Eric Carmen, the frontman of pop rock band the Raspberries who would later go on to have a profitable solo profession with hits reminiscent of “All By Myself,” “Hungry Eyes” and “By no means Gonna Fall in Love Once more,” has died. He was 74.
Carmen’s spouse Amy posted information of the singer’s dying on his official web site. “It’s with super unhappiness that we share the heartbreaking information of the passing of Eric Carmen,” Amy Carmen wrote. “Our candy, loving and gifted Eric handed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It introduced him nice pleasure to know, that for many years, his music touched so many and will likely be his lasting legacy. Please respect the household’s privateness as we mourn our huge loss.”
No reason for dying was given.
In a music profession that spanned 4 a long time, Carmen gained a following, and located chart success, for his wealthy, excessive tenor voice that made him one of many distinctive singers in pop historical past. With the Raspberries, Carmen and his bandmates, by way of hits reminiscent of “Go All of the Means” and “Let’s Faux,” laid the foundations for energy pop music that will grow to be fashionable after the band disbanded. As a solo act, Carmen grew to become synonymous with slick energy ballads reminiscent of “By no means Gonna Fall in Love Once more,” “She Did It, “Hungry Eyes,” “Make Me Lose Management” and naturally “All By Myself,” that charted the world over and have grow to be classics.
Eric Carmen performs at Alex Cooley’s Electrical Ballroom on Nov. 10, 1975, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tom Hill/WireImage
Born in Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 11, 1949, Carmen was singing and enjoying devices from an early age and have become a classically educated pianist. The British Invasion bands of the mid-Sixties, together with The Beatles and Rolling Stones, the Who and the Kinks, had been an early and vital affect on Carmen.
After showing in a a number of native Cleveland bands, together with The Choir, Carmen together with Wally Bryson, Jim Bonfanti and Dave Smalley shaped the Raspberries. The band was shaped as a response to prog rock which was fashionable on the time, with Carmen and his bandmates eager to concentrate on songwriting and harmonies. The Raspberries launched their first, eponymous, studio album in 1972 by way of Capitol, that featured the ability pop they grew to become famed for. Though the album didn’t crack the highest 50 of the Billboard charts, the document featured the singles “Don’t Need to Say Goodbye,” which reached No. 86 on the charts, and “Go All of the Means,” that hit No. 5.
The Raspberries would launch three additional studio albums — Contemporary (1972), Facet 3 (1973) and Beginning Over (1974) — however the band’s had misplaced industrial momentum and disbanded in 1975. The band’s different notable songs embody “I Wanna Be With You,” “Tonight” and “In a single day Sensation (Hit File).” Carmen had written or co-written all of the Raspberries songs.
Now a solo act, Carmen discovered instant success together with his debut album, Eric Carmen, launched in November 1975 by way of Arista Information. Leaning into smooth rock and energy pop ballads, Arista boss Clive Davis prompt the album’s lead single ought to be “All By Myself” which grew to become a monster radio smash, that hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts, and charted excessive within the U.Ok., Canada, Australia and different huge markets.
“All By Myself,” constructed upon Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, was licensed Gold within the U.S. and U.Ok. and would later be coated by Celine Dion.
Firmly established as a popstar, Carmen launched his second studio album, Boats Towards the Present, to nice expectation in 1977, though the recording of the album was fraught with issues and value overruns. With quite a bit using on the success of the album, its industrial efficiency was a disappointment, with Boats Towards the Present peaking at No. 45 on the Billboard chart. The document did spawn the singles “She Did It” and “Love Is All That Issues.”
Carmen launched two extra albums with Arista — Change of Coronary heart (1978) and Tonight You’re Mine (1980) — however neither actually troubled the highest of the charts, and he signed with Geffen Information for his fourth studio album, 1984’s Eric Carmen, his second self-titled album. Eric Carmen additionally struggled to make an impression, regardless of that includes the highest 40 hit “I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips.”
Nevertheless, because it appeared Carmen’s chart profession was winding down, he had an enormous success singing the tune “Hungry Eyes” from the Soiled Dancing soundtrack. Written by Franke Previte and John DeNicola, “Hungry Eyes” grew to become Carmen’s greatest hit, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard chart and charting all around the world.
Carmen was scorching once more, and capitalizing on the success of “Hungry Eyes” he launched the only “Make Me Lose Management” in Could 1988. The tune, co-written with Dean Pitchford, was one other huge hit and hit No. 3 on the Billboard chart. The tune, which didn’t seem on any albums and was at all times thought-about as one thing of its personal factor by Carmen, proved to be his final hurrah and he didn’t launch any new music once more until 2000’s I Was Born to Love You, his remaining studio album.
