[ad_1]
cnn
—
Eric Carmen, former lead singer of The Raspberries and singer of “All by Myself,” has died, according to reports your website. She was 74 years old, according to IMDb.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” says a post on his website. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep over the weekend.”
“He was so happy to know that for decades his music touched so many people and will be his lasting legacy,” the post said.
No cause of death was given.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Carmen rose to fame as the leader of the 1970s pop-rock group The Raspberries, whose sleek haircuts and matching suits seemed to reference the uniform appearance of The Beatles and other groups. defining elements of the British invasion.
“We became immensely popular by going completely against the grain in 1970,” Carmen wrote in her website biography. “Progressive rock was in fashion and FM radio pressed it to his chest. She hated him. I loved the Beatles, The Who, the Byrds, the Stones, the Beach Boys and the Small Faces. I loved bands that could WRITE!”
Together, the band produced hits like “I Wanna Be with You” and the provocative “Go All the Way,” sung from a woman’s perspective. But it wasn’t long before cracks began to form in the group.
“The critics liked us, the girls liked us, but their album-buying 18-year-old brothers said ‘no,’” Carmen wrote. “We got frustrated and imploded.”
After the band disbanded in 1975, Carmen built her solo career on stunning ballads like “All by Myself” (later sung to legendary heights by Celine Dion) and “Hungry Eyes,” which provided the backdrop for the passionate soundtrack to an increasingly intense love between Johnny and Baby in “Dirty Dancing.”
Another of Carmen’s most memorable hits was written for a movie soundtrack. She co-wrote “Almost Paradise,” the love theme from the movie “Footloose,” performed by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson. The song earned him his only Grammy nomination when the soundtrack competed for Best Album of Original Music Written for a Motion Picture.
“All by Myself,” “Make Me Lose Control,” and “Hungry Eyes” all peaked in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 and each spent more than four months on the chart. In total, 13 songs from Carmen took a place on the list.
Carmen refused to join The Raspberries when they reunited in 1999 to release the “Raspberries Refreshed” EP. She but she joined them on stage in 2004 for a performance at Cleveland’s House of Blues and the team briefly embarked on a mini-tour in 2005, according to Case Western Reserve. Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
The group’s last performance together was at Cleveland’s KeyBank State Theater in December 2007.
This story has been updated with additional information.