Ric Ocasek, the legendary lead singer of The Cars, has been found dead at his Manhattan home. He was 75-years old.
The Cars formed in Boston in 1976. Their debut album in 1978 sold over six million copies in the USA and generated the classics ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’, ‘Just What I Needed’ and ‘Good Times Roll’.
Album two, ‘Candy-O’ in 1979 gave them their first Top 10 hit out of Australia with ‘Let’s Go’.
In the early 80s The Cars were one of the biggest bands in the world generating hits like ‘Shake It Up’, ‘You Might Think’ and ‘Drive’.
The Cars broke-up in 1988 after their 1987 album ‘Door To Door’ failed to have the impact of their previous albums. ‘You Are The Girl’ became their final hit song.
Rumours of a reunion began following the release of The Cars Anthology through Rhino but it never eventuated. Then in 2000, co-founder, bass guitarist and singer Benjamin Orr was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died in September of that year at age 53.
In 2005 Elliott Easton and Greg Hawkes attempted to reform the band but Ocasek was not interested. Instead, they brought in Todd Rundgren and performed for the next two years as The New Cars. Their was no new music from this line-up.
Then in 2011, Ocasek, Easton, Hawkes and drummer David Robinson did get together and debut their first song together in nearly 30 years ‘Sad Song’.
In May 2011 The Cars released their seventh and final album ‘Move Like This’ and performed 11 shows in North America.
Ric Ocasek also released seven solo albums. In 1986 he reached no 8 in Australia with ‘Emotion In Motion’.
Ric had six sons, two from each of his three marriages. No this stage, no cause of death has been announced.
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