American actress and singer Irene Cara Escalera. In 1980, Cara shot to fame after playing Coco Hernandez in the musical film Fame and releasing the film’s theme song, “Fame,” which became a worldwide smash.
Cara received an Oscar and a Grammy for her performance of “Flashdance… What a Feeling” from the film of the same name in 1983, for which she also shared writing credit. Cara portrayed Sparkle Williams in the first version of the 1976 musical drama film Sparkle before she became famous for her role in Fame.
Bio:-
Read More:-
Early Life
Cara is the youngest of five kids and she was born in The Bronx in New York City. Her father was a former saxophone and manufacturing worker from Puerto Rico named Gaspar Cara, while her mother was an usher from Cuba named Louise Escalera. Cara’s siblings were two sisters and two brothers. She was one of five contestants in the 2003 “Little Miss America” competition.
She began attending ballet classes at age five and taught herself to play the piano and act by ear. Her professional performing career began with appearances on Spanish-language television, where she sang and danced. She first appeared on television in the 1950s, when she sang on The Original Amateur Hour and Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
She was a member of the Electric Company’s house band, the Short Circus, and a regular performer on the show during its first season on PBS in 1971–1972. When Cara was younger, she made a record in Spanish for the Latin market and a Christmas CD in both English and Spanish. She also shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack in a monumental event honoring Duke Ellington.
It was in Manhattan when Cara enrolled at the Professional Children’s School.
Read More:-
Career
Irene made her acting debut as Daisy Allen on the CBS soap opera “Love of Life” in 1970, and she has since been in off-Broadway versions of the musicals “Ain’t Misbehavin'” (1978), “The Wiz” (1980), and “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1993). She had roles in the 1975 comedy “Aaron Loves Angela,” the 1976 drama “Apple Pie,” and the 1976 musical drama “Sparkle,” in which she portrayed the title character. The 1979 miniseries “Roots: The Next Generations,” in which Cara played Bertha Palmer Haley, received a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series. Cara also appeared as a guest star on “Kojak” (1976) and “What’s Happening!!” (1977).
In “John Willis’ Screen World, Vol. 28,” she was dubbed one of the “Promising New Actors of 1976,” and in a “Right On!” magazine reader’s poll, she was voted the year’s best actress. Irene was featured as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film “Fame,” in which she also sang the songs “Fame” and “Out Here on My Own.” Both songs were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but ultimately, “Fame” won the award. The song “Fame” topped the “Billboard” Dance Club Songs chart and was number one in five other countries. It was certified gold in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. On the “Billboard” Hot 100, “Out Here on My Own” peaked at #19. Billboard awarded Cara the Best New Artist with a Single, while Cashbox voted her the Best Female Vocalist and Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year.
Getty
Irene featured in several movies and television shows throughout the 1980s, including “Killing ’em Softly” (1982), “Sister, Sister” (1982), “D.C. Cab” (1983), “City Heat” (1984), “Certain Fury” (1985), “Busted Up” (1986), and “Caged in Paradiso” (1989). Debut album “Anyone Can See” peaked at #76 on the “Billboard” 200 and #39 on the “Billboard” Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums when it was released in 1982. In 1983, Irene scored her biggest hit with “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which was certified 2× Platinum in Canada, Platinum in France, and Gold in the U.S., Denmark, and Italy. Cara won an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe thanks to the success of “Shallow,” which hit number one in the charts in over a dozen countries. There are other lists that have included “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” including “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Songs” (#55), “Songs of the Century” (#256) by the Recording Industry Association of America, and “The ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs” (#26).
Read More:-
In 1987, Irene released her third album, “Charismatic” on Elektra Records, then she guest-starred on “Gabriel’s Fire” (1991) and “Hearts Are Wild” (1992) and hosted the documentary short “Beyond Awareness to Action: Ending Abuse of Women” (1995). (1995). After appearing in a cameo role in the 2004 film “Downtown: A Street Tale,” she went on to compete in the third round of the 2005 season of the NBC singing competition “Hit Me, Baby, One More Time,” where she ultimately won with her renditions of “Flashdance… What a Feeling” and “I’m Outta Love” by Anastacia (which she performed with Hot Caramel, her all-female band). Her song “Forever My Love” appeared on the 2006 compilation album “Gay Happening Vol. 12,” and in 2011 she published her fourth studio album, “Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel.”
Personal Life
On April 13, 1986, in Los Angeles, Irene wed Conrad Palmisano, an actor, film director, and stuntman. They finally split up after being married for five years. Cara appeared in Palmisano’s 1986 film “Busted Up,” and Conrad’s 1985 science fiction western, Space Rage.
Net Worth
By her untimely demise in November of 2022, American singer and actress Irene Cara had amassed a fortune of $2 million According to celebrity net worth. The song “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” which appeared in the 1983 film of the same name, was performed and co-written by Irene Cara, who went on to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy for her efforts. Irene portrayed Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical drama “Fame,” in which she also sang the film’s title song, “Fame,” which became a worldwide hit and won Cara her first Grammy nomination.
Aside from her Broadway appearances in Maggie Flynn, The Me Nobody Knows, Via Galactica, and Got Tu Go Disco, Irene has released the studio albums Anyone Can See, What a Feelin’, Charismatic, and Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel. The list of films and TV shows in which Cara has appeared includes “Sparkle,” “Killing ’em Softly,” “D.C. Cab,” and “City Heat,” as well as “Sister, Sister,” “Roots: The Next Generations,” and “Love of Life.” Irene provided her voice for the role of Snow White in the 1990 animated musical “Happily Ever After,” as well as for the characters in the movies Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Voyage, and The Jungle King.
Death
On November 25, 2022, at the age of 63, Irene Cara passed away in her Florida home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Irene Cara Play the Piano?
It is said that Ms. Cara, a New York City native, could play the piano by ear at the tender age of five after taking music, acting, and dance classes as a youngster. She enrolled at Manhattan’s Professional Children’s School, a performing arts and academic institution for young students.
Has Irene Cara Divorced or Separated?
Mrs. Cara’s 1986 marriage to stuntman Conrad Palmisano ended in divorce in 1991. There is a sister who will carry on after her passing.
Was Irene Cara in Fame?
On this day in 2022, we remember the life and career of Irene Cara Escalera, an American singer, and actress who was born on March 18, 1959, and passed away on November 25, 2022. The song “Fame,” which Cara recorded for the film and which topped the charts in several countries, catapulted Cara to fame in 1980, when the film was released. The Big Apple, New York, USA.
Summary
Cara Escalera is an American actress and singer. She shot to fame after playing Coco Hernandez in the musical film Fame. Cara received an Oscar and a Grammy for her performance of “Flashdance. What a Feeling” from the film of the same name. Irene Cara played Daisy Allen on the CBS soap opera “Love of Life”. Irene was featured as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film “Fame”.
Cara has appeared in off-Broadway versions of the musicals “Ain’t Misbehavin'” and “The Wiz”. Her biggest hit was “Flashdance. What a Feeling,” which was certified 2× Platinum in Canada, Platinum in France, and Gold in the U.S. Irene won “Hit Me, Baby, One More Time” in 2005. Irene Cara was born on March 18, 1959, and passed away on November 25, 2022. Irene portrayed Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical drama “Fame” Irene provided her voice for the role of Snow White in the 1990 animated musical “Happily Ever After”.
Comments are closed.