Flashdance singer, Fame star, and Oscar winner Irene Cara died on Friday, November 25, 2022, at her home. Her publicist Judith A. Moose confirmed Cara’s passing on social media, though she did not reveal the cause of death. Cara was 63 years old.
Cara, who was born Irene Cara Escalera on March 18, 1959, in New York City, was learning music, acting, and dance by the time she was five years old. In 1971-1972, she starred in the children’s show The Electric Company as a member of the Short Circus band. Four years later she starred in Sparkle, a movie inspired by the Supremes.
Her star soared in 1980 when she played Coco Hernandez in Fame. She performed the film’s disco title song, which earned Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance.
Three years later, Cara co-wrote and sang “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” the title track for Flashdance. The synth-heavy song jumped to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for six weeks. “Flashdance…What a Feeling” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and won Grammys for Best Score Soundtrack and Best Pop Vocal Performance.
In addition to those big early ‘80s hits, Cara was in Roots: The Next Generation, Killing ‘em Softly, City Heat, voiced Snow White in Happily Ever After, and voiced Leonette in The Jungle King. She also released the albums Anyone Can See, What a Feelin’, Carasmatic, and Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel.