1959 – 2022

Irene Cara

American singer and actress (1959–2022)

recording artistfilm actortelevision actordancerstage actor

Born

1959-03-18, The Bronx

Died

2022-11-25

Birthplace state

New York

Biography

Irene Cara was born in The Bronx in 1959 and worked as a singer, actress, dancer, and pianist. She appeared in the 1980 film Fame as Coco Hernandez and recorded the film's title song, which reached No. 1 in several countries. In 1983, she co-wrote and sang "Flashdance... What a Feeling," for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. She died in 2022.

Occupation

Irene Cara is recorded as a recording artist, a film actor, a television actor, a dancer, a stage actor, a musician, a pianist, a singer and a actor, born in New York (1959–2022).

Connections to New York

Irene Cara was born in The Bronx, New York in 1959. Explore other notable figures from New York, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from New York›New Yorkhistory ›Historic sites in New York›

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Geology

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LiDAR Terrain

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

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Historical Maps

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Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

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Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

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More notable figures from New York

Other historical figures born in New York, ranked by historical prominence.

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American businessman and politician (born 1946), President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

president of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (1882–1945)

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909 (1858–1919)

Stanley Kubrick

American filmmaker (1928–1999)

Walt Whitman

American poet, essayist and journalist (1819–1892)

Eleanor Roosevelt

American diplomat and activist, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (1884–1962)

Martin Van Buren

president of the United States from 1837 to 1841

Frequently asked about Irene Cara

Who was Irene Cara?

Irene Cara was American singer and actress (1959–2022), born in New York (1959 – 2022).

When and where was Irene Cara born?

Irene Cara was born on 1959-03-18 in The Bronx.

When did Irene Cara die?

Irene died on 2022-11-25.

What was Irene Cara known for?

Irene Cara is recorded as a recording artist, a film actor, a television actor, a dancer, a stage actor, a musician, a pianist, a singer and a actor.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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