Eric Carmen, Frontman of the ’70s Group The Raspberries and “Hungry Eyes” Singer, Dies at 74
Musician Eric Carmen, best known as the frontman of the Raspberries and as a solo artist, passed away at the age of 74. Some of his greatest hits were “All By Myself and “Hungry Eyes.” His wife, Amy Carmen confirmed the sad news on his website.
She wrote, referencing his song “Love Is All That Matters,” “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen. 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. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.’”
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In the ’70s, he was known as the singer and songwriter of the Raspberries, who inspired countless musicians, especially early ’90s bands such as the Posies and even Nirvana. After the band broke up, he became a successful solo artist and is perhaps best known for the song “Hungry Eyes,” which was featured in the ’80s classic Dirty Dancing.
Unfortunately, Carmen never reached the charts again after the ’80s, and his final album was released in 2000. He also joined Ringo Starr‘s All-Starr Band on tour in 2000. In the mid-2000s, the Raspberries got back together briefly for several live shows. A 2005 show was released as a live album. Carmen helped create music for many Hollywood films including Footloose, Almost Famous, Shrek 2, and more. In recent years, he seemingly retired from the music world but kept in touch with fans on social media.
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Before he died, he got to see the Raspberries have another comeback of sorts, when the song “Go All the Way” was placed on the first Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. He is survived by his wife and two children.
70s Pop Idols
May 2019
The biggest and best from the worlds of rock and disco!
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