Paul Stanley, Steven Van Zandt Mourn Eric Carmen’s Passing

Author Brian Ives // Managing Editor, Beasley Media

March 12th 7:33 AM

Last night, the family of power-pop and easy-listening singer Eric Carmen announced that he had passed away over the weekend. On his official website, his wife, Amy Carmen, wrote, “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen. 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.'” He was 74. No cause of death has been announced.

“Love is all that matters… faithful and forever,” is a quote from Carmen’s 1977 song, “Love Is All That Matters.”

Eric Carmen’s Career

In the 1970s, Carmen was the frontman for a Beatles-influenced power-pop band, the Rasberries. Their hits included “Go All The Way” and “Overnight Senstation.” After the band broke up, Carmen became a solo artist, scoring a massive hit with “All By Myself” in 1975. Decades later, in 1996, Celine Dion covered the song. Carmen enjoyed another massive hit with “Hungry Eyes” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack in 1987.

In 2000, Carmen had a bit of a full-circle moment when he joined Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band, performing Beatles songs with the band’s drummer. More recently, the Rasberries had a pop culture moment when “Go All The Way” was used on the very popular soundtrack of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

After the news of Carmen’s passing was made public, Paul Stanley of KISS tweeted, “Awful News. Eric Carmen has died. Although known to many for writing radio hits like “All By Myself” and others, Eric was a true rocker at heart. His voice had elements of McCartney and Steve Marriott. The Raspberries did shows with us. A killer band live & I loved their records.”

Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band tweeted, “Damn. Another friend gone. RIP Eric Carmen. The Raspberries set a production standard we’re still trying to reach. Deepest love and condolences to Amy and the family.”

Celebrity Deaths 2024: Musicians, Entertainers & Cultural Figures We Lost

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• Maggie Smith

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• Donald Sutherland

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• Carl Weathers

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• Kris Kristofferson

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• John Amos

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• Liam Payne

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• Glynis Johns

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  Johns passed away on January 4. She was 100. The British actress's career spanned over 60 years. Johns won a Tony Award in 1973 for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in 'A Little Night Music.' She famously played Winifred Banks in the classic 1964 film 'Mary Poppins.'

• Shannen Doherty

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  James Earl Jones died on September 9 at age 93. Jones's remarkable career on stage, screen and television spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, the National Medal of the Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 and various lifetime achievement awards.

• Pete Rose

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• Dr. Ruth Westheimer

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• Richard Lewis

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• Phil Donahue

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  Groundbreaking talk show host Phil Donahue died on August 18 at age 88. Donahue was best known for his nationally syndicated talk show, aptly named The Phil Donahue Show, which was later renamed to Donahue. The talk shows ran from November 1967 to September 1996.

• Richard Simmons

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  Richard Simmons died on July 13 at age 76. Simmons was a fitness icon known for his flamboyant energy, outfits, and incredible compassion.
• Toby Keith

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  Keith died on February 5 following a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62. Keith's career spanned three decades and yielded many hits. Among them were "How Do You Like Me Now?!," "I Love This Bar," "Red Solo Cup" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

• Shelley Duvall

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• Louis Gossett Jr.

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• O.J. Simpson

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• Phil Lesh

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• Susan Buckner

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• Morgan Spurlock

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• Jesse Jane

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• Aston Barrett

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• Leon Wildes

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• Joyce Randolph

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• Mary Weiss

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• Norman Jewison

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Author Brian Ives // Managing Editor, Beasley Media

Category:

• Music
• Rat Rock News

Tags:

Paul Stanley,Steven Van Zandt