From The New York Times: "Ric Ocasek, the songwriter, rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the Cars, was found dead on Sunday afternoon at his townhouse in Manhattan. He was 75 (correction: Washington Post says 70). The New York City medical examiner’s office said the cause was high blood pressure and heart disease. Mr. Ocasek’s wife, the model and actress Paulina Porizkova, said in an Instagram post that he had been recovering from surgery. From 1978 to 1988, Mr. Ocasek (pronounced oh-CASS-eck) and the Cars merged a vision of romance, danger and nocturnal intrigue and the concision of new wave music with the sonic depth and ingenuity of radio-friendly rock. The Cars managed to please both punk-rock fans and a far broader pop audience, reaching into rock history while devising fresh, lush extensions of it. ....... Mr. Ocasek’s lead vocals mixed a gawky, yelping deadpan with hints of suppressed emotion, while his songs drew hooks from basic three-chord rockabilly and punk, from surf-rock, from emerging synth-pop, from echoes of the Beatles and glam-rock, and from hints of the 1970s art-rock avant-garde. Each of the five albums the Cars released from 1978 to 1984 sold a million copies in the United States alone, with ubiquitous radio singles like “Just What I Needed” in 1978, “Shake It Up” in 1981, “You Might Think” in 1984 and “Drive” in 1984. Although Mr. Ocasek wrote them, “Just What I Needed” and “Drive” had lead vocals by Mr. Orr." Some of my personal favorites:
One of my all-time favorites. He was as cool as the other side of the pillow. How about a little love for his solo career? And how about a couple from The Cars last album? RIP
A lot of folks are wondering who the next one will be - you know they always go in threes... Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek - who next? Probably not Keith Richards - he's immortal (what kind of world will we leave him?).
The Cars and Blondie were the bands that intrigued 8-9 year old me with the idea that there was something new and exciting in music other than hard rock, soft rock and disco. There was no British new wave on the radio where I lived, and certainly no punk. But I got the feeling that something different was coming, and that when I was a teenager we would have fun new bands of our own. The Cars' first album is one of the most perfect first albums ever. I made a cassette (Maxell XLII C90's always!) of the record and played it over and over on my off-brand Walkman. I remember checking the TV listings to catch the repeat of them on The Midnight Special. It is a great regret that I never saw them live. Thanks, Ric Ocasek.
RIP, Ric Ocasek. I can't say that the Cars was ever one of my favorite bands, but he was without question a unique talent who left behind a lot of memorable creations. I wonder which reported age is correct. Wiki says he was born in 44, which would indeed make him 75. It would also make him 34 when he had his first success. That's even older than Sting was.
Yeah, I've seen multiple sources reporting different ages. I imagine he might have given different ages, when he first started performing, to not seem "too old" to be a rock star.
A bad week for 80's icons for sure. The Cars were one of my favorite 80's bands, a shame they didn't do more before Ben died.