Irene Cara publicist confirmed the news on social media.
Irene Cara, a singer-actress who appeared in and sang the title track from the 1980 hit film Fame and later delivered the era-defining single “Flashdance…What a Feeling” from 1980’s Flashdance, has passed away. She was an Oscar, Golden Globe, and two-time Grammy Award winner. She was 63.
Judith A. Moose, her publicist, shared the news on social media, and stated that the cause of death was “currently unknown.” Cara passed away in her Florida home. Her death date, specifically, was not made public.
Cara scored three Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles during her career, including “Breakdance,” “Out Here On My Own,” “Fame,” and “Flashdance… What A Feeling,” which spent six weeks at the top. “Flashdance… What A Feeling” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, No. 4 on Adult Contemporary, and No. 1 in Dance Club Songs for three weeks.
In Alan Parker’s Fame, where she costarred alongside Debbie Allen, Paul McCrane, and Anne Mear as performing arts high school students, she first gained notoriety among the younger actors. Coco Hernandez, played by Cara, is a striving dancer who goes through various hardships, including a disturbing nude photo shoot.
The Broadway career of the New York native Cara began with bit roles in brief productions, albeit a musical called The Me Nobody Knows ran for more than 300 performances. In the middle of the 1990s, she performed on stage as Mary Magdalene in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. From 2012 to 2014, she sang in the musical Flashdance.
Along with that, she founded the all-female band Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel and released a double CD that featured the hit “How Can I Make You Luv Me.” She has acted in the films Sparkle and D.C. Cab.
