Irene Cara

Irene Cara Escalera (born March 18, 1959),[3][4][5] known professionally as Irene Cara, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Cara sang and co-wrote the song 'Flashdance... What a Feeling' (from the movie Flashdance), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song [6] and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance[7] in 1984. Cara is also known for playing the role of Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film Fame, and for recording the film's title song 'Fame'. Prior to her success with Fame, Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film Sparkle.
== Early life ==
Cara was born in The Bronx, New York City, the youngest of five children.[8] Her father, Gaspar Escalera, a factory worker and retired saxophonist, was Puerto Rican,[8] and her mother, Louise, a movie theater usher, was Cuban-American. Cara has two sisters and two brothers. At the age of three, Irene Cara was one of five finalists for the "Little Miss America" pageant. She began to play the piano by ear, then studied music, acting, and dance seriously, first having dance lessons, aged five.[8] Her performing career started on Spanish-language television, professionally singing and dancing. She made early TV appearances on the Original Amateur Hour (singing in Spanish)[9] and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. In 1971–72, aged 13, she was a regular on PBS's educational program The Electric Company, as a member of the show's band, The Short Circus.[8] As a child, Cara recorded a Latin-market Spanish-language record and an English Christmas album. She also appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington that also featured Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack.
== Career ==
Boggs describes Cara as a "perfectionist" who works on a song until absolutely satisfied with it.[2]
Cara appeared in on-and off-Broadway theatrical shows including the musicals Ain't Misbehavin', The Me Nobody Knows (which won an Obie Award), Maggie Flynn opposite Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, and Via Galactica with Raúl Juliá. Cara was the original Daisy Allen on the 1970s daytime serial Love of Life.Next came her role as Angela in romance/thriller Aaron Loves Angela, followed by her portrayal of the title character in Sparkle. Television brought Cara international acclaim for serious dramatic roles in two outstanding mini-series, Roots: The Next Generations and Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones. John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28, named her one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976"; that same year, a readers' poll in Right On! magazine named her Top Actress. Cara graduated from the Professional Children's School in Manhattan.
=== Fame (1980) and international acclaim ===
The 1980 hit movie Fame, directed by Alan Parker, catapulted Irene Cara to stardom. Cara was originally cast as a dancer, but when producers David Da Silva and Alan Marshall and screenwriter Christopher Gore heard her voice, they re-wrote the role of Coco Hernandez. As Coco Hernandez, she sang both the title song "Fame" and the film's other single, "Out Here on My Own." These songs helped make the film's soundtrack a chart-topping, multi-platinum album. Further history was made at the Academy Awards that year: it was the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category and both sung by the same artist. Thus, Cara had the opportunity to be one of the few singers to perform more than one song at the Oscar ceremony; "Fame," written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford, won the award that year. Cara earned Grammy nominations in 1980 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical. Billboard named her Top New Single Artist, while Cashbox Magazine awarded her both Most Promising Female Vocalist and Top Female Vocalist. Asked by Fame TV series' producers to reprise her role as Coco Hernandez, she declined so as to focus her attention on her recording career. As a result, Erica Gimpel assumed the role.
=== Post-Fame 1980-1999 ===
Cara was slated to star in her own sitcom, Irene, on NBC in 1981. Even though the pilot aired and received favorable reviews, the network did not pick it up for its fall season. It also starred veteran performers Kaye Ballard and Teddy Wilson, as well as newcomers Julia Duffy and Keenen Ivory Wayans. In 1983, Cara appeared as herself in the film D.C. Cab, which is a film about a group of cabbies. The movie stars Mr. T. One of the characters, Tyrone played by Charlie Barnett, is an obsessed Cara fan who decorated his Checker Cab as a shrine to her. Her contribution to the film's soundtrack, "The Dream (Hold on To Your Dream)" played over the closing credits of the film, and was a minor hit, peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1984.
In 1982, Cara earned the Image Award for Best Actress when she co-starred with Diahann Carroll and Rosalind Cash in the NBCMovie of the Week, Maya Angelou's Sister, Sister. Cara portrayed Myrlie Evers-Williams in the PBS TV movie about civil rightsleader Medgar Evers, For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story; and earned an NAACP Image Award Best Actress nomination. She also appeared in 1982's Killing 'em Softly. In addition to her music and film work, Cara also continued to perform in live theater during this period. In the summer of 1980, she briefly played the role of Dorothy in The Wiz on tour, in a role that Stephanie Millshad first portrayed in the original Broadway production. Coincidentally, Cara and Mills had shared the stage together as children in the original 1968 Broadway musical Maggie Flynn, starring Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, in which both young girls played Civil War orphans.
In 1983, Cara reached the peak[citation needed] of her music career with the title song for the movie Flashdance: "Flashdance... What A Feeling", which she co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey. Cara penned the lyrics to the song with Keith Forsey while riding in a car in New York heading to the studio to record it; Moroder composed the music. Cara admitted later that she was initially reluctant to work with Giorgio Moroder because she had no wish to invite further comparisons with another artist who worked with Moroder, Donna Summer.[10] But the collaboration paid off and became a hit in several countries, garnering numerous accolades for Cara. She won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Song (Oscar), 1984 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and American Music Awards for Best R&B Female Artist and Best Pop Single of the Year. "Flashdance..." was re-recorded by Cara twice: in 1995 as a track in the original soundtrack for the movie "The Full Monty"; the second time in 2002, as a duet with Swiss artist DJ BoBo.
In 1984, she was in the comedic thriller City Heat, co-starring opposite Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds and singing the standards "Embraceable You" and "Get Happy." She also co-wrote the theme song "City Heat", which was sung by the jazz vocalist Joe Williams. In May of that year she scored her final Top 40 hit with "Breakdance" going to #8. The follow up, "You Were Made for Me" reached #78 that summer but then she never charted on the Hot 100 again. In 1985, Cara co-starred with Tatum O'Neal in Certain Fury, an exploitation underachiever about two troubled young women who flee a court hearing and are mistaken for killers. In 1986, Cara appeared in the film Busted Up. She also provided the voice of Snow White in the unofficial sequel to Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Filmation's Happily Ever After, in 1993. That same year, she appeared as Mary Magdalene in a tour of Jesus Christ Superstar opposite Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson and Dennis DeYoung.
Along with her career in acting and hit singles, Cara released several albums: Anyone Can See in 1982, What A Feelin' in 1983, and Carasmatic in 1987, the most successful of these being What A Feelin. In 1985, she collaborated with the Hispanic group Hermanos in the song "Cantaré, cantarás," in which she sang a solo segment with the Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo.
Cara toured Europe and Asia throughout the 1990s, achieving several modest dance hits on European charts, but no US chart hits. She released a compilation of Eurodance singles in the mid to late 1990s entitled Precarious 90's.
Cara has also worked as a backup vocalist for Vicki Sue Robinson, Lou Reed, George Duke, Oleta Adams and Evelyn "Champagne" King.
=== 21st century ===
In March 2004, Cara received two honors with an induction into the Ciboney Cafe's Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the sixth annual Prestige Awards. In June 2005, Cara won the third round of the NBC television series Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing "Flashdance (What a Feeling)" and covered Anastacia's song "I'm Outta Love" with her current all-female band, Hot Caramel. At the 2006 AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, Cara performed "Flashdance (What a Feeling)" as an opener to the pre-match entertainment.
In 2006, Cara contributed a dance single, titled "Forever My Love", to the compilation album titled Gay Happening Vol. 12.
As of 2016, Cara divided her residence between New Port Richey, Florida and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She works with her band Hot Caramel, which she formed in 1999.[11] Their album called Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel was released on April 4, 2011. Cara appeared in season 2 of CMT's reality show Gone Country,.
== Personal life ==
Cara married stuntman and film director Conrad Palmisano (who was 15 years her senior) in Los Angeles, California in April 1986[12] and they divorced in 1991.[13]
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums ===
Year	Title	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position	Chart position
Year	Title	US 	AUS 	CAN 	AUT 	GER 	SWI 	UK 	JP
1968	Esta Es Irene
* Released: 1968
* Formats: LP
* Label: GEMA	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982	Anyone Can See
* Released: 1982
* Formats: CD, Cassette
* Label: Network	76 	NA 	NA 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983	What a Feelin'
* Released: 1983
* Formats: LP, CD, Cassette
* Label: Network, Geffen (LP)	77 	49 	NA 	— 	29 	8 	— 	NA
1987	Carasmatic
* Released: 1987
* Formats: CD, Cassette
* Label: Elektra Records	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011	Irene Cara presents: Hot Caramel
* Released: 2011
* Formats: CD, Digital
* Label: Caramel Productions Music Inc.	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
=== Soundtrack appearances ===
Year	Album 	Track(s)
1971	The Me Nobody Knows 	"Black"
1980	Fame 	"Fame", "Out Here on My Own", "Hot Lunch Jam", "I Sing the Body Electric"
1982	Killing 'em Softly 	"City Nights"
1983	Flashdance 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling"
1983	D.C. Cab 	"The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream)"
1984	Going Bananas 	"Going Bananas" (TV series theme song)
1984	City Heat 	"Embraceable You", "Get Happy"
1985	Certain Fury 	"Certain Fury"
1986	Busted Up 	"Busted Up", "Dying For Your Love", "I Can't Help Feeling Empty", "She Works Hard For Her Money"
1986	The Longshot 	"The Long Shot"
1989	All Dogs Go to Heaven 	"Love Survives" (with Freddie Jackson)
1990	Happily Ever After 	"Love is the Reason"
1990	Caged in Paradiso 	"Paradiso"
1990	China Cry 	"No One But You"
1992	The Magic Voyage 	"We'll Always Be Together"
1995	The Full Monty 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling" (re-recording)
2004	Downtown: A Street Tale	"Downtown"
=== Singles ===
Year 	Single 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Peak chart positions 	Album
Year 	Single 	US 	US Dance 	US AC 	US R&B[14] 	UK[15] 	AUT 	GER 	NED 	NOR 	SWI 	Album
1980 	"Fame" 	4 	1 	— 	— 	1 	— 	— 	1 	— 	— 	Fame (soundtrack)
1980 	"Out Here on My Own" 	19 	— 	20 	— 	58 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Fame (soundtrack)
1982 	"Anyone Can See" 	42 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Anyone Can See
1982 	"My Baby (He's Something Else)" 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Anyone Can See
1983 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling" from the Flashdance Soundtrack 	1 	1 	4 	2 	2 	4 	3 	17 	1 	1 	What a Feelin'
1983 	"Why Me?" 	13 	7 	— 	41 	86 	— 	17 	— 	5 	4 	What a Feelin'
1983 	"The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)"from the D.C. Cab Soundtrack	37 	26 	— 	65 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	What a Feelin'
1984 	"Breakdance" 	8 	13 	— 	23 	88 	— 	n/a 	— 	— 	20 	What a Feelin'
1984 	"You Were Made for Me" 	78 	— 	10 	83 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	What a Feelin'
1987 	"Girlfriends" 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Carasmatic
2001 	"What a Feeling" (with DJ BoBo) 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	11 	3 	— 	— 	2 	Planet Colors
2004 	"Downtown" 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	Downtown: A Street Tale (soundtrack)
"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart 	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	"—" denotes releases that did not chart	
=== Vocal appearances on other albums ===
* 1986: The Brecker Brothers – Détente (background)
* 1987: Jimmy Maelen – Beats Workin'
* 1992: Stanley Turrentine – Home Again
* 2001: DJ Bobo – Planet Colors
* 2002: DJ Bobo – Celebration
== Stage acting ==
* 1968: Maggie Flynn
* 1970: The Me Nobody Knows
* 1972: Via Galactica
* 1978: Ain't Misbehavin' (replaced by Charlayne Woodard during previews)
* 1979: Got Tu Go Disco
* 1980: The Wiz
* 1993: Jesus Christ Superstar
* 1996: What a Feeling!: The Rock & Pop Musicals in Concert
== Filmography ==
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Note
1970–71	Love of Life 	Daisy Allen 	Daytime drama
1971–72	The Electric Company 	Iris 	Band member of the Short Circus
1976 	Kojak 	Amy 	Episode: "A Hair-Trigger Away"
1977 	What's Happening!! 	Maria 	Episode: "Rerun Gets Married"
1979 	Roots: The Next Generations 	Bertha Palmer Haley	Miniseries (3 episodes)
1980 	Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones 	Alice Jefferson 	Movie
1981 	Irene 	Irene Cannon 	Movie
1983 	For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story	Myrlie Evers 	American Playhouse movie
1988 	Bustin' Loose 	Herself 	Episode: "What's a Nice Girl Like You...?"
1991 	Gabriel's Fire 	Celine Bird 	Episode: "Birds Gotta Fly"
1992 	Hearts Are Wild 	Dorah 	Episode 1.8
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Note
1975	Aaron Loves Angela 	Angela 	
1976	Sparkle 	Sparkle Williams	
1976	Apple Pie 	Dancer 	
1980	Fame 	Coco Hernandez 	
1982	Killing 'em Softly 	Jane 	
1982	Sister, Sister 	Sissy Lovejoy 	
1983	D.C. Cab 	Herself 	
1984	City Heat 	Ginny Lee 	
1985	Certain Fury 	Tracy 	
1986	Busted Up 	Simone Bird 	
1990	Caged in Paradiso 	Eva 	
1990	Happily Ever After 	Snow White 	Voice role
1992	Beauty and the Beast 	Beauty 	Voice role
1992	The Magic Voyage 	Marilyn 	Voice role
1994	The Jungle King 	Leonette 	Voice role; direct-to-video
1995	Beyond Awareness to Action: Ending Abuse of Women	Herself/host 	Documentary short
2004	Downtown: A Street Tale 	Neighbor 	Cameo
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Association 	Category 	Nominated work 	Result
1980	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical 	Fame 	Nominated
1983	Golden Globe Awards	Best Original Song 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling" (shared withGiorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey) 	Won
1983	Academy Awards 	Best Original Song 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling" (shared with Giorgio Moroder and Keith Forsey)	Won
1984	Grammy Awards 	Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or A Television Special	Flashdance: Original Soundtrack 
(shared with other songwriters) 	Won
1984	Grammy Awards 	Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance 	"Flashdance... What a Feeling" 	Won