ERIC CARMEN,
1947-2024

Eric Carmen, leader of 1970s power-pop progenitors The Raspberries, who went on to solo success as a balladeer, has died. He was 74.

His wife, Amy Carmen, announced his death, writing on the singer’s website, “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.'”

With The Raspberries, which formed in Cleveland, Carmen created pop-rock music inspired by The Who and The Beatles that would not only click with listeners of the day but go on to influence future generations of rock acts such as Nirvana, KISS and The Posies. John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen were among the band’s fans.

Carmen formed The Raspberries in 1970 after recording a few singles for Epic with The Choir, one of which, “It’s Cold Outside,” was a hit in Cleveland.

They signed with Capitol and scored their first—and biggest—hit with “Go All the Way,” which hit #5 in 1972. They would release four albums before breaking up in 1975 though only one, their second album, Fresh, would crack the Top 40. They hit the Top 20 two more times: “I Wanna Be With You” went to #16 in 1972 and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” reached #18 in 1974.

Following the breakup, Carmen signed with Arista and scored two massive hits in 1976, the million-selling “All By Myself” that went to #2 and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” which peaked at #11. While he continued to have minor soft rock hits, he wouldn’t reach the Top 10 until more than a decade later when his Dirty Dancing soundtrack contribution “Hungry Eyes” hit #4. His 1988 release, “Make Me Lose Control,” reached #3.

Carmen only released one album after his 1984 self-titled Geffen release, 2000’s I Was Born to Love You (Rhino). That year he also toured as a member of Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band.

The Raspberries reunited in 2004 for the opening of the Cleveland House of Blues and followed it with a short tour in 2005.