Irene Cara Parents: Meet Gaspar Cara, Louise Cara

Irene Cara was an American singer and actress. Cara was born in New York City’s Bronx to Gaspar Cara and Louise Cara.

Her father, Gaspar Escalera, was a Puerto Rican factory worker and retired saxophonist, and her mother, Louise, was a Cuban-American movie theater usher.

She began playing the piano by ear, then studied music, acting, and dance seriously, beginning with dance lessons at the age of five.

In 1984, Cara sang and co-wrote the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (from the film Flashdance), for which she received an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Cara is also known for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film Fame, as well as her recording of the film’s title song “Fame.”

Cara received two honors in March 2004, including induction into the Ciboney Cafe’s Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Prestige Awards.

Irene Cara, an award-winning singer, songwriter, and actor, passed away at the age of 63 on November 25, 2022 from an undisclosed cause