It took a beautiful dreamer to write and perform the soundtracks for those who dare to dream." What a Feeling" from the Jennifer Beals dance drama "Flashdance." Having co-written the #1 smash with Giorgio Moroder, she took home an Oscar for her work, becoming the first Black Hispanic woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting category.īeals remembered Cara on Twitter, writing, "Thank you brilliant Irene for your open heart and your fearless triple threat talent. That same year, Cara did the unthinkable - she topped her "Fame" success with the song "Flashdance. Rest in peace."Ĭara turned down a shot to star in the TV version of "Fame," preferring to head up her own series, "Irene." The show was not picked up. Born in the Bronx, she reached for the stars and delivered a soundtrack for the ages. New York Mayor Eric Adams tweeted of Cara and "Fame," "Irene Cara sang New York City’s song. "Fame," a #4 Billboard Hot 100 hit, took home the statuette. Cara performed them both live on the Oscars. The film's title song and "Out Here on My Own" were both Oscar-nominated, the first time two songs from one film competed in the category. Set in New York's High School for the Performing Arts, the musical drama was a box-office hit and showcased Cara's triple-threat status. Though a box-office bomb at the time, the film has become a favorite, and was remade in 2012 with Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston.Ī rising teen star, she made appearances on "Kojak" (1976) and the frothy "What's Happening!!" (1977), then turned in serious dramatic performances in the TV movies "Roots: The Next Generations" (1979) and "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (1980).īut Cara's career went supernova with her dazzling turn as Coco Hernandez in director Alan Parker's "Fame" (1980). Next up, she anchored the 1976 feature "Sparkle," a musical drama that took its inspiration from the story of the Supremes. My fave memory is a childhood one: seeing people of color in a love story for the 1st time:Aaron Loves Angela.Her NY light will shine in this NYer #irenecara /2I6f9cIkT2- Kim Fields Novem 1975, Cara was seen as a dancer in the film "Apple Pie," but had her proper debut in "Aaron Loves Angela" (1975), an inner-city version of "Romeo and Juliet." Irene Cara.Gloriously powerful award winning singer/songwriter. She was busy on Broadway and off, including in "Maggie Flynn" (1968) with Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, "The Me Nobody Knows" (1970), "Via Galactica" (1972) with Raul Julia, and the original 1978 cabaret show of "Ain't Misbehavin'" with Nell Carter and André DeShields.Ĭara made her TV debut as the original Daisy on the soap "Love of Life" (1970-1971), and was a regular on "Electric Company" (1971-1972). Her early start in performing led to talk show appearances, and she also launched a recording career aimed at the Latin children's market. After competing in the Little Miss America Pageant as a child, she studied piano and dance, appearing on Spanish-language TV. Moose also indicated a memorial for fans would be "planned at a future date."Ĭara was born in the Bronx on March 18, 1959, to a Puerto Rican father and Cuban-American mother. Her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released when information is available." Moose wrote, "It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara. In a somber announcement made from her official Twitter, the late singer's publicist Judith A. Irene Cara, who won an Oscar for Best Original Song and starred in the 1980 box-office phenomenon "Fame," has died at 63.
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