Harry Langdon
Singer and actress Irene Cara has been discovered useless in her Florida house on the age of 63.
Her publicist, Judith Moose, confirmed the information on Saturday which got here after the Oscar-winner was just lately the topic of a loss of life hoax.
“It's with profound unhappiness that on behalf of her household I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” Moose stated in an announcement. “Her reason for loss of life is at present unknown and can be launched when the knowledge is obtainable.”
“We’re all in shock,” she stated.
Cara was born within the Bronx, New York Metropolis, in 1959 she was the youngest of 5 kids and began her profession on Spanish-language TV.
Her father was Puerto Rican and her mom, Cuban-American.
She began performing as a baby, showing on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Present.
In 1971-72 she was an everyday on The Electrical Firm.
Cara gained some consideration in 1976 when she performed Sparkle, within the Joel Schumacher film of the identical title about three sisters who type a singing group in Fifties Harlem.
She additionally appeared within the sequel to Roots, taking part in Bertha Palmer Haley alongside Ruby Dee and Henry Fonda.
However her large break got here in 1980 when she performed Coco Hernandez within the hit musical Fame. Her efficiency garnered her a Finest Actress nomination on the 1981 Golden Globe Awards.
Irene Cara holds the Grammy for Flashdance ... What a Feeling, which took out the Finest Pop Vocal efficiency by a Feminine class.
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She additionally obtained two Grammy nominations for the musical and received Finest New Artist and Finest Feminine Pop Vocal Artist.
Cara went on to win a Grammy and an Oscar in 1984 with the title observe to Flashdance.
Tributes poured in for Cara, together with from her Fame co-star Lee Curreri, who starred reverse her within the film as Bruno Martelli, who shared a black-and-white picture of her on Instagram, with a caption consisting of a sole crimson coronary heart emoji.
Bruno Martelli (Lee Curreri) tries to persuade Coco Hernandez (Irene Cara) that they need to type a rock band, in a scene from Fame.
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Comic Yvette Nicole Brown stated Cara was “one of many first girls I noticed singing, dancing & performing in colour not B&W who appeared like me.”
“Mimicking her helped me discover my very own singing voice. I nonetheless have that tape. After which there was #Sparkle. Don’t even get me began on #IreneCara in Sparkle.”
Singer Deborah Cox known as Cara “certainly one of my largest inspirations rising up.”