{"id":2076,"date":"2022-11-28T15:47:53","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=2076"},"modified":"2022-11-28T15:47:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T15:47:53","slug":"honoring-the-life-of-irene-cara-the-fame-and-flashdance-singer-who-died-at-63","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2022\/11\/honoring-the-life-of-irene-cara-the-fame-and-flashdance-singer-who-died-at-63.html","title":{"rendered":"Honoring the Life of Irene Cara, The ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ Singer Who Died at 63"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Irene<\/a>
Jordin Althaus\/WireImage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Irene Cara, award-winning singer of popular \u201980s songs\u00a0\u201cFame\u201d and \u201cFlashdance\u2026What a Feeling,\u201d\u00a0has died. She was 63. A statement was posted early Saturday morning from her official Twitter account on behalf of her publicist. The\u00a0cause of death\u00a0is \u201ccurrently unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family, I announce the passing of Irene Cara,\u201d the statement said. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement concluded, \u201cIrene\u2019s 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. Funeral services are pending, and a memorial for her fans will be planned at a future date.\u201d As a youth, Cara appeared on TV\u2019s \u201cElectric Company\u201d before acting as a teen in the movies \u201cAaron Loves Angela\u201d and \u201cSparkle.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New York-born Cara began her career on Broadway with small parts in short-lived shows, although a musical called\u00a0The Me Nobody Knows<\/em>\u00a0ran over 300 performances. She toured in the musical\u00a0Jesus Christ Superstar<\/em>\u00a0as Mary Magdalene in the mid-1990s.<\/p>\n

Her breakthrough came as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical \u201cFame,\u201d about New York\u2019s High School for the Performing Arts. \u201cHow bright our spirits go shooting out into space depends on how much we contributed to the earthly brilliance of this world. And I mean to be a major contributor!\u201d she says in the movie. Cara sang on the soaring title song with the chorus \u2014 \u201cRemember my name\/I\u2019m gonna live forever\/I\u2019m gonna learn how to fly\/I feel it coming together\/People will see me and cry\u201d \u2014 which would go on win an Academy Award for best original song for songwriters Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford.<\/p>\n

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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. – JM pic.twitter.com\/TsC5BwZ3fh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Irene Cara (@Irene_Cara) November 26, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n