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Fame and Flashdance singer Irene Cara dies, aged 63

26 November 2022, 16:15 | Updated: 26 November 2022, 16:51

By Tom Eames

'Fame' and 'Flashdance' singer Irene Cara has died at the age of 63.

American singer and actress Irene Cara was best known for performing the title track in the 1980 film Fame, as well as co-writing and singing the single 'Flashdance... What a Feeling', taken from the film Flashdance.

'Flashdance' earned Cara an Oscar and a Grammy Award.

Irene Cara also starred in various films, including projects opposite Clint Eastwood and Tatum O'Neal.

The performer's publicist announced her death, and said that she died at home in Florida but the cause is "currently unknown".

Irene Cara - Fame (Live)

Born in 1959 in New York City, Irene Cara was the youngest of five children, and began her career on Spanish-language TV in the States.

She recorded music as a child in both Spanish and English, and went on to appear in several on-and-off Broadway musicals.

In 1980, she became a worldwide star when she played the role of Coco Hernandez in Fame, and sang the film's title track.

This won her a Best Actress nomination at the 1981 Golden Globe Awards.

Irene Cara - "What A Feeling" (1983) - MDA Telethon

Cara later co-wrote and sang 'Flashdance… What A Feeling', from the 1983 movie Flashdance, which won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Publicist Judith A Moose credited the singer as a "beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films".