Eric Carmen Dies: The Raspberries’ ‘Go All The Way’ Singer Who Had Solo Hit With ‘All By Myself’ Was 74

Bruce Haring
·2 min read
2
Eric Carmen Dies: The Raspberries’ ‘Go All The Way’ Singer Who Had Solo Hit With ‘All By Myself’ Was 74
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Eric Carmen, who was the frontman of power pop band The Raspberries before going on to solo success, has died at 74.

His wife, Amy Carmen, posted the news on the singer’s website. He apparently died in his sleep during the weekend, but no other details were given.

More from Deadline

“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” she wrote. “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 was born on August 11, 1949, in the Cleveland suburbs. He first rose to fame with the Raspberries’ 1972 breakout hit, “Go All the Way,” which hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in Canada. The group’s 1973 sophomore album featured the Top 40 single “Let’s Pretend,” which the Bay City Rollers covered three years later.

The Raspberries broke up, and by the mid-1970s, Carmen moved on as a successful solo artist with the No. 2 pop single “All by Myself” and follow-up hit “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again.” His run of hits continued into the ’80s with “Hungry Eyes” (1987) and “Make Me Lose Control” (1988), both of which reached the pop Top 5 in the U.S.

His former manager, David Spero, shared a statement after learning of his passing: “I just heard the news that my lifelong friend and former client, Eric Carmen has passed away. His talents were world renowned and his legacy as a songwriter is known throughout the industry. His songs were done by everyone from Celine Dion to Hank Williams Jr. He will be missed. RIP Eric!”

Survivors include his wife. No memorial plans have been announced.

DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO:

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.