Irene Cara. Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty
Actress and singer Irene Cara has passed away. According to a statement from her publicist Judith A. Moose, she died in her Florida home on Nov. 26, 2022. She was 63-years-old.
“It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” Moose wrote. “The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home. Her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released when information is available. 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.”
On Twitter, Moose also expressed her shock over Cara’s death and asked fans to post tributes.
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.
Irene Cara is best known for singing the theme songs to the 1980s film Flashdance and Fame. She also starred in Fame as Coco Hernandez and snagged two Grammy nominations for best new artist and best pop vocal performance in 1981.
“Flashdance….What A Feeling” also led to winning two Grammys for best pop vocal performance, female, and best album of original score written for a motion picture or a television special, She also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1983. Her Oscar win made her the “first African American female to win the coveted award since Hattie McDaniel (Gone With The Wind- 1939), the first Hispanic female since Rita Moreno (West Side Story’– 1961) and the first biracial female ever to win in any category predating Halle Berry by nearly twenty years.”
According to her bio, Irene Cara was born in 1962 in the Bronx, New York. She was the youngest of five children.
began performing during her childhood. She hit the stage on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show. She also starred on The Electric Company from 1971 to 1972. In 1976, she starred in Sparkle, a film about three sisters who form a singing group in Harlem and try to save the oldest sister from an abusive and drug-fueled relationship. Sparkle was remade in 2012 and starred Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston. Cara also starred in the sequel to Roots, City Heat and The Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.
