Eric Carmen, the leader of the Raspberries who went on to solo success with songs like “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes,” is dead at 74 years old.
A statement from wife Amy Carmen shared on the artist’s website reads, “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen. Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever.’”
Carmen first entered the spotlight as the leader of the Raspberries, who had a top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972 with “Go All The Way.” The group disbanded in 1975, after which Carmen pursued a successful solo career. His debut single was 1975’s “All By Myself,” which ended up being the highest-charting song of his discography with a peak at No. 2. His most enduring hit, though, is the 1987 Dirty Dancing soundtrack favorite, “Hungry Eyes.” The song peaked at No. 4 but has become a defining song of the ’80s and has nearly half a billion streams on Spotify, by far Carmen’s biggest success on the platform.
Carman’s sixth and final album was 2000’s I Was Born To Love You.