Cars Lead Singer Ric Ocasek Passes Away at 75
Monday, September 16, 2019
Ric Ocasek PHOTO: Adanne Osefoh/Flickr Commons
He was 75-years-old.
He leaves behind his ex-wife Paulina Porizkova, and two children.
Ocasek & The Cars
Ocasek founded The Cars in 1976 in Boston and served as the lead singer and main songwriter.
The other members of the band included bassist and singer Benjamin Orr; lead guitarist Elliot Easton; keyboardist Greg Hawkes; and drummer David Robinson.
The Cars had 13 top 40 singles and four top 10 albums in their career.
“The Cars were the ultimate New Wave dream machine: a hook-savvy super-charged quintet that fused 60s pop, 70s glam, and Avant-rock minimalism into a decade of dashboard-radio nirvana," the band's biography reads on the Hall of Fame website.
Some of their biggest hits include "Let the Good Times Roll," “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “You Might Think,” Bye Bye Love,” and “Let’s Go.”
The Cars were named "Best New Artist" in the 1978 Rolling Stone Readers' Poll and won "Video of the Year" for "You Might Think" at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.
Their debut album, The Cars, sold six million copies and appeared on the Billboard 200 album chart for 139 weeks.
The Cars broke up in 1988, but were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
Related Articles
- State’s Vietnam Memorial Gives Voice to those who Died
- Leonard Nimoy, Spock of Star Trek, Has Died at 83
- BREAKING: Former Providence Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci Has Died at 74
- 29 Rock Stars Who Have Died So Far in 2016
Delivered Free Every
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It