Ric Ocasek passed away today at the age of 75 according to WPIX. He was found unresponsive in his townhome around 4p, and he was declared dead. No foul play is suspected.
He is best known as the lead singer of The Cars. The New Wave band formed in 1976. Their sound was a mixture of the ’60s Rock with a modern synthesized sound. As time went on, they were not only known for their defining tunes that evolved with age, but also for the music videos that went with them. In fact, You Might Think was the first Best Music Video at the MTV Awards.
They had several hits from ’76 until their first breakup in 1988. Songs like Just What I Needed, My Best Friend’s Girl, Good Times Roll, Shake It Up, You Might Think, Magic, Hello Again (which is my phone’s ringtone) and Tonight She Comes. Benjamin Orr, who sang Drive, passed away in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. Tonight, he is going to drive Ocasek home to heaven.
On that note, Ocasek met his wife Paulina Porizkova when she co-starred in the Drive music video. On May 2, 2018, she announced that they had “peacefully separated for the past year.” The couple has 2 sons, Jonathan Raven and Oliver. He has four other sons, Christopher, Adam, Eron and Derek, two from each of previous two marriages.
Also last year, The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The last time the band would perform with their lead.
Today, remember a man that helped to shape modern music by listening to their songs that will bring a smile to your face. They always do that for me.
