Eric Carmen, the singer behind the hits “Hungry Eyes” and “All by Myself,” died at the age of 74, his wife confirmed Monday.
No cause of death was provided in a statement on Carmen’s official website, except a tribute from wife Amy that said the American singer died in his sleep over the weekend.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” the statement said.
“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.”
Amy concluded with a line from Carmen’s song, “Love Is All That Matters,” taken from his 1977 solo album Boats Against the Current. She wrote: “Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.”
Carmen first found fame as frontman of the pop band Raspberries, before cementing a name for himself as a solo artist in the 1970s and ’80s. The Raspberries, best known for their biggest hit, “Go All the Way,” surged in the charts once again in 2014 after the song was used in the first Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, a stark contrast from being banned by the BBC for being too sexually explicit upon its 1972 release.
Carmen wrote or co-wrote most of the band’s songs, and when it split in the mid-’70s he soon became a successful solo artist with “All by Myself” in December 1975, the first single from his debut album, Eric Carmen.
“Never Gonna Fall in Love Again” followed the same year, and he continued to produce smash hits into the ’80s with the Dirty Dancing song “Hungry Eyes” and 1984’s love theme to Footloose, “Almost Paradise,” which he co-wrote and was recorded by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson.
News of Carmen’s passing brought tributes from musical legends including Slash. Carmen’s manger, David Spero, told Deadline: “I just heard the news that my lifelong friend and former client, Eric Carmen has passed away. His talents were world renowned and his legacy as a songwriter is known throughout the industry. His songs were done by everyone from Celine Dion to Hank Williams Jr. He will be missed. RIP Eric!”
