Written by: Alex Green

Singer and actress Irene Cara has died.

The Oscar and Grammy-winning singer/actress was 63.

“It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” her publicist Judith A. Moore wrote on Twitter under Cara’s handle.  She went on to write: “The Academy Award winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”

Born in the Bronx, Cara was a graduate of the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan, where she was a triple threat in dance, theatre and music.

Early in her career she made appearances on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and was a regular on the Electric Company.

She was a regular on the stage in on and off-Broadway productions and over the course of her film and theatre career she acted and sang alongside Shirley Jones, Raul Julia, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., Clint Eastwood and Tatum O’Neal.

She also provided back-up vocals for everyone from Lou Reed to Eveyln “Champagne” King.

Her role as Coco in the 1980 movie “Fame” shot her to stardom and three years later, her Giorgio Moroder co-write of the track “Flashdance (What A Feelin’)” cemented her status as one of the great singers of the 20th Century. The song scored Cara wins for an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe.

Cara’s cause of death at this time is unknown.