Eric Carmen

Born August 11, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio, Eric Carmen was a Pop and Rock singer-songwriter best known for his time fronting power pop band The Raspberries (1972’s “Go All the Way”) and for his solo hits “All by Myself” (1975) and “Hungry Eyes” (1987). Eric Carmen learned to play music as a child and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He performed in bands during his high school years and took further study at John Carroll University. After some early singles including 1967’s “It's Cold Outside” (with The Choir), he became lead singer / guitarist of The Raspberries alongside bandmates Wally Bryson (guitar), Jim Bonfanti (drums), and Dave Smalley (bass / guitar). The group scored a number 5 hit with 1972’s “Go All the Way” and achieved two more Top 20 hits with “I Wanna Be with You” (1972) and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” (1974) before splitting up in 1975. Eric Carmen released his eponymous debut solo album in 1976, which went to number 21 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the success of the hit singles “All By Myself” (inspired by Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18) and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again”. His second solo album, Boats Against the Current (1977), was not as successful and the single “She Did It” didn’t even make the Top 20. His third album, Change of Heart (1978), included the title track, which reached number 19 on the singles chart but his 1980 album Tonight You’re Mine was not a hit and Eric Carmen left Arista Records. Working behind the scenes, Eric Carmen co-wrote the hit single “Almost Paradise” (1984), which was performed by Loverboy vocalist Mike Reno and Heart vocalist Ann Wilson. He didn’t return to the music scene as a solo artist until the 1985 album Eric Carmen, which included the hit single “I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips” (number 35). Two years later, he scored a surprise hit single with the song “Hungry Eyes,” which had been featured on the soundtrack to the hit film Dirty Dancing. In 1988, he released his final hit single “Make Me Lose Control,” which was featured on the album The Best of Eric Carmen, which had been released that same year. In 2000, Eric Carmen released is sixth and final solo album, I Was Born to Love You (issued as Winter Dreams in Japan). He reunited with his three original Raspberries bandmates in 2004 for a series of live dates into 2005, issuing two live albums from that short reunion tour: Live on the Sunset Strip (2007) and Pop Art Live (2017). Eric Carmen died in his sleep on March 9, 2024, of unknown causes.

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