American singer Irene Cara dies at 63

Irene Cara, an Oscar and Grammy winner best remembered for writing the early 1980s theme songs for "Fame" and "Flashdance," has passed away, according to her publicist. She was 63.

"Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene," Judith Moose said in a tweet announcing the singer's death. "I'll be reading each and every one of them and know she'll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans.

"She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films."

Cara passed away at home in Florida. Moose stated that there is no known cause of death.

Prior to playing a teen in the films "Aaron Loves Angela" and "Sparkle," Cara made an appearance on the TV show "Electric Company" when she was younger.

Her big break came in the 1980 musical "Fame," which was about the High School for Performing Arts in New York. She played Coco Hernandez. The title track from the film and the ballad "Out Here on My Own" were both hits for her. She received nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe that year.

Three years later, "Flashdance... What a Feeling," another radio hit for which Cara co-wrote the lyrics, was released. For this song, she won an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

She has had several other successful songs, such as "Why Me" and "Breakdance." Additionally, she appeared in films like "City Heat" with Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, "D.C. Cab" with Mr. T, and "Certain Fury" with Tatum O'Neal.

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