Eric Carmen, the lead singer of Raspberries and known for solo hits like "Hungry Eyes" and "All by Myself," has died at the age of 74. His wife, Amy, whom he married in 2016, confirmed the news on his website on Monday. Amy urged fans to respect her request for privacy as she and his loved ones mourn their "enormous loss."
"It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen," Amy wrote. "Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend." The exact cause of Carmen's death is unclear at this time as Amy didn't give details.
A Star Is Gone
"It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy," the newscaster further wrote. Concluding her statement, she referred to his 1977 track "Love Is All That Matters," signing off with his lyrics: "Love Is All That Matters...Faithful and Forever."
He shot to fame with the release of his breakthrough hit, "Go All the Way," alongside the pop rock band Raspberries, formed in 1970.
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, the group achieved success in the early 1970s, drawing inspiration from iconic bands such as The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and Small Faces.
Following a five-year stint, the band decided to part ways professionally. Some of their most notable songs include "Let's Pretend," "I Wanna Be with You," "Tonight," and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)."
Despite being classically trained in piano, the rocker taught himself to play the guitar as a teenager, using a Beatles chord book as his guide.
After just four months, he successfully learned to play the guitar and then joined a band called Cyrus Erie while attending John Carroll University.
As a solo artist, he achieved significant success with hits like "All by Myself," "It Hurts Too Much," and "The Way We Used to Be." Additionally, his tracks such as "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," "She Did It," and the iconic "Hungry Eyes" from Dirty Dancing enjoyed remarkable success on the Billboard Hot 100.
In addition to his solo career, Carmen wrote for other artists, including Shaun Cassidy, who reached the top 10 with Carmen's compositions "Hey Deanie" and "That's Rock and Roll."
An Eventful Life
In 2004, he thrilled fans by reuniting with the original Raspberries members Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley. During one show, he reminisced about thinking they "were being radical."
"But FM radio thought we were being reactionary," he mused.
In another interview discussing the reunion with his former bandmates, Eric remarked, "People used to ask me, 'Why don't you guys get together and just play one gig?'"
"Because it takes the same amount of preparation for one good show as a six-month tour," he explained. "I never wanted to be the guy to put this band back on a stage and pop everyone's bubble and have them go home saying 'Oh, they weren't that good.'"
In 2013, he made a comeback with his first new song in 15 years, titled "Brand New Year."
Following news of his death, fans and musicians worldwide gathered to mourn him. Among the first to pay tribute on X (previously Twitter) was Kiss frontman Paul Stanley.
"Awful News. Eric Carmen has died,'" he wrote." Although known to many for writing radio hits like 'All By Myself' and others, Eric was a true rocker at heart. His voice had elements of McCartney and Steve Marriott. The Raspberries did shows with us. A killer band live & I loved their records."
