she said in a statement on her website.

“She was a talented soul and her legacy will live on forever through her music and films.”

Born in New York City in 1962, Cara first dazzled audiences at the age of five.

Erin Cara fame. Rex pictures.
picture:
Erin Cara in the 1980s film Fame

She started her career performing singing and dancing on Spanish TV with her father’s mambo band.

She rose to prominence in the critically acclaimed musical “Fame” in 1980, was signed as an independent recording artist, and starred in the 1983 film “Flashdance.”

Her performance in Flashdance earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Song — the first African American to win the coveted award since Heidi McDaniel in the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind American women.

Irene Cara performing at Solid Gold in 1984. Credit: Ron Wolfson / MediaPunch /IPX
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Irene Cara performing on Solid Gold in 1984.Image: Associated Press


Cara became one of the most awarded artists of her generation, winning Grammys as a singer and songwriter.

She has also appeared in films such as DC Cab and City Heat, as well as various TV shows. She also performed in live plays and musicals.

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