Eric Carmen, the frontman of the Raspberries and the hitmaker behind several hits, including "Hungry Eyes" and "All By Myself," reportedly died on Mar. 11 at the age of 74.
"It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen," read the official statement released by his wife, Amy Carmen, on the late singer's website.
"Our sweet, loving, and talented Eric passed away in his sleep over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy."
Carmen was born on Aug. 11, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio. At three, he was enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Music under the Dalcroze Eurhythmics program.
Eric Carmen Joins the Raspberries
Carmen was best known as the lead singer and frontman of the American pop-rock band the Raspberries.
The band was formed in the late singer's home city, Cleveland, and they were the hitmakers behind the songs "Go All The Way," "I Wanna Be With You," "Tonight," and more.
Carmen joined the Raspberries in 1967, however, by April 1975, the band broke up, so the singer launched his solo music career.
"I never wanted to be the guy to put this band back on a stage and pop everyone's bubble and have them go home saying 'Oh, they weren't that good,'" Carmen said in an interview about the Raspberries' brief reunion in the early 2000s.
"Plus, it may have taken that long to forget the drunken parking lot fight that marked the band's end. But 30 years have passed, and everybody is a grown-up now, with a life."
Eric Carmen's Solo Career
Carmen launched his solo career by releasing his self-titled debut studio album in 1975, a few months after the band broke up.
The Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA, certified the album gold.
He released his sophomore effort in 1977, "Boats Against the Current," and his third album, "Change of Heart" in 1978.
Carmen released several more albums, including "Tonight You're Mine" in 1980, another self-titled album in 1984, and finally, his last album, "I Was Born to Love You," in 2000.
His most prominent releases were included in "Dirty Dancing" and "Footloose," which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special, Billboard reports.
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