Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy-winning songster Irene Cara Escalera has died in Florida at 63.
Best known for singing the title songs to the films Fame and Flashdance, the singer cum actress Cara appeared as the main character Coco Hernandez in Fame, released in 1980.
Three years later, Cara co-wrote Flashdance … What a Feeling for Flashdance, for which she won an Oscar for best original song and two Grammy awards for original score for a motion picture and best female pop vocal performance.
Both songs were top 10 hits in the UK and US. It was later re-recorded for its appearance in 1997 film The Full Monty.
Cara was nominated for an Oscar for best actress for Fame, and won gongs from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), including for her role in 1982 film Sister Sister. She started as a child actor and singer, appearing on the Johnny Carson show in the 1970s, and in a tribute concert to Jazz icon Duke Ellington.
Her promoter Judith Moose announced the news in a statement released on Cara’s official Twitter account on Saturday morning.
She said: “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.
“She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”
The cause of her death is yet to be established, however, her family asked for privacy. The funeral and memorial services will be arranged for a later date.
Moose added: “Irene was a gifted woman whose body of work is loved by millions of people the world over. She became an icon for music lovers of the 1980s, and inspired many of today’s most influential singers, such as Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. We are all mourning her death but will celebrate her legacy…”