Eric Carmen

Raised near Cleveland, Ohio, Eric Carmen played piano and developed perfect pitch before he could walk and developed an appreciation of classical music early on. Even before he started kindergarten, the Cleveland Institute of Music recognised something in the boy and offered him an enrollment at three and a half years old.

His aunt, Muriel, was a world-renowned viola player, and it was clear that her nephew had inherited her gift. He mastered a multitude of classical instruments before switching to guitar as a 14-year-old transfixed by The Beatles. He subsequently developed into a fine power pop composer.

Carmen’s lengthy career featured many ups and downs: Leading one of power pop’s all-time great acts – hell, make that one of rock’s all-time great acts (The Raspberries), launching a solo career as a balladeer, then reinventing himself as an 80s pop prince.

Name-checked as a major influence by acts such as KISS and Cheap Trick over the years, The Raspberries were one of rock’s most criminally underrated acts.

They had a string of huge hits, including Go All The Way, Tonight, I Wanna Be With You, Let’s Pretend and recorded four magnificent LPs – Raspberries, Fresh Raspberries, Side 3 and Starting Over.

For their sterling efforts, they were maligned, misunderstood and passed over by the media and the masses alike.

In the post-Woodstock days of unkempt hair, cosmic philosophies, faded denim and 25-minute blues jams, there was precious little tolerance for an outfit boasting multi-layered harmonies, tightly constructed pop love songs, matching white suits and shorter-than-average hair.

Carmen dissolved The Raspberries in 1975, smarting from the public rejection of yet another of his masterworks, and launched his solo career by signing to Arista.

With the weight of Clive Davis’ hit-making machinery behind him, he sold a million copies of his debut release, All By Myself, which was based on a classical theme by Rachmaninoff.

Shaun Cassidy made it to #3 with a version of Carmen’s That’s Rock & Roll and, down-under, erstwhile Aussie pop sensation Mark Holden made the Top Ten with a version of Carmen’s Never Gonna Fall In Love Again.

Carmen – a perfectionist and musical genius – enjoyed a handful of hits before effectively abandoning his musical career and retiring from the pop scene in 1991.

Reclusive and prone to uncharacteristic online rants about “The Great Reset”, wild conspiracy theories (he became especially fixated on chemtrails), and support for the fringe-right QAnon movement in his later years, Eric Carmen died suddenly in March 2024, aged 74.

The circumstances of his death were not made public – his wife filed lawsuits against the police, medical examiner and the county public health office to prevent the release of the coroner’s report – even to Carmen’s brother and children. His kids were also prevented from attending his memorial service.