Irene Cara, Fame and Flashdance Singer, Has Died

Irene Cara as Coco in Fame (1980).

Remember Her Name: Irene Cara Dies at 63

Irene Cara won an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe for “What a Feeling” the hit song from the Flashdance Soundtrack. She also starred in and performed the theme to Fame, the 1980 movie that later was turned into a TV show.

Cara was the vulnerable, talented, ambitious Coco in the Fame movie. She performed several of the songs from the movie besides the theme song, such as “Out Here on My Own.”

Similar to “What a Feeling,” “Fame” won an Oscar, but she did not share writing credit; she wrote the lyrics to “What a Feeling.”

Her publicist announced her passing on Twitter and said they haven’t determined the cause of death yet.