Photo: Eric Carmen | By Chris Willman, Jem Aswad, Variety | Eric Carmen, who became an icon of early ’70s power pop as the frontman of the Raspberries before achieving solo success with hits like “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes,” has died at age 74.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” his wife, Amy Carmen, wrote on the singer’s website. wrote. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.’”
The latter quote from Carmen’s wife is a callback to the song “Love Is All That Matters,” from his 1977 solo album “Boats Against the Current.” No cause of death or exact date of death has been announced.
While mostly known as a balladeer, in his early years the Cleveland-born musician was the primary singer and songwriter of the Raspberries, who rebelled against the heavy, glam and progressive-rock scenes of the early ’70s and threw back to the Beatlesesque pop they were raised on. Carmen was not only a deft (if deliberately derivative) songwriter but also a full-throttle rock and roll shouter in the Paul McCartney/ Steve Marriott tradition, and the author of several classic songs of the genre, including the band’s highly suggestive first and biggest hit, “Go All the Way,” as well as “I Wanna Be With You,” “Let’s Pretend,” “Tonight” and “Overnight Sensation.”
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Read more about Mr. Carmen’s life and career here, along with videos in case you can’t quite remember the songs:
https://variety.com/2024/music/obituaries-people-news/eric-carmen-dead-raspberries-singer-all-by-myself-go-all-the-way-1235938937/
Photo: Eric Carmen | From Eric Carmen Forum’s Facebook page
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
From Dr. Annette Cannon: Loving reminder. Since it is the Spring Season, and we know this is a very difficult time for some, try and make a connection, if not for yourself, then perhaps for someone else. One of the risks for suicide is social isolation, and there’s scientific evidence for reducing suicide risk by making sure we connect with one another. We don’t always know who is struggling, but we do know that one conversation could save a life.
If you are thinking of committing suicide, please think of how much it will hurt your family and friends, and maybe cause them a whole lot of trouble and financial problems. Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
March 2024
13: Sadi Mohammad, 70, Bangladeshi singer and composer.
11: Boss, 54, American rapper (“Deeper”), kidney failure; Eric Carmen, 74, American musician (Raspberries), singer (“Hungry Eyes”), and songwriter (“All by Myself”); Pete Rodriguez, 89, American pianist (“I Like It Like That”) and bandleader.
10: Blake Harrison, 48, American musician (Pig Destroyer, Hatebeak); T. M. Stevens, 72, American bass guitarist (The Pretenders), complications from dementia; Marc Tobaly, 74, Moroccan-born French guitarist and composer; Karl Wallinger, 66, Welsh musician (The Waterboys, World Party) and songwriter (“Ship of Fools”).
9: Malcolm Holcombe, 68, American singer-songwriter, respiratory failure; Vince Power, 76, Irish music festival promoter; Guy Touvron, 74, French trumpeter; Jonathan Zak, 91, Israeli pianist.
8: Abdou Cherif, 52, Moroccan singer, heart attack; Ernie Fields Jr., 89, American baritone saxophonist and session musician; Lubomír Stankovský, 72, Slovak pop rock musician (Modus).
7: Pedro Altamiranda, 88, Panamanian singer; Joe Cutajar, 83, Maltese singer (Helen and Joseph); Françoise Garner, 90, French soprano; Steve Lawrence, 88, American singer (“Go Away Little Girl”, “Footsteps”) and actor (The Blues Brothers), complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
6: Dimos Moutsis, 85, Greek singer-songwriter and composer; Aleksandr Sibirtsev [ru], 88, Russian operatic tenor.
5: Linda Balgord, 64, American stage actress and singer (The Pirate Queen, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera); Debra Byrd, 72, American singer and vocal coach; Brahim Fribgane, Moroccan musician (La Mar Enfortuna); Pavel Zajícek, 72, Czech poet, musician (DG 307) and visual artist, pneumonia; Amnon Weinstein, 84, Israeli luthier.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2024
Eric Carmen, Raspberries Frontman And ‘All By Myself’ Singer, Dies At 74 // Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths
