Irene Cara was an American Oscar-winning singer and actress who was best known for singing and co-writing the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (from the film Flashdance), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. She gained further success for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film “Fame”, and for recording the film’s title song “Fame”. Her first starring role was in the 1976 film Sparkle. The film was a box office bomb. Sadly, she dies on November 25, 2022, at the age of 63.
Oscar-Winning Singer and Actress, Irene Cara dies at 63
Irene Cara died at her home in Largo, Florida, on November 25, 2022. She dies at 63. The news of her demise was confirmed in a statement by her publicist Judith A. Moose. The statement mentioned that Cara took her last breath in her Florida residence but noted that her immediate cause of death is currently unavailable: “It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara. The 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.” It was also confirmed that the musician’s funeral services are currently pending and announced that a memorial for fans will be planned in the days to come: “Irene’s 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.”
For what, Irene Cara was Known For?
- Irene Cara was a celebrated actress and singer.
- Irene was known for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film “Fame” and for her song “Flashdance… What a Feeling”.
- Cara was also renowned for her starring role in “Sparkle” in 1976.
Who are Irene Cara’s Parents?
Irene Cara took birth on 18th March 1959. She was from New York City, the USA. Her full name was Irene Cara Escalera. She held American nationality and her ethnicity was Mixed. For the last time, she celebrated her 63rd birthday on March 18, 2022. She was born to her parents as the young of five children. Thus, she had four siblings (two sisters and two brothers). Her father, Gaspar Escalera, a factory worker and retired saxophonist was Puerto Rican, and her mother, Louise, a movie theater usher, was Cuban. She was one of five finalists for the “Little Miss America” pageant when she was only three. Then, she started to play the piano by ear, studied music, acting and dance seriously, and began taking dance lessons when she was five. Her performing career started with her singing and dancing professionally on Spanish-language television. She then appeared in The Original Amateur Hour (singing in Spanish) and Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show at a young age. In addition, she was a regular on PBS’s educational program The Electric Company (1971–1972) as a member of the show’s band, “The Short Circus”. During her child age, she recorded a Spanish-language record for the Latin market and an English-language Christmas album. Not only this, but also she appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington, which featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., and Roberta Flack. For her education, she went to the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan.
How was the Career of Irene Cara?
- Irene Cara initially appeared in on- and off-Broadway theatrical shows which included Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Me Nobody Knows, Maggie Flynn, and Via Galactica. She played the role of Daisy Allen on the 1970s daytime serial “Love of Life”.
- Then, Cara portrayed the role of Angela in the romance/thriller “Aaron Loves Angela”, followed by her portrayal of the title character in “Sparkle”.
- Her name rose to fame with her roles in “Roots: The Next Generations” and “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones”. The 1980 hit film “Fame” further dragged her to stardom.
- In 1981, Cara was set to star in her own sitcom, “Irene” on NBC. She appeared as herself in the film “D.C. Cab” in 1983. Likewise, she portrayed Myrlie Evers-Williams in the PBS TV movie about civil rights leader Medgar Evers, “For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story”. Also, she appeared in 1982’s “Killing ’em Softly”.
- Next, Cara briefly played the role of Dorothy in “The Wiz” and reached the peak of her music career with the title song for the movie Flashdance: “Flashdance… What a Feeling” in 1983.
- In the year 1984, she was in the comedic thriller “City Heat” and co-wrote the theme song of the titled movie. After a year, she co-starred with Tatum O’Neal in “Certain Fury”.
- Cara appeared in the film “Busted Up” in the year 1986 as well as she had provided the voice of Snow White in the unofficial sequel to Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, Filmation’s “Happily Ever After”, in 1993.
- During her career, Cara released several albums: Anyone Can See in 1982, What a Feelin’ in 1983, and Carasmatic in 1987, the most successful of these being What a Feelin’. In 1985, she collaborated with the Hispanic charity supergroup Hermanos on the song “Cantaré, cantarás”, She even toured Europe and Asia throughout the 1990s. Cara released a compilation of Eurodance singles in the mid to late 1990s entitled “Precarious 90’s”.
- In 2005, she contributed a dance single, titled “Forever My Love”, to the compilation album titled “Gay Happening Vol. 12”.
- Cara was in “Hot Caramel”, a band that she formed in 1999. Their album, called “Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel”, was released on April 4, 2011. The band also covered Anastacia’s song “I’m Outta Love”. At the 2006 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, she performed “Flashdance (What a Feeling)” as an opener to the pre-match entertainment.
- Furthermore, she has even appeared in season 2 of CMT’s reality show “Gone Country”.
Awards and Achievements
- Won NAACP Image Award in 1982 for her work in “Sister, Sister”
- Won Golden Globe Awards, and Academy Awards for her work in “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (shared with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey) in 1984
- Won two-times Grammy Awards for her work in “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (shared with other songwriters) and “Flashdance… What a Feeling” in 1984
- In March 2004, Cara received two honors with an induction into the Ciboney Cafe’s Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the sixth annual Prestige Awards.
Who is Irene Cara’s Husband?
A married and divorced woman, Irene Cara tied the knot to her husband, Conrad Palmisano. Professionally, her ex-spouse, Conrad is a stuntman and film director. They got married in April 1986 and their wedding was held in Los Angeles, the USA. After five years of their marriage, they divorced in 1991. Since then, Irene Cara lived a single life. As of 2016, she had residences in both New Port Richey, Florida, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
How much was Irene Cara’s Net Worth?
Irene Cara was a well-famed singer and actress who had made a huge fortune from her professional career. She had her acting success with her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film Fame. And she found her music success with her song, “Flashdance… What a Feeling”. The estimated net worth of Irene Cara is $4 Million as of 2022 at the time of her death. She was making her annual salary in millions of dollars. Her main source of income was from the entertainment and music industry. She lived a luxurious lifestyle from her earnings.
How tall was Irene Cara?
Irene Cara was a beautiful woman with a standing height of 1.63 m. She had a body weight of 62 Kg. Her hair color was light brown-black and she had a pair of black eyes. Her bodytype was slim. Her other body size is still to get unfold yet.
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