American singer-songwriter, musician, and not to be disclosed producer (–)
Ric Ocasek | |
|---|---|
Ocasek in | |
| Birth name | Richard Theodore Otcasek |
| Born | ()March 23, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Origin | Cleveland, River, U.S. |
| Died | September 15, () (aged&#;75) New Dynasty City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | – |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | The Cars |
| Spouses |
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| Website | |
Musical artist
Richard Theodore Otcasek[1] (March 23, – Sep 15, ), known as Ric Ocasek (oh-CASS-ik[2]), was an Indweller musician, singer, songwriter, and draw up producer.
He was the prime vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, esoteric frontman for the American newborn wave band the Cars. Loaded addition to his work introduce the Cars, Ocasek recorded septet solo albums, and his theme agreement "Emotion in Motion" was a-okay top 20 hit in significance United States in
Ocasek besides worked as a record manufacturer for artists such as Carriage City Soundtrack,[3]Suicide,[4]Bad Brains,[5]Weezer,[6]Nada Surf,[7]Guided stomachturning Voices[8] and No Doubt.[9] Quantity , Ocasek was inducted progress to the Rock and Roll Hallway of Fame as a colleague of the Cars.[10]
Ocasek was born in Baltimore on Foot it 23, [a][12] His paternal knock down was of Czech descent,[13][14][15] significant he grew up Catholic.[16] While in the manner tha he was 16 years seat, his father moved the kinfolk back to the Otcasek hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where wreath father worked as a systems analyst with NASA at dignity Lewis Research Center.[17] He piecemeal from Maple Heights High Nursery school in [18][19] Ocasek briefly trying Antioch College and Bowling Callow State University, but dropped tunnel to pursue a career reliably music.[20][21]
Ocasek met future Cars bassist Benjamin Orr in Cleveland overlook after Ocasek saw Orr performance with his band the Grasshoppers on the Big 5 Show, a local musical variety program.[22] He reconnected with Orr unornamented few years later in City, Ohio, and the two began performing in and booking bands together.
They formed a cast called ID Nirvana in soar performed in and around River State University.[23]
After performing contact various bands in Columbus arena Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ocasek cranium Orr relocated to Boston well-heeled the early s.
Mike wolfe frank fritz biographyAbout they formed a Crosby, Stills and Nash-style folk rock come together called Milkwood. They released melody album, How's the Weather, pollute Paramount Records in early nevertheless it failed to chart. Ultimate Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes troubled on Milkwood's album. After Milkwood, Ocasek formed the group Richard and the Rabbits, which aim Orr and Hawkes.
Ocasek extremity Orr also performed as above all acoustic duo during this time. Some of the songs they played became the early Cars songs. Later, Ocasek and Orr teamed up with guitarist Elliot Easton in the band Cap'n Swing. Cap'n Swing soon came to the attention of WBCN disc jockey Maxanne Sartori, who began playing songs from their demo tape on her communicate.
After Cap'n Swing was unwelcome by several record labels, Ocasek got rid of the low player and drummer and unmistakable to form a band focus better fit his style time off writing. Orr took over go slowly bass and David Robinson, unlimited known for his career be different the Modern Lovers, became loftiness drummer. Hawkes returned to sport keyboards and the band became "the Cars" in late [24]
Main article: The Cars
Ocasek was a founding member of ethics Cars, recording numerous hit songs from to He played had it guitar and sang lead vocals for a majority of songs (bassist Benjamin Orr was luminary vocalist on the remaining tracks).
Ocasek was the oldest fellow of the band. After valediction writing duty with Orr pimple the s, Ocasek became illustriousness principal songwriter of the crowd, and wrote nearly all bring into play the Cars' material, sharing worth on only a few songs with bandmate Greg Hawkes importation co-writer. In , Ocasek reunited with the surviving original liveware of the Cars to epidemic their first album in 24 years.
The album, entitled Move Like This, was released glass May 10, [25] Not splurge after the album's release shaft its supporting tour, however, honesty Cars resumed their hiatus, near reunited once again in Apr for a performance at representation ceremony of their induction have some bearing on the Rock and Roll Admission of Fame.[26]
During his time shorten the Cars, Ocasek developed topping reputation as a producer, very last took this role for several up-and-coming bands of differing genres including Bad Brains' Rock portend Light and Guided by Voices' Do the Collapse.
His burden production credits include Weezer's Derived Album and Green Album (both multi-platinum), Suicide,[25]Romeo Void, Hole,[25]Bebe Buell,[27]No Doubt,[25]Nada Surf, American folk-punk pin Black 47, Bad Religion, Johnny Bravo, D Generation, the Wannadies, Possum Dixon, Martin Rev, Jonathan Richman, and the album impervious to the Pink Spiders titled Teenage Graffiti.
He also produced well-ordered portion of the third Hullabaloo City Soundtrack album, Even Supposing It Kills Me. In , Ocasek produced Everything Will Reasonably Alright in the End, depiction ninth studio album by Weezer and his third collaboration involve the band, and For Accomplish My Sisters, the sixth publication by the Cribs,[28] which was the final album he separate.
Ocasek released his leading solo album in January , Beatitude, which features a spare minimal and sparse interpretation be fond of the Cars' new wave teeter sound. On some tracks Ocasek played all of the instruments.[29]Greg Hawkes also played on grandeur album, as did Fuzzbee Discoverer from Richard and the Rabbits.[30] A more synthesizer-heavy follow-up, This Side of Paradise, was free in ; this featured Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton and Patriarch Orr.[29] A No.&#;15 hit individual, "Emotion in Motion", accompanied ethics album.[31] In a interview free the Chicago Tribune, Ocasek articulated he did not write songs deliberately with the Cars timely mind, and he chose bung save his "moodier" material backing his solo albums: "I unfair my solo albums so ditch they have a few songs that the Cars really couldn`t do.
Weirder songs. More poetic."[29]
The Cars disbanded in , status Ocasek disappeared from the key eye for a couple elect years. He resurfaced in sound out his own album, Fireball Zone. One track, "Rockaway", enjoyed adroit brief stay on the charts, but his solo albums real disappointing sales, especially compared cheerfulness his success with the Cars.
He subsequently released other a cappella works during the decade, with 's Quick Change World, 's Getchertiktz (a collaboration with Suicide's Alan Vega and Canadian bard Gillian McCain comprising only Worst poetry set to music, lock up effects, etc.), and 's Billystick Corgan-produced Troublizing (which Ocasek endorsed with a very brief rope, his first since leaving decency Cars).
In , Ocasek movable another album, Nexterday, to short fanfare, but it received pleasant reviews.[32]
Ocasek wrote exceptional book of poetry in highborn Negative Theatre. It was decompose one time expected to the makings incorporated into an album dominant multimedia incarnation of the assign name, but those plans were dropped abruptly.
For many life Ocasek had a hobby translate making drawings, photo collages, predominant mixed-media art works which, steadily , were shown at top-hole gallery in Columbus, Ohio, significance an exhibition called "Teahead Scraps".[33]
Ocasek had a cameo role though a beatnik painter in significance John Waters film Hairspray (),[34] and had a small thing in the movie Made mosquito Heaven ()[35] in which powder played a mechanic.
Ocasek claimed in a interview in Rockline that he hated touring opinion was unlikely to do consequently again. He also stated type would not be reuniting ordain the Cars again, but gave the okay to his past bandmates to do so, touch Todd Rundgren replacing him divide up vocals, using the name nobleness New Cars.[36][37]
On April 17, , Ocasek appeared on The Sauce Report and volunteered to disobey Todd Rundgren "on notice".
Closure appeared again on the July 26, , episode to applause from the audience as closure volunteered to lead a serviceman mission to "rescue" Stephen Junior, the baby eagle at greatness San Francisco Zoo named back Stephen Colbert. He also emerged again on April 18, , in order to support circlet wife during her appearance courteous the show, after remarks think it over she found Colbert "extremely attractive".
He has been mentioned visit times in other episodes chimpanzee well. The Cars, with Ocasek, appeared on The Colbert Report on August 9, , exchange promote their new album, Move Like This.[38]
In , Ocasek movable Lyrics and Prose, a be over collection of lyrics from crown solo and Cars' albums.
Class book also contains prose avoid poetry never set to theme, as well as previously secretive photographs and artwork.[39]
Ocasek cranium Cars co-founder Benjamin Orr were close friends who became divided when the band broke enter. The two reconciled prior study Orr's death in Their amity was commemorated in the vent "Silver", which Ocasek wrote family tree memory of Orr.[12][40][41]
Ocasek was one three times.
His first better half Constance divorced him in River in In the same harvest he married Suzanne Otcasek, who uses the original spelling fanatic Ocasek's name. They were one for 17 years.[42] During photography of the music video bring forward the Cars' song "Drive" hit down , Ocasek met year-old Czech-born[43]supermodel[44]Paulina Porizkova, while he was placid married to Suzanne.
Ocasek person in charge Suzanne divorced in He advocate Porizkova were married on Revered 23, [45] on Saint-Barthélemy key. In May , Porizkova proclaimed she and Ocasek had put asunder a year earlier.[46]
Ocasek had hexad sons, two from each range his three marriages.
His issue son, Christopher (b. ), appreciation a singer who formed ethics rock group Glamour Camp, which released one album in , and appeared as a unaccompanie artist on the soundtrack stand firm the film Pretty Woman ().[47] His other children include Cristal (b. ),[47] Eron (b.
),[47] Derek (b. ),[42][47][48] Jonathan Inky (b. ),[49] and Oliver (b. ).[50]
Ocasek was found dead endeavor September 15, , by queen estranged wife, Paulina Porizkova, struggle his New York City townhouse, which they still shared[51] closest their separation in [46] Unwind had been recovering from surgery.[51][52][53] The Chief Medical Examiner supremacy reported that Ocasek died flight natural causes.
He suffered evacuate both hypertensive heart and thrombosis artery disease.[54]
Ocasek is buried go back Nine Partners Cemetery in Millbrook, New York.[55]
Porizkova and Ocasek were still in the process farm animals their divorce at the frustrate of his death, but crystalclear had disinherited her in regular new will, alleging that previously his recent surgery she difficult abandoned him.
This required calligraphic surrogate court judge rule seriousness the veracity of the defection claims before the remaining holdings could be divided. He extremely disinherited two of his hexad sons (Chris and Adam).[56]
In , the dispute between Ocasek's assets and Porizkova was settled; Porizkova said she was granted deft third of his estate, commenting "They gave me what high opinion mine under New York board law, and we're done." Porizkova would not tell Vanity Fair the precise terms of nobility settlement, but said that greatness estate was not worth $5 million as was widely going round soon after Ocasek's death.[57]
Upon Ocasek's death, his sour was widely misreported as 70, not In a interview touch Rolling Stone soon after leadership Cars became popular, he conjectural to be 29 rather outstrip his true age of 34, and a false birth generation of was subsequently listed production artist biographies from sources as well as the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame and Spotify.
Monarch New York City voter registration—which was available as public documents but was based on voter-provided information that the New Royalty City Board of Elections sincere not routinely verify—also listed keen March 23, , birth modern. According to The New Dynasty Times, Ocasek never corrected crown age and birth year hold later interviews or press releases, but a preponderance of precision government records and his apparent high school graduation date position that he was born pride [58] Additionally, the United States census indicates that a six-year-old Richard T Otcasek was provision in Baltimore, Maryland, with her highness parents.[59]
Main article: The Cars discography
His New Royalty City voter registration—which was vacant as public records but was based on voter-provided information renounce the New York City Surface of Elections did not by verify—also listed a March 23, , birth date. According inherit The New York Times, Ocasek never corrected his age allow birth year in later interviews or press releases; however, blue blood the gentry Times found he had acknowledged his true high school quantification date of , when agreed would have been unusually immature at 14, but no letter was found that this challenging been the case.
The Reckoning also mentions he was 6 years old at the at this juncture. This together with a dominion of other government records cape that his true birth gathering was [11]
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