'Fame' Singer Irene Cara Cause of Death Officially Revealed
"Flashdance" and "Fame" singer Irene Cara's cause of death has been revealed.
According to the Pinellas County medical examiner's office, her cause of death was hypertension and high cholesterol, specifically arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, Fox News reported.
Diabetes was also a contributing factor in her death. Cara passed away last November 25 at her Largo, Florida home at 63.
In a statement previously shared on Cara's official Twitter account, her publicist Judith A. Moose said: "Irene's family has requested privacy as they process their grief."
"She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films. Funeral services are pending, and a memorial for her fans will be planned at a future date," she added.
This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist. I can't believe I've had to write this, let alone release the news. Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene. I'll be reading each and every one of them and know she'll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans. - JM pic.twitter.com/TsC5BwZ3fh
— Irene Cara (@Irene_Cara) November 26, 2022
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Irene Cara's Career
Irene Cara was born Irene Escalera in the South Bronx, The New York Post reported.
She previously said that her father, Gaspar Escalera, a factory worker from Puerto Rico, brought merengue to the United States. Her Cuban-born mother, Louise Escalera, worked as a cashier.
Cara paved the way for Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey. She was reportedly Irene from the block 10 years before Jennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx.
Cara made her debut in the 1980 musical "Fame," where she sang the title track and played Coco Hernandez. She was nominated in the Grammys for best new artist and best female pop vocal for her performance.
She also co-wrote and sang the hit song, "Flashdance... What a Feeling," for the blockbuster film of the same name, which starred Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri in 1983.
Cara was recognized for her work on this song, receiving two Grammys and an Oscar for best original song. Cara's released her final album, "Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel," in 2011, PEOPLE reported.
After Cara's passing, Marian Carey shared a screenshot from the hit show "Fame" alongside her tribute to the late singer.
"I put on the original Fame in honor of the late, great Irene Cara," she wrote on Twitter. "Such an inspiration to so many, especially to me. Her beauty and talent is awe-inspiring in this movie. Rest in peace, dear angel."
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) November 27, 2022
'Fame' Singer Irene Cara Lived in Privacy in Her Last Years
The 1980s superstar reportedly became a "recluse" in recent years. Despite stating in a song, "Fame," about wanting people to remember her name, she allegedly turned her back on fame even during her last days.
Cara's neighbor across the street, Roseann Nolan, told The Post in December that Cara did not talk to anyone. She said she only knew that Cara lived there a few years ago.
Maria Contreras, 59, Cara's next-door neighbor, also told The Post that Cara never accepted her invitations to go for beach strolls or to hang around.
Contreras claimed that she tried to befriend her before knowing about her glamorous history but failed. She said no one was allowed to go inside the "Fame" singer's house, including the man who mowed the lawn.
"No one, including him, ever went inside her house... She greeted you outside by the garage," Contreras recalled.
Judith Moose and Betty McCormick, Cara's Los Angeles manager of nearly two decades, have different impressions of Cara. They told The Post that the singer left the music industry on her own terms but had tried to revive her career months before she died.
McCormick also told the outlet that she disagreed with the neighbors' characterization of Cara's final years but admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic had been difficult for the singer.
"She was very afraid of getting the [COVID] virus... She really struggled during that period," McCormick said.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Irene Cara, Fame and Flashdance Star, Dead at 63 - From Entertainment Tonight
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