Eric Carmen, the singer-songwriter behind 1970s hits like “All By Myself” and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” died at his home in Massachusetts over the weekend, his wife announced. He was 74.
The passing of Mr. Carmen marks the loss of one of the leading voices in the power pop music movement of the 1970s. He first gained widespread fame as the frontman of the Raspberries before parlaying that success into an acclaimed solo career that generated several enduring soft-rock radio staples.
“Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep,” his wife, Amy Carmen, said in a statement on his website on Sunday. “It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.”
Mr. Carmen was born in Cleveland in 1949 and formed the Raspberries with friends while still in his teens. The band’s bright melodies, tight harmonies and catchy hooks quickly gained a devoted following, particularly after their hit single “Go All the Way” was featured in the 2014 film “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
After the Raspberries disbanded in 1975, Mr. Carmen launched his solo career with a string of well-crafted pop-rock albums like “Boats Against the Current” and “Change of Heart.” His tender piano ballad “All By Myself” cracked the Top 10 in 1976 and became a ubiquitous hit after Celine Dion covered it two decades later for her blockbuster album “Falling Into You.”
The wistful “All By Myself,” with its pleading chorus of “Don’t wanna be all by myself anymore,” resonated across generations and was featured in the iconic opening scene of the 2001 film “Bridget Jones’s Diary.” The staying power of the song highlighted Mr. Carmen’s gift for melodic songwriting that struck an emotional chord.
“He had a real knack for writing these indelible melodies that stayed with you,” said Robert Hilburn, the former pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times. “Eric was part of this power pop tradition, but his songs also had a real soulfulness to them that made them stand out.”
Beyond composing his own hits like “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again” and “Make Me Lose Control,” Mr. Carmen also demonstrated his versatility as a songwriter by co-writing the tenderhearted “Almost Paradise” from the 1984 movie “Footloose.” He was also behind the earworm “Hungry Eyes” from the classic film “Dirty Dancing.”
While never achieving the mainstream blockbuster success of some of his contemporaries, Mr. Carmen’s body of work earned him a devoted cult following and the respect of critics and fellow musicians. He released his final album of new material, “Butterfly Kisses,” in 2022.
“Heartbreaking to hear of the passing of Eric Carmen,” actress Diane Keaton wrote on Instagram. “His music was the soundtrack of my youth.”
Carmen’s wife ended her statement with a quote her husband had written: “Love is all that matters…faithful and forever.”
