FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress. Cara rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film Fame, and for recording the film’s title song “Fame“, which reached number 1 in several countries.

In 1983, Cara sang and co-wrote the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling” (from the film Flashdance), for which she shared an Academy Award for Best Original Song and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984. Prior to her success with Fame, Cara portrayed the title character Sparkle Williams in the original 1976 musical drama film Sparkle.