Eric Carmen, the singer and songwriter known for hits like “Hungry Eyes” and “All By Myself,” has died, his wife Amy announced on his official website. Carmen was 74 years old.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen.” she wrote. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep over the weekend. It brought him great joy knowing that for decades his music touched so many people and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family's privacy as we grieve. our enormous loss.”
Amy Carmen then quoted her husband's song “Love Is All That Matters” and ended the post with “Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever.”
An Ohio native, Carmen first found success as the lead singer of the power-pop band Raspberries, scoring hits such as “Go All the Way,” “Let's Pretend,” “I Wanna Be With You” and “Overnight Sensation ( Hit Record).
He began a solo career in late 1975, and his first two solo singles were big hits in 1976: “All By Myself” and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again.”
ATLANTA – NOVEMBER 10: American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Eric Carmen, former member of The Raspberries, performs at Alex Cooley's Electric Ballroom on November 10, 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. (Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage)
Tom Hill/WireImage
During that time, Carmen's songs began to be recorded by other artists, including Shaun Cassidy, who reached the top 10 with Carmen's compositions “Hey Deanie” and “That's Rock and Roll.” Carmen continued to release singles as an artist, but she took a break from the music industry in 1980.
After co-writing the hit 1984 “Footloose” soundtrack, “Almost Paradise,” recorded by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, Carmen resurfaced in 1985 with a comeback hit, “I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips.” But it was the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” that really brought him back to the fore: his contribution to the soundtrack – “Hungry Eyes” – was a top 10 hit, and he reached the top five with “Make Me Lose Control” from 1988.”
In 2000, Carmen toured as part of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band. In 2013, she released her first new song in 15 years, “Brand New Year,” part of a best-of-2014 compilation.
