Oscar-winning singer Irene Cara passes away at 63

Photo Courtesy : Twitter

Washington: Oscar-winning singer and actor Irene Cara, who rocketed to pop stardom singing the title tracks to `Fame` and `Flashdance`, passed away at the age of 63. Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, saying that the cause of death is "currently unknown." 

"Irene`s family has requested privacy as they process their grief," Moose wrote in a statement, adding, "She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films." 

According to a report by US-based entertainment portal Variety, Cara first gained notoriety as Coco Hernandez as a High School of Performing Arts (now Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School) student with aspirations of becoming a famous actress.  

Cara not only performed in the movie, but also sang `Fame,` the film`s soundtrack. That song and `Out Here on My Own,` another Cara-sung number from `Fame,` would later be nominated for an Academy Award for best Oiginal Song`. Despite director Alan Parker`s initial skepticism, they were successful because composer Michael Gore called him shortly after working with Cara in the studio to inform him that they had a vocal powerhouse on their hands. 

Since Cara had performed on stage and on television since she was a young girl, many similarities between her and her character influenced her acting. With `Flashdance... What a Feeling,` a contagious song of empowerment that she co-wrote and sang, Cara would go on to score an even bigger hit. The romantic drama from 1983 about a dancer who aspires to be a ballerina found huge commercial success. 

The film won an Academy Award for `Best Original Song` and a Grammy award for `Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The number gained fresh popularity after she re-recorded the song with DJ BoBo for 1997`s `The Full Monty`, Also among Cara`s films are `City Heat` with Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood; `Certain Fury` with Tatum O`Neal, and `Jesus Christ Superstar` in the 1990s. She was married to stuntman and director Conrad Palmisano from 1986 to 1991.