Eric Carmen, All By Myself and Hungry Eyes singer, dies aged 74

Singer-songwriter Eric Carmen, who was known for hits All By Myself and Hungry Eyes, has died aged 74, his wife has announced.

The US star rose to fame with the power pop group the Raspberries before establishing himself as a solo artist with hit tracks including Hungry Eyes, which featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Other huge solo hits include 1975’s All By Myself, which features in the classic opening scene of Bridget Jones’s Diary and was later covered by Celine Dion.

As a songwriter, Carmen wrote Almost Paradise from the Footloose soundtrack, as well as Never Gonna Fall In Love Again and Make Me Lose Control.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” a statement from his wife Amy said on the singer’s official website.

“Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend.

“It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.”

She ended the statement with the quote “love is all that matters... faithful and forever” from his 1977 solo album Boats Against The Current.

The Ohio-born singer co-founded the Raspberries in the early 1970s alongside Jim Bonfanti and Wally Bryson, who were later joined by Dave Smalley after the departure of John Aleksic.

They released their debut album Raspberries in 1972, with tracks reaching chart success including Go All The Way, which was later banned by the BBC in the UK for sexually suggestive lyrics and was included in the 2014 Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack.

After four albums together, the band broke up in 1975 and Carmen embarked on a solo career, achieving success in the emerging soft rock movement.