ROCKER DEAD
Ric Ocasek dead – The Cars frontman found dead ‘by his estranged wife’ at his Manhattan townhouse
THE Cars frontman Ric Ocasek has been found dead at his townhouse in Manhattan 'by his estranged wife'.
Ric, who was 75, was the lead singer and founder of the iconic new-wave band which churned out hits including My Best Friend's Girl and Good Times Roll.
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Ocasek was pronounced dead at his townhouse after someone called 911 at about 4pm, New York time, because he was unresponsive.
The cause of death will be determined by the city's coroner.
"So sad. Such a great writer, singer, player, producer," fellow classic rocker Peter Frampton said on Twitter of Ocasek.
"My thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace."
Ocasek, born Richard Theodore Otcasek in Baltimore in 1944, met bass player and future band mate Benjamin Orr after moving to Cleveland for high school.
The pair joined with guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboard player Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson to form the Cars in mid-1970s Boston. Ocasek was the main songwriter, sang lead vocals on most songs and played rhythm guitar.
The band's self-titled debut album, featuring the singles "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll," reached Number 18 on the Billboard album charts and put them on the leading edge of pop rock.
The Cars scored their first top-20 single, "Let's Go," in 1979 and launched a succession of hits throughout the 1980s such as "Shake It Up" and "Drive," always identifiable through Ocasek's distinctive vocals.
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Ric founded The Cars back in the '70s and the band made a name for themselves with their 1978 song Just What I Needed.
Their biggest hit to date, Drive, peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped other charts as well.
The tune was prominently featured in the 1985 event Live Aid, where it was used as the background song in a montage depicting famine in Ethiopia.
The singer reflected on his years in the band when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.
“It’s certainly a wonderful feeling to be accepted by peers and you see the people that are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who gets inducted, it’s a positive feeling that you get,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
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Ric and Paulina has announced their split in May 2018 after 28 years of marriage.
The rocker is understood to have recently placed the home where he was found dead on the market.
Ric is survived by his six children.
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