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(CNN) - Ric Ocasek, singer of the new wave band The Cars, died of heart disease, according to the New York City coroner's office. He was 75 years old.
The New York Police Department received a call around 4 p.m. Sunday "about an unconscious man" in a house on East 19th Street, the CNN Office of the Commissioner Deputy reported.
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Ocasek died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a press release released Monday by the coroner's office. There was a contributing condition of pulmonary emphysema. The cause of death was natural.
Supermodel Paulina Porizkova, who separated from Ocasek last year, posted on Instagram that he had been recovering at home after surgery. She was at home helping her children take care of their father when he found him while bringing coffee. “I touched his cheek to wake him up. It was then that I realized that during the night I had died peacefully. ”
Porizkova shared a picture of flowers outside the house.
The Cars became very popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits that included "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Drive."
The group was a pillar of MTV in its early days. His video for "Double Life" was number 21 that was played on the new cable channel, according to VH1.
Ocasek married Porizkova after the two met while filming the "Drive" video of 1984. They had two children together.
Ocasek and The Cars were included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Celebrities who have died