Eric Carmen was a singer and musician first known as the lead singer of the Raspberries before finding success as a solo artist with such big hits as “Hungry Eyes” and “All by Myself.”
- Died: March 2024
- Details of death: Died at the age of 74.
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Eric Carmen’s legacy
Carmen grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio, and played music from an early age. He attended the Dalcroze Eurhythmics program at the Cleveland Institute of Music at just three years old, studied the violin at six, and was writing his own songs by his teens.
He attended John Carroll University, where he met the group that would become the Raspberries. Formed in 1970, Carmen provided vocals and wrote the band’s songs, using a pop-infused brand of rock now called “power pop.” Until their breakup in 1975, the Raspberries scored hits with songs like “Go All the Way,” “I Wanna Be with You,” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record).”
In 1975, Carmen launched a solo career and leaning into his talent for writing ballads, he was an immediate success. His first single, “All by Myself,” went to No. 2 on the charts. The next, “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” was another major success. He had another major hit in 1984 with “Hungry Eyes,” released on the soundtrack to the film “Dirty Dancing.”
Carmen also wrote for and played with other artists. He co-authored “Almost Paradise” for the “Footloose” soundtrack, which was performed by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, toured with Ringo Starr, and briefly reunited with the Raspberries in 2004 and 2005. His final song was “Brand New Year,” released in 2013.
Tributes to Eric Carmen
Full obituary: ABC News
