- Irene Cara died at the age of 63, her publicist reported on Nov. 26, 2022, and her cause of death was reportedly cardiovascular disease
- The singer lent her iconic voice to two huge title tracks with 1980’s ‘Fame’ and 1983’s ‘Flashdance’
- Irene, who won an Oscar and Grammy for the song ‘Fame… What a Feeling,’ was also an actress
An 80s icon died with the passing of Irene Cara. The singer/actress’s publicist reported on Nov. 26, 2022 that Irene died at the age of 63. “The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home,” Judith A. Moose posted on Twitter. “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.” Her cause of death was arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, TMZ reported on Feb. 2, which are both related to hypertension and high cholesterol. Irene was also diabetic.
In a separate message posted, Judith went on to say that she “couldn’t believe” she had to share the sad news and that its the “absolute worst part” of her job as a publicist. “Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene,” Judith continued. “I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans.”
Keep reading to find out more about the gorgeous star, below.
Where was Irene from?
Irene was born in the Bronx in 1959, the youngest of five children, according to the BBC. Her father was Puerto Rican and her mother, Cuban-American. At an early age, Irene caught the acting and singing bug and began showcasing her talents on Spanish-language television.
‘Fame’ was her big break
After recording both Spanish and English music as a child, Irene went on to be featured in a number of on-and-off Broadway musicals. Then in 1980, she landed the role of Coco Hernandez in the groundbreaking musical about teenagers living their best artistic lives at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City.
The song ‘Fame’, sung by Irene, earned an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Song in 1981. The song also earned Irene a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her performance also earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 1981 Golden Globe Awards.
Irene won an Oscar for ‘Flashdance’
Only two years after shooting to fame with Fame, Irene co-wrote and sang vocals for “Flashdance… What A Feeling,” from the 1983 blockbuster Flashdance. She would take home a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song!
She married a stuntman
Following many more film and television appearances in the wake of her success, including co-starring with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, Irene walked down the aisle with stuntman and film director Conrad Palmisano in Los Angeles in April 1986. Five years later, the couple divorced.
Irene had unfinished projects
In a follow-up tweet, Irene’s publicist Judith said the late star had projects in the works. “We were working on amazing projects that would have made her and her fans incredibly happy. Her manager and I will finish them. She’d want that.”