‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ singer-actor Irene Cara dies at 63
Cara left behind an array of hit albums, including “Til I Die” and “The Love I Lost,” and starred in a string of feature films.
Singer Irene Cara has died. She was 63.
Cara, a vocalist and actress whose career spanned decades, died July 10 in Los Angeles.
Her husband, Mike Smith, told People magazine that the cause of death was an “undiagnosed cancer.” Smith said Cara had recently undergone an emergency hysterectomy after suffering from complications with her cancer.
“That was a difficult decision for Mike and Irene,” Smith told People. “But we knew the risks and the treatment would put a great burden on him but would get Irene to the point where she could live with the uncertainty.”
Cara (born Jan. 18, 1965), whose nickname was “Tain’t a G’day Nothin,” was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the 1991 movie “The Birdcage.” But she was known for her voice and for her breakout role in 1982’s “For Your Love,” a cult hit that helped define the teen-culture phenomenon known as “the Spice Girls.” The song that went to No. 2 on the pop charts (“Spice Up Your Life”) was recorded by both Cara and her fellow “Spice Girls” friend, Cheryl Cole.
Cara was born in New York City and moved to Los Angeles when she was a teenager. She made her first television appearance on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1984, shortly after the introduction of the “Spice Girls,” and her first onscreen appearance was as one of the “girls” on the show’s third season in 1987.
She later had the leading role in “For Your Love,” followed by “Wicked” in 1989. Both were directed by Kevin S. Burke, who died June 27.
Cara appeared in the “Spice Girls” films “Spice World” (1987), “Spice World: The Movie�