Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen was born on August 11, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio, to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants. From an early age, Carmen showed a strong inclination towards music, entertaining his parents with song impressions by the age of two and studying violin at six under his aunt, a member of the Cleveland Orchestra. By 11, he was playing piano and dreaming of songwriting, influenced by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Carmen's professional music career began in earnest when he joined the band Cyrus Erie while attending John Carroll University. This led to the formation of the Raspberries in the early 1970s with Wally Bryson, Jim Bonfanti, and Dave Smalley. As the lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Carmen helped the band achieve success with hits like "Go All the Way."
In 1975, after the Raspberries disbanded, Carmen launched a successful solo career. He achieved global recognition with hits such as "All by Myself," "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," "She Did It," "Hungry Eyes," and "Make Me Lose Control." His song "All by Myself" notably drew from the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.
Carmen was married three times: to Marcy Hill, Susan Brown, with whom he had two children, Clayton and Kathryn, and Amy Murphy. He experienced a turbulent personal life, marked by estrangement from family members in his later years. Despite this, he continued to influence the music scene, even touring with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band and reforming the Raspberries in 2004 for a series of successful live performances.
Eric Carmen passed away in his sleep on March 10, 2024, in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 74. His legacy endures through his contributions to pop rock, power pop, and soft rock music, and his work continues to be celebrated by fans worldwide.
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