Eric Howard Carmen (August 11, 1949 – March 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries, known for their hit single “Go All the Way.” Eric Carmen’s dead at 74, later embarked on a successful solo career in the 1970s and 1980s, with chart-topping songs like “All by Myself. Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” “She Did It,” “Hungry Eyes,” and “Make Me Lose Control.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, Carmen showed musical talent from a young age. He started entertaining his parents with impressions at age two and began formal music training at the Cleveland Institute of Music at age three. Carmen learned to play the violin from his aunt and later taught himself guitar inspired by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Throughout high school, he played in various rock bands, refining his skills as a musician.
Solo Career
In 1976, Eric Carmen hit it big with his first solo singles. “All by Myself,” inspired by Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, reached number 2 in the US and sold over a million copies. Then came “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” based on Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, which topped the US Adult Contemporary Chart.
These tunes were part of his debut album, along with “That’s Rock and Roll,” which went gold in ’77. His second album, “Boats Against the Current,” dropped in ’77 too, but got mixed reviews. It did give us “She Did It,” though.
After some ups and downs, Carmen co-wrote “Almost Paradise” for the movie Footloose in ’84. Then in ’85, he came back strong with another self-titled album, featuring hits like “I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips” and “Hungry Eyes” from Dirty Dancing.
Carmen kept making music, releasing “I Was Born to Love You” in 2000 and even touring with Ringo Starr’s band that year. In 2013, he dropped a new track titled “Brand New Year,” marking his return after a 15-year break. Quite a journey, huh?
Personal Life
Carmen married three times; first to Marcy Hill (October 31, 1978 – August 3, 1979, divorced.) He shared two children, Kathryn and Clayton with second wife Susan Brown (May 22, 1993 – 2009, divorced.) He was survived by his third wife, former newscaster Amy Murphy who he married in 2016.
Eric Carmen’s dead at 74
Eric Carmen, the lead singer of the Raspberries and known for solo hits like “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes,” has passed away at 74. His wife, Amy, shared the sad news on his website. No cause of death was provided. We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Eric Carmen’s dead at 74, she wrote. He peacefully passed away in his sleep over the weekend. Knowing that his music touched countless lives over the decades brought him immense joy and will be his enduring legacy. We kindly ask for privacy as we grieve this immense loss.”
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