Irene Cara Escalara (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022)^[1] was an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. She co-wrote the song "Flashdance... What a Feeling" from the movie Flashdance. She won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song.^[2] For that same song, she also won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.^[3]

Cara played Coco Hernandez in the 1980 movie Fame and recorded the song of the same name. Before that, she played Sparkle Williams in the 1976 musical-drama movie Sparkle.

In 1982 Cara earned an Image Award for Best Actress when she co-starred in NBC's Movie of the Week, Sister, Sister.

Cara was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York.

Cara died November 25, 2022, at her home in Largo, Florida.^[4] She was 63 years old.

1. ↑ Stange, Ellen Silver (10 March 2016). New York State of Fame. ISBN 9781682890264. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
2. ↑ "Oscars 1984". Oscars.org. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
3. ↑ "Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal". Awards & Shows. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
4. ↑ "Irene Cara, 'Fame' and 'Flashdance... What a Feeling' Singer, Dead at 63: 'A Beautifully Gifted Soul'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2022-11-26.

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