Eric Carmen, a member of the ’70s American pop band Raspberries and the voice behind the solo hit song “All By Myself,” has died. He was 74.
His wife Amy Carmen shared the sad news in a statement posted on the singer’s official website late Monday night.
“Our sweet, loving, and talented Eric passed away in his sleep over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know that his music touched so many for decades and will be his lasting legacy… Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever,” the statement read, with the last line lifted from Carmen’s other popular song, “Love Is All That Matters” (1977).
The cause of death was not mentioned.
Born on 11 August 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, Carmen started his rise to stardom as part of Raspberries. He referred to his band mates as “his heroes” in his biography.
With the band calling it quits in 1975 after half a decade of making music together, Carmen went solo and eventually established a successful career.
He recorded and produced “All By Myself” that same year. It instantly became a hit internationally and, 21 years later, topped the charts once again when Celine Dion released her own version of the song.
Carmen’s songs were also featured in movie soundtracks: “Almost Paradise” in the 1984 dance-themed flick Footloose and “Hungry Eyes” in the 1987 romantic drama Dirty Dancing. His work in Footloose earned for him a nomination for Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.
Paul Stanley, a member of the rock band KISS, recalled with appreciation Carmen’s contributions to music. “Eric was a true rocker at heart. His voice had elements of [Paul] McCartney and Steve Marriott,” Stanley said on social media website X.