You should definitely check out the movie Flashdance. The video shows clips from the film. RIP to Irene who was a great singer, actress and songwriter. You should also check out the songs Fame and Out Here on My Own from the movie “Fame”. Irene played Coco in the movie too.
Definitely watch the movie FLASDANCE, and this song will make perfect sence. Jennifer Beals is the actress, the dancer. The skater (can't remember her name) the blonde, played in Dirty Dancing. Irene Cara, RIH, gave us the everlasting gifts of her beautiful sound ❤️.
A very flashy reaction 📸💃🏽! Flashdance What A Feeling was released as the lead single from Irene Cara's 1983 album: What A Feelin'. It was also released as a single from the Flashdance movie soundtrack. It was written by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder. The song reached #1 on the Hot 100, #1 on the Dance Club chart, #1 on the Cash Box 100, #2 on the Soul Singles chart and #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached #1 in Australia, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland. Irene Cara won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female. She and her song co-writer/producer also were awarded an Oscar Award for Best Original Song. The music video was directed by Adrian Lyne and features clips from the film: Flashdance, which was the primary driver of the leg warmers trend of the 1980s. The dance scenes in the music video and in the movie, were performed by body double Marine Jahan. It was a well kept secret that actress Jennifer Beals did not dance in the film. The word "Flashdance" never appears in the song's lyrics, but the song still relates to the movie, as it's specifically about dancing. Irene Cara was an accomplished dancer who not only sang the title song to Fame, but also starred in the film as an aspiring dancer. Said Irene Cara: "'What A Feeling' was a metaphor about a dancer, how she's in control of her body when she dances and how she can be in control of her life". The backing track is powered by a LM-1 drum machine, programmed by Richie Zito, who also played guitar on the track. Producer Giorgio Moroder was an early adopter of the LM-1, which was the first programable unit to use real drum samples instead of synthesized sounds. The song has been covered by many artists including 📻: Celin Dion, Mona Carita, Sylvie Vartan, Marcia Hines, Miki Asakura, Sass Sylvia, Joelma, Brenda Howens and more. Song Credits 📝: Irene Cara - lead vocals Joe Esposito - backing vocals Stephanie Spruill - backing vocals Maxine Willard Waters - backing vocals Richie Zito - guitar Keith Forsey - drums Sylvester Levay - keyboards; arranger Legacy 🛡: On Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1983, it came in at number 3. The single was certified Gold for selling over one million copies by the RIAA. In 1998, "Flashdance... What A Feeling", came in at number nine on Billboard magazine's list of the top 10 soundtrack songs, and on the Songs of the Century list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2001, the song was listed at number 256. In 2004, it finished at number 55 on AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema, and in 2008, the song was ranked at number 26 on Billboard's All Time Top 100, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100. When Rolling Stone magazine ranked the 20 Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances in 2016, Irene Cara's appearance at the 1984 Academy Awards was listed at number 20. In 2018, Insider included the title song on its list of 35 of the most iconic movie songs of all time, generously adding that it "has a special place in pop culture history". That same year, it came in at number 34 on Billboard's list of the "600 most massive smashes over the Hot 100's music chart six decades", and in 2019, the magazine ranked the song at number 11 on its list of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs by Women. In 2023, the song was chosen by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry. Irene Cara Info 📰: Irene Cara Escalera was born on March 18, 1959 in The Bronx, New York. She passed away on November 25, 2022 in Largo, Florida. She was a singer, songwriter and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film: Fame, and for recording the film's title song: "Fame", which reached No. 1 in several countries. In 1983, Irene Cara co-wrote and sang the song: "Flashdance... What a Feeling", from the 1983 film: Flashdance, movie soundtrack for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. Before her success with Fame, Irene Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film: Sparkle. She began to play the piano by ear, studied music, acting, and dance, and began taking dance lessons when she was five. Her performing career started with her singing and dancing professionally on Spanish-language television. She made early TV appearances on The Original Amateur Hour (singing in Spanish) and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. In 1971-1972, she was a regular on PBS's educational program The Electric Company as a member of the Short Circus, the show's band. As a child, Irene Cara recorded a Spanish-language record for the Latin market and an English-language Christmas album. She also appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington, which featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr, and Roberta Flack. Irene Cara attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan. In 1985, she told Cosmopolitan: "I don't mean to sound immodest, but I'd never had any doubt that I'd be successful, nor any fear of success; I was raised as a little goddess who was told she would be a star". Irene Cara appeared in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, starting with Maggie Flynn (1968) opposite Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. Shortly thereafter, she was one of five finalists for the "Little Miss America" pageant. She also appeared in the stage plays Via Galactica with Raúl Juliá, Ain't Misbehavin' and The Me Nobody Knows (which won an Obie Award). Irene Cara was the original Daisy Allen on the 1970s daytime serial Love Of Life. She later took on the role of Angela in the 1975 romance/thriller film: Aaron Loves Angela, followed by her portrayal of the title character in the 1976 film: Sparkle. Television brought Irene Cara international acclaim for serious dramatic roles in the television movies- Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones (1980). John Willis' Screen World Vol. 28, named her one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976", that same year, a readers' poll in the African American teen magazine: Right On!, named her as their Top Actress. The 1980 hit film: Fame, catapulted Irene Cara to stardom. She originally was cast as a dancer, but when producers David Da Silva and Alan Marshall and screenwriter Christopher Gore heard her voice, they re-wrote the role of Coco Hernandez for her to play. In this part, she sang both the title song: "Fame", and the movie soundtrack single: "Out Here On My Own", which were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. These songs helped make the film's soundtrack a chart-topping, multi-Platinum album, and it was the first time that two songs from the same film and sung by the same artist were nominated in the same category. Irene Cara had the opportunity to be one of the few singers to perform more than one song at the Oscar ceremony: "Fame", won the award for best original song that year, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Irene Cara earned Grammy Award nominations in 1980 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard named her Top New Single Artist, and Cashbox magazine awarded her both Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist. Asked by Fame TV series producers to reprise her role as Coco Hernandez, she declined, wanting to focus her attention on her music career; actress Erica Gimpel then assumed the role in the television series. In 1980, she briefly played the role of Dorothy in the stage play: The Wiz On Tour, in a role that Stephanie Mills had portrayed in the original Broadway production. Coincidentally, Irene Cara and Stephanie Mills had shared the stage together as children in the original 1968 Broadway musical: Maggie Flynn, starring Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, in which both young girls played American Civil War orphans. Irene Cara was set to star in the sitcom Irene in 1981. The cast had veteran performers Kaye Ballard and Teddy Wilson as well as newcomers Julia Duffy and Keenen Ivory Wayans. However, the pilot was not picked up by the network for the fall season. In 1983, Irene Cara appeared as herself in the film: DC Cab. One of the characters, Tyrone, played by Charlie Barnett, is an obsessed Irene Cara fan who decorated his Checker Cab as a shrine to her. The movie soundtrack single: "The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream)", her contribution to the film's soundtrack, played over the closing credits of the film, and was a minor hit, peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1984. In 1982, Irene Cara earned the Image Award for Best Actress when she co-starred with Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash in the NBC Movie o Of The Week: Sister, Sister. Irene Cara portrayed Myrlie Evers-Williams in the PBS television movie: For Us The Living The Medgar Evers Story, and she earned an NAACP Image Award Best Actress nomination. She also appeared in the 1982 film: Killing 'Em Softly. *****CONTINUE BELOW*****
In 1983, Irene Cara reached the peak of her music career with the title song for the 1983 movie Flashdance: "Flashdance... What a Feeling", which she co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. She wrote the lyrics to the song with Keith Forsey while riding in a car in New York heading to the studio to record it. Irene Cara admitted later that she was initially reluctant to work with Giorgio Moroder because she had no wish to invite comparisons with Donna Summer, another artist who worked with Giorgio Moroder. The song became a hit in several countries, attracting several awards for Irene Cara. She shared the 1983 Academy Award for Best Original Song with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey, becoming the first black woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting category and the youngest to receive an Oscar for songwriting. She also won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and American Music Awards for Best R&B Female Artist and Best Pop Single of the Year. In 1984, she was in the comedic thriller film: City Heat, co-starring with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds and singing the movie soundtrack songs: "Embraceable You" and "Get Happy". She also co-wrote the theme song: "City Heat", sung by the Jazz vocalist Joe Williams. In May 1984, she scored her final Top 40 hit song with the single: "Breakdance", going to No. 8. Another single: "You Were Made For Me", reached No. 78 that summer, but she did not appear on the Hot 100 again. In 1985, Irene Cara co-starred with Tatum O'Neal in the film: Certain Fury. In 1986, she appeared in the film: Busted Up. She also provided the voice of Snow White in the unofficial sequel to Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Filmation's Happily Ever After, in 1993. The same year, she appeared as Mary Magdalene in a tour of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, and Dennis DeYoung. Irene Cara released three studio albums: Anyone Can See in 1982, What A Feelin' in 1983, and Carasmatic in 1987, the most successful of these being her album: What A Feelin'. She also worked as a backup vocalist for Vicki Sue Robinson, Lou Reed, George Duke, Oleta Adams, and Evelyn "Champagne" King. In 1985, she collaborated with the Hispanic charity supergroup Hermanos in the song: "Cantaré, Cantarás", in which she sang a solo segment with the Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo. Irene Cara toured Europe and Asia throughout the 1990s, achieving several modest dance hits on European music charts, but no US music chart hits. She released a compilation of Eurodance singles in the mid-to-late 1990s titled: Precarious 90's. In 1993, a California jury awarded her $1.5 million from a 1985 lawsuit she filed against record executive Al Coury and Network Records, accusing them of withholding royalties from the Flashdance movie soundtrack and her first two solo records. Irene Cara stated that, as a result, she was labeled as being difficult to work with and that the music industry "virtually blacklisted" her. Although she began receiving royalties for the recordings she made for them, the record label and its owner declared bankruptcy and claimed that they were unable to pay her the $1.5 million settlement she was awarded by a Los Angeles Superior Court. In 2004, Irene Cara received two honors with an induction into the Ciboney Cafe's Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the sixth annual Prestige Awards. In 2005, she won the third round of the NBC television series: "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time", performing "Flashdance... What A Feeling" and covered Anastacia's song: "I'm Outta Love", with her all-female band" Hot Caramel. At the 2006 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, Irene Cara performed a rendition of "Flashdance" as an opener to the pre-match entertainment. Irene Cara was also in Hot Caramel, a band which she formed in 1999. Their album: Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel, was released in 2011. Irene Cara appeared in season 2 of CMT's reality show Gone Country but left after the second episode after contestants Sean Young's drunken actions during the night. Irene Cara Passing 🙏🏽: At the time of her passing, Irene Cara was a resident of Largo, Florida, and maintaining a secondary address in New Port Richey, Florida where her company: Caramel Productions, was located. She passed away from arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease at her home on November 25, 2022, at 63 years of age. Her body was subsequently cremated after her funeral service and the ashes were given to her family members. Irene Cara Acting Credits 📽: 1. Television Love Of Life (1970-71) The Electric Company (1971-72) Kojak (1976) What's Happening!! (1977) Roots: The Next Generations (1979) Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones (1980) Irene (1981) PBS American Playhouse: For Us The Living The Medgar Evers Story (1983) Bustin' Loose (1988) Gabriel's Fire (1991) Hearts Are Wild (1992) Hit Me, Baby, One More Time (2005) Gone Country (2008) *Left Show After Second Episode 2. Films & Documentaries Aaron Loves Angela (1975) Sparkle (1976) Apple Pie (1976) Fame (1980) Killing 'Em Softly (1982) Sister, Sister (1982) DC Cab (1983) City Heat (1984) Certain Fury (1985) Busted Up (1986) Caged In Paradiso (1989) Happily Ever After (1989) Voice Beauty And The Beast (1992) Voice The Magic Voyage (1992) Voice The Jungle King (1994) Voice Beyond Awareness To Action: Ending Abuse Of Women (1995) The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996) Voice Downtown: A Street Tale (2004) Stage Credits 🎬: Maggie Flynn (1968) The Me Nobody Knows (1970) Via Galactica (1972) Lotta (1973) Ain't Misbehavin' (1978) *Replaced By Charlayne Woodard During Previews Got Tu Go Disco (1979) The Wiz (1980) Jesus Christ Superstar (1992) What A Feeling!: The Rock & Pop Musicals In Concert (1996) Irene Cara Albums 📀: Ésta Es Irene (1967) Anyone Can See (1982) What A Feelin' (1983) Carasmatic (1987) Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel (2011) Some more good Irene Cara songs 🎶: Fame, Out Here On My Own, Anyone Can See, The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream), Falling In Love, Black, Hot Lunch Jam, Why Me?, Downtown, City Nights, Breakdance, Out Here On My Own, Get Happy, Love Survives, I Sing The Body Electric, Love Survives, Embraceable You, Certain Fury, Busted Up, The Longshot, Paradiso, Dying For Your Love, I Can't Help Feeling Empty, You Took My Life Away, Romance '83, Cue Me Up, Soul Beat, Letter To A Fan, Caramel Dreams, Life In The Fast Lane, Receiving, The Best, You Were Made For Me, Keep On, El Ejercito A Go Go, She Works Hard For Her Money, No One But You, Serafino, We'll Always Be Together, Quedense Con Nosotros, Todo Lo Que Tengo, Callate Niña, Super Pitagorico, Mi Corazón Canta, La La La, Amigo Pedro, Miguel E Isabel, Reach Out I'll Be There, My Baby (He's Something Else), Don't Throw Your Love Away, Slow Down, Whad'Ya Want, Get A Grip, We're Gonna Get Up, Now That It's Over, Your Luv, Movin' On, Say Goodnight Irene, How Can I Make U Luv Me, Silky Smooth, Tell Me, Kiss And Walk Away, Don't Wanna Let Go, Be Your Number One, Give Me Love, Forgive Me, Something' Old Somethin' New, No One Could Luv U More, Stop Frontin', Love Will Rise Again, You Hurt Me Once, Thunder In My Heart, Makin' Love With Me, You Will Not Lose, Why, True Love, I Can Fly, Ola Ola Ola, Love Is The Reason, Never Alone, Keep On, All My Heart, Rhythm Of My Life, Girlfriends, You Don't Luv, Misty Blue, One Step Closer, You Need Me (Ti Sento), Forever My Love, Cantaré Cantarás and You Were Made For Me. Fun Fact 🕵🏽♀: The song: "Flashdance... What A Feeling", was the title song to the movie: Flashdance, and one of the first films not fitting into the "musical" movie category that was centered around songs. As more people started watching MTV, it became easier and more acceptable to integrate Pop songs into films, which led to movies like Footloose (1984) and Dirty Dancing (1987).
Composed by King Giorgio Moroder. 3 Oscar and 4 Golden Globe. He composed the soundtracks for Scarface, Top Gun, Flashdance, Neverending Story, American Gigolò, Midnight Express, Over the Top.. Oh my God!
You should definitely check out the movie Flashdance. The video shows clips from the film. RIP to Irene who was a great singer, actress and songwriter. You should also check out the songs Fame and Out Here on My Own from the movie “Fame”. Irene played Coco in the movie too.
Great song, incredible singer. Rip irene Cara
Irene Cara - 'Fame' and 'The Dream'
Irene passed away around this time last year.
r.i.p irene you truly were beautiful
R.I.P Irene
RIP Irene Cara 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾1959-2022🎤💐
Nice song, i remember the movie Flashdance
Definitely watch the movie FLASDANCE, and this song will make perfect sence. Jennifer Beals is the actress, the dancer. The skater (can't remember her name) the blonde, played in Dirty Dancing. Irene Cara, RIH, gave us the everlasting gifts of her beautiful sound ❤️.
🌹❤️
Unapologetically jam this every time I hear it ❤️
딱 여기까지....
참 좋아했다...
⚘💐🌺💐She didn't get her Flowers 💐🌻💐🌹
Just recently passed away not so long ago🕊
A very flashy reaction 📸💃🏽! Flashdance What A Feeling was released as the lead single from Irene Cara's 1983 album: What A Feelin'. It was also released as a single from the Flashdance movie soundtrack. It was written by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara. It was produced by Giorgio Moroder. The song reached #1 on the Hot 100, #1 on the Dance Club chart, #1 on the Cash Box 100, #2 on the Soul Singles chart and #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached #1 in Australia, Canada, Spain, Denmark, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland. Irene Cara won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female. She and her song co-writer/producer also were awarded an Oscar Award for Best Original Song.
The music video was directed by Adrian Lyne and features clips from the film: Flashdance, which was the primary driver of the leg warmers trend of the 1980s. The dance scenes in the music video and in the movie, were performed by body double Marine Jahan. It was a well kept secret that actress Jennifer Beals did not dance in the film.
The word "Flashdance" never appears in the song's lyrics, but the song still relates to the movie, as it's specifically about dancing. Irene Cara was an accomplished dancer who not only sang the title song to Fame, but also starred in the film as an aspiring dancer. Said Irene Cara: "'What A Feeling' was a metaphor about a dancer, how she's in control of her body when she dances and how she can be in control of her life".
The backing track is powered by a LM-1 drum machine, programmed by Richie Zito, who also played guitar on the track. Producer Giorgio Moroder was an early adopter of the LM-1, which was the first programable unit to use real drum samples instead of synthesized sounds.
The song has been covered by many artists including 📻: Celin Dion, Mona Carita, Sylvie Vartan, Marcia Hines, Miki Asakura, Sass Sylvia, Joelma, Brenda Howens and more.
Song Credits 📝:
Irene Cara - lead vocals
Joe Esposito - backing vocals
Stephanie Spruill - backing vocals
Maxine Willard Waters - backing vocals
Richie Zito - guitar
Keith Forsey - drums
Sylvester Levay - keyboards; arranger
Legacy 🛡:
On Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1983, it came in at number 3.
The single was certified Gold for selling over one million copies by the RIAA.
In 1998, "Flashdance... What A Feeling", came in at number nine on Billboard magazine's list of the top 10 soundtrack songs, and on the Songs of the Century list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2001, the song was listed at number 256.
In 2004, it finished at number 55 on AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema, and in 2008, the song was ranked at number 26 on Billboard's All Time Top 100, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100.
When Rolling Stone magazine ranked the 20 Greatest Best Song Oscar Performances in 2016, Irene Cara's appearance at the 1984 Academy Awards was listed at number 20.
In 2018, Insider included the title song on its list of 35 of the most iconic movie songs of all time, generously adding that it "has a special place in pop culture history". That same year, it came in at number 34 on Billboard's list of the "600 most massive smashes over the Hot 100's music chart six decades", and in 2019, the magazine ranked the song at number 11 on its list of the Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs by Women.
In 2023, the song was chosen by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
Irene Cara Info 📰:
Irene Cara Escalera was born on March 18, 1959 in The Bronx, New York. She passed away on November 25, 2022 in Largo, Florida. She was a singer, songwriter and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film: Fame, and for recording the film's title song: "Fame", which reached No. 1 in several countries. In 1983, Irene Cara co-wrote and sang the song: "Flashdance... What a Feeling", from the 1983 film: Flashdance, movie soundtrack for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. Before her success with Fame, Irene Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film: Sparkle.
She began to play the piano by ear, studied music, acting, and dance, and began taking dance lessons when she was five. Her performing career started with her singing and dancing professionally on Spanish-language television. She made early TV appearances on The Original Amateur Hour (singing in Spanish) and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. In 1971-1972, she was a regular on PBS's educational program The Electric Company as a member of the Short Circus, the show's band. As a child, Irene Cara recorded a Spanish-language record for the Latin market and an English-language Christmas album. She also appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington, which featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr, and Roberta Flack. Irene Cara attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan. In 1985, she told Cosmopolitan: "I don't mean to sound immodest, but I'd never had any doubt that I'd be successful, nor any fear of success; I was raised as a little goddess who was told she would be a star".
Irene Cara appeared in Broadway and off-Broadway shows, starting with Maggie Flynn (1968) opposite Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. Shortly thereafter, she was one of five finalists for the "Little Miss America" pageant. She also appeared in the stage plays Via Galactica with Raúl Juliá, Ain't Misbehavin' and The Me Nobody Knows (which won an Obie Award). Irene Cara was the original Daisy Allen on the 1970s daytime serial Love Of Life. She later took on the role of Angela in the 1975 romance/thriller film: Aaron Loves Angela, followed by her portrayal of the title character in the 1976 film: Sparkle.
Television brought Irene Cara international acclaim for serious dramatic roles in the television movies- Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones (1980). John Willis' Screen World Vol. 28, named her one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976", that same year, a readers' poll in the African American teen magazine: Right On!, named her as their Top Actress.
The 1980 hit film: Fame, catapulted Irene Cara to stardom. She originally was cast as a dancer, but when producers David Da Silva and Alan Marshall and screenwriter Christopher Gore heard her voice, they re-wrote the role of Coco Hernandez for her to play. In this part, she sang both the title song: "Fame", and the movie soundtrack single: "Out Here On My Own", which were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. These songs helped make the film's soundtrack a chart-topping, multi-Platinum album, and it was the first time that two songs from the same film and sung by the same artist were nominated in the same category.
Irene Cara had the opportunity to be one of the few singers to perform more than one song at the Oscar ceremony: "Fame", won the award for best original song that year, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Irene Cara earned Grammy Award nominations in 1980 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard named her Top New Single Artist, and Cashbox magazine awarded her both Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist. Asked by Fame TV series producers to reprise her role as Coco Hernandez, she declined, wanting to focus her attention on her music career; actress Erica Gimpel then assumed the role in the television series.
In 1980, she briefly played the role of Dorothy in the stage play: The Wiz On Tour, in a role that Stephanie Mills had portrayed in the original Broadway production. Coincidentally, Irene Cara and Stephanie Mills had shared the stage together as children in the original 1968 Broadway musical: Maggie Flynn, starring Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, in which both young girls played American Civil War orphans. Irene Cara was set to star in the sitcom Irene in 1981. The cast had veteran performers Kaye Ballard and Teddy Wilson as well as newcomers Julia Duffy and Keenen Ivory Wayans. However, the pilot was not picked up by the network for the fall season.
In 1983, Irene Cara appeared as herself in the film: DC Cab. One of the characters, Tyrone, played by Charlie Barnett, is an obsessed Irene Cara fan who decorated his Checker Cab as a shrine to her. The movie soundtrack single: "The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream)", her contribution to the film's soundtrack, played over the closing credits of the film, and was a minor hit, peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1984.
In 1982, Irene Cara earned the Image Award for Best Actress when she co-starred with Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash in the NBC Movie o Of The Week: Sister, Sister. Irene Cara portrayed Myrlie Evers-Williams in the PBS television movie: For Us The Living The Medgar Evers Story, and she earned an NAACP Image Award Best Actress nomination. She also appeared in the 1982 film: Killing 'Em Softly.
*****CONTINUE BELOW*****
In 1983, Irene Cara reached the peak of her music career with the title song for the 1983 movie Flashdance: "Flashdance... What a Feeling", which she co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. She wrote the lyrics to the song with Keith Forsey while riding in a car in New York heading to the studio to record it. Irene Cara admitted later that she was initially reluctant to work with Giorgio Moroder because she had no wish to invite comparisons with Donna Summer, another artist who worked with Giorgio Moroder. The song became a hit in several countries, attracting several awards for Irene Cara. She shared the 1983 Academy Award for Best Original Song with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey, becoming the first black woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting category and the youngest to receive an Oscar for songwriting. She also won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and American Music Awards for Best R&B Female Artist and Best Pop Single of the Year.
In 1984, she was in the comedic thriller film: City Heat, co-starring with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds and singing the movie soundtrack songs: "Embraceable You" and "Get Happy". She also co-wrote the theme song: "City Heat", sung by the Jazz vocalist Joe Williams. In May 1984, she scored her final Top 40 hit song with the single: "Breakdance", going to No. 8. Another single: "You Were Made For Me", reached No. 78 that summer, but she did not appear on the Hot 100 again.
In 1985, Irene Cara co-starred with Tatum O'Neal in the film: Certain Fury. In 1986, she appeared in the film: Busted Up. She also provided the voice of Snow White in the unofficial sequel to Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Filmation's Happily Ever After, in 1993. The same year, she appeared as Mary Magdalene in a tour of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, and Dennis DeYoung.
Irene Cara released three studio albums: Anyone Can See in 1982, What A Feelin' in 1983, and Carasmatic in 1987, the most successful of these being her album: What A Feelin'. She also worked as a backup vocalist for Vicki Sue Robinson, Lou Reed, George Duke, Oleta Adams, and Evelyn "Champagne" King. In 1985, she collaborated with the Hispanic charity supergroup Hermanos in the song: "Cantaré, Cantarás", in which she sang a solo segment with the Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo. Irene Cara toured Europe and Asia throughout the 1990s, achieving several modest dance hits on European music charts, but no US music chart hits. She released a compilation of Eurodance singles in the mid-to-late 1990s titled: Precarious 90's.
In 1993, a California jury awarded her $1.5 million from a 1985 lawsuit she filed against record executive Al Coury and Network Records, accusing them of withholding royalties from the Flashdance movie soundtrack and her first two solo records. Irene Cara stated that, as a result, she was labeled as being difficult to work with and that the music industry "virtually blacklisted" her. Although she began receiving royalties for the recordings she made for them, the record label and its owner declared bankruptcy and claimed that they were unable to pay her the $1.5 million settlement she was awarded by a Los Angeles Superior Court.
In 2004, Irene Cara received two honors with an induction into the Ciboney Cafe's Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the sixth annual Prestige Awards. In 2005, she won the third round of the NBC television series: "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time", performing "Flashdance... What A Feeling" and covered Anastacia's song: "I'm Outta Love", with her all-female band" Hot Caramel. At the 2006 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, Irene Cara performed a rendition of "Flashdance" as an opener to the pre-match entertainment.
Irene Cara was also in Hot Caramel, a band which she formed in 1999. Their album: Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel, was released in 2011. Irene Cara appeared in season 2 of CMT's reality show Gone Country but left after the second episode after contestants Sean Young's drunken actions during the night.
Irene Cara Passing 🙏🏽:
At the time of her passing, Irene Cara was a resident of Largo, Florida, and maintaining a secondary address in New Port Richey, Florida where her company: Caramel Productions, was located. She passed away from arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease at her home on November 25, 2022, at 63 years of age. Her body was subsequently cremated after her funeral service and the ashes were given to her family members.
Irene Cara Acting Credits 📽:
1. Television
Love Of Life (1970-71)
The Electric Company (1971-72)
Kojak (1976)
What's Happening!! (1977)
Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones (1980)
Irene (1981)
PBS American Playhouse: For Us The Living The Medgar Evers Story (1983)
Bustin' Loose (1988)
Gabriel's Fire (1991)
Hearts Are Wild (1992)
Hit Me, Baby, One More Time (2005)
Gone Country (2008) *Left Show After Second Episode
2. Films & Documentaries
Aaron Loves Angela (1975)
Sparkle (1976)
Apple Pie (1976)
Fame (1980)
Killing 'Em Softly (1982)
Sister, Sister (1982)
DC Cab (1983)
City Heat (1984)
Certain Fury (1985)
Busted Up (1986)
Caged In Paradiso (1989)
Happily Ever After (1989) Voice
Beauty And The Beast (1992) Voice
The Magic Voyage (1992) Voice
The Jungle King (1994) Voice
Beyond Awareness To Action: Ending Abuse Of Women (1995)
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996) Voice
Downtown: A Street Tale (2004)
Stage Credits 🎬:
Maggie Flynn (1968)
The Me Nobody Knows (1970)
Via Galactica (1972)
Lotta (1973)
Ain't Misbehavin' (1978) *Replaced By Charlayne Woodard During Previews
Got Tu Go Disco (1979)
The Wiz (1980)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1992)
What A Feeling!: The Rock & Pop Musicals In Concert (1996)
Irene Cara Albums 📀:
Ésta Es Irene (1967)
Anyone Can See (1982)
What A Feelin' (1983)
Carasmatic (1987)
Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel (2011)
Some more good Irene Cara songs 🎶: Fame, Out Here On My Own, Anyone Can See, The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream), Falling In Love, Black, Hot Lunch Jam, Why Me?, Downtown, City Nights, Breakdance, Out Here On My Own, Get Happy, Love Survives, I Sing The Body Electric, Love Survives, Embraceable You, Certain Fury, Busted Up, The Longshot, Paradiso, Dying For Your Love, I Can't Help Feeling Empty, You Took My Life Away, Romance '83, Cue Me Up, Soul Beat, Letter To A Fan, Caramel Dreams, Life In The Fast Lane, Receiving, The Best, You Were Made For Me, Keep On, El Ejercito A Go Go, She Works Hard For Her Money, No One But You, Serafino, We'll Always Be Together, Quedense Con Nosotros, Todo Lo Que Tengo, Callate Niña, Super Pitagorico, Mi Corazón Canta, La La La, Amigo Pedro, Miguel E Isabel, Reach Out I'll Be There, My Baby (He's Something Else), Don't Throw Your Love Away, Slow Down, Whad'Ya Want, Get A Grip, We're Gonna Get Up, Now That It's Over, Your Luv, Movin' On, Say Goodnight Irene, How Can I Make U Luv Me, Silky Smooth, Tell Me, Kiss And Walk Away, Don't Wanna Let Go, Be Your Number One, Give Me Love, Forgive Me, Something' Old Somethin' New, No One Could Luv U More, Stop Frontin', Love Will Rise Again, You Hurt Me Once, Thunder In My Heart, Makin' Love With Me, You Will Not Lose, Why, True Love, I Can Fly, Ola Ola Ola, Love Is The Reason, Never Alone, Keep On, All My Heart, Rhythm Of My Life, Girlfriends, You Don't Luv, Misty Blue, One Step Closer, You Need Me (Ti Sento), Forever My Love, Cantaré Cantarás and You Were Made For Me.
Fun Fact 🕵🏽♀: The song: "Flashdance... What A Feeling", was the title song to the movie: Flashdance, and one of the first films not fitting into the "musical" movie category that was centered around songs. As more people started watching MTV, it became easier and more acceptable to integrate Pop songs into films, which led to movies like Footloose (1984) and Dirty Dancing (1987).
Composed by King Giorgio Moroder. 3 Oscar and 4 Golden Globe. He composed the soundtracks for Scarface, Top Gun, Flashdance, Neverending Story, American Gigolò, Midnight Express, Over the Top.. Oh my God!