Irene Cara, actress and singer of 'Fame' and 'Flashdance', dies at 63

Irene Cara, the actress and singer who rose to global stardom in the 1980 film

by Alan Parker, and who won an Oscar and a Grammy for her song

from the film

has died in Florida at 63 years, as announced by her advertising agent on the artist's own social networks.

“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Irene Cara on behalf of her family.

The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, and producer has passed away at her Florida home.

Her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released as information becomes available.

Irene's family has asked for privacy while she processes her grief.

She was a wonderfully gifted soul whose legacy will live on forever through her music and her films.

Funeral services are pending and a funeral for her fans will be planned at a future date,” wrote Judith A. Moose, president of JM Media Group and publicist for Irene Cara.

This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist.

I can't believe I've had to write this, let alone release the news.

Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene.

I'll be reading each and every one of them and know she'll be smiling from Heaven.

She adored her fans of her.

-JM pic.twitter.com/TsC5BwZ3fh

— Irene Cara (@Irene_Cara) November 26, 2022

“This is the worst part of being a publicist.

I can't believe I had to write this, let alone break the news.

Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene.

I will read each and every one of them and I know she will be smiling down from heaven.

She adored her fans ”, she added when tweeting the message.

Cara demonstrated her talent for music from a very young age.

She was born in the neighborhood of the Bronx (New York) in March 1959 as the youngest of five children.

Her father, Gaspar Escalera, a Puerto Rican, was a factory worker and retired saxophonist.

Her mother, Louise, was a Cuban-American movie usher.

At three years old, Irene Cara was already one of the five finalists in the

She started playing the piano by ear, and later studied music, acting, and dance.

Her career as an actress began on Spanish-language television, singing and dancing professionally.

She then acted in various stage shows and made appearances on shows like

and

Johnny Carson's

His first national television series was a one-year stint (1971-1972) on the PBS educational program

as a band member for The Short Circus, which taught music grammar lessons.

The series was starring Bill Cosby, Rita Moreno and a very young Morgan Freeman.

At eight years old, Cara had already recorded her first album in Spanish for the Latin market and released a Christmas album in English shortly after.

She was the youngest performer in an all-star ensemble concert at Madison Square Garden in tribute to Duke Ellington that featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Roberta Flack, according to a bio on Ellington's website. she.

As a preteen, she had her first major movie role in the movie

which led to her playing the lead in the cult musical

It was the Alan Parker film

that catapulted her to global stardom in 1980. Cara was initially scheduled to play a dancer, but when producers David Da Silva and Alan Marshall and screenwriter Christopher Gore heard her voice, they rewrote the role of Coco Hernandez.

As Coco Hernández, she sang the title track

and the film's other single,

which made the soundtrack a multi-platinum bestseller.

Irene Cara made history at the Oscars that year, as it was the first time that two songs from the same film were nominated for best song and both were performed by the same artist.

written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, it took the statuette and Cara was showered with nominations and awards.

The actress and singer declined to participate in the subsequent television series of the same name.

After some minor series and movies, Cara established herself in 1983 with the film

and her great success,

whose lyrics she wrote with Keith Forsey, while Giorgio Moroder composed the music.

The film, directed by Adrian Lyne, was a continuation of the spirit of

and was a commercial success, but received poor reviews.

Cara did not act in the film, which starred Jennifer Beals, but with

she won the Oscar for Best Song, the Grammy for Best Female Pop Performance, the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and the American Music Awards. for Best R&B Female Artist and Best Pop Single of the Year.

After

participated in other films, usually as a voice actress, and soundtracks, but she never repeated such a success.

She also made television appearances and performances in theaters.

She married the voice actor and film director Conrad Palmisano in Los Angeles (California) in April 1986. The two divorced in 1991. The actress and singer lived in Florida.