‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ Singer Irene Cara Dies at 63: ‘A Beautifully Gifted Soul’

Irene Cara, best known for singing the title songs to the classic 1980s films Fame and Flashdance, has died. She was 63 years old.

‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ Singer Irene Cara Dies at 63: ‘A Beautifully Gifted Soul’

Judith A. Moose, Cara’s publicist, confirmed her death in a statement posted on the singer’s Twitter account early Saturday morning.

“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of Irene Cara on behalf of her family,” Moose wrote. “The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, and producer died at her home in Florida.”

‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ Singer Irene Cara Dies at 63: ‘A Beautifully Gifted Soul’

“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they grieve,” the representative added. “She was a wonderfully gifted soul whose music and films will live on forever.”

 

Cara’s cause of death is currently unknown, but information will be released as soon as it becomes available, according to her rep.

Funeral services are still being planned, and a memorial for Cara’s fans will be held at a later date, she added. Cara later sang and co-wrote “Flashdance… What A Feeling” for the soundtrack of Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey’s 1983 blockbuster Flashdance.

‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ Singer Irene Cara Dies at 63: ‘A Beautifully Gifted Soul’

 

“Flashdance… What A Feeling” earned the singer two Grammy Awards in 1984, for best pop vocal performance, female, and best album of original score written for a motion picture or a television special, as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 1983 Oscars.

 

Cara’s rep confirmed in a follow-up statement that she and the star’s business manager were informed of Cara’s death late Friday evening. “Trust me, I wish it wasn’t true,” she wrote.

She went on to say that the couple is now “working on incredible projects that would have made her and her fans ecstatic Her manager and I will complete them. That’s what she’d want.”