Irene Cara

Irene Cara (1959–2022) was an American singer, songwriter and actress who became one of the defining pop voices of the early 1980s. A performer since childhood, she appeared on the children's television show The Electric Company and in Broadway and off-Broadway productions before breaking through as an actress and vocalist in the 1980 film Fame, in which she starred and sang the title theme song, «Fame», a global hit that helped define the era's fusion of film and pop soundtrack culture.

Her career reached its commercial and critical peak with «Flashdance… What a Feeling», the theme from the 1983 film Flashdance, which she co-wrote and performed. The song topped the charts, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and earned Cara the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, cementing her as one of the leading voices of soundtrack-driven pop of the decade.

Beyond her two signature hits, Cara released additional recordings including «Out Here On My Own», «I Sing The Body Electric», «Girlfriends», «Be Your Number One» and «Love Survives», reflecting a blend of soulful pop balladry and uptempo dance-pop. Her work bridged musical theater roots with mainstream 1980s pop, and her soundtrack contributions remain closely tied to the visual and cultural identity of Fame and Flashdance.