Breaking News
Irene Cara, Best-Known For Smash Hits ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’, Dead at 63
Oscar and Grammy winner, Irene Cara has passed away. The singer/songwriter/actress, known for her memorable vocal performances to the theme of the hit movie, Fame, and singing the title track to another 80’s blockbuster, Flashdance, apparently died in her Florida home yesterday. The cause of death is not yet known.
According to her publicist, Judith Moore on Twitter, the rep shared: “This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist. I can’t believe I’ve had to write this, let alone release the news. It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara. The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home. Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”
A little known fact is that Irene’s first acting gig was on the daytime drama, Love of Life from 1970-1971 in the role of Daisy Allen. She later appeared in TV roles on: What’s Happening, Kojak, Roots: The Next Generations, and in the film, Sparkle and many more.
Later, Cara first rose to prominence when she was cast in the 1980’s musical film Fame, where she sang the title track and starred in as Coco Hernandez. Her vocal performance in Fame earned her two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female in 1981.
Two years later, Cara not only picked up two Grammy Awards for her performance, but also an Oscar for co-writing, “Flashdance… What a Feeling” from another 80’s pop culture smash, Flashdance. At the Grammys in 1984, Irene won for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, and Best Album of an Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special. She took home the Oscar for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards in 1983.
Cara’s rep added, that at the time of Irene’s death they were working on new projects: “Working on amazing projects that would have made her and her fans incredibly happy. Her manager and I will finish them. She’d want that.”
Share your thoughts and remembrances on the passing of Irene Cara via the comment section below.
This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist. I can’t believe I’ve had to write this, let alone release the news. Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene. I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans. – JM pic.twitter.com/TsC5BwZ3fh
— Irene Cara (@Irene_Cara) November 26, 2022
Such a lovely lady. Loved her voice. So talented. Prayers for her loved ones and may she rest in peace.
So sad to hear this, she was sooo talented and beautiful, and her song and singing voice too. RIP Irene.
So sad, such a wonderful performer.
She was in a few Broadway musicals as a child.
I saw her in The Me Nobody Knows in 1970 or 71. A powerful singer and she must of been about 11. She can be heard on the original cast recording of that show.
Ms. Irene Cara’s death was a shock to me. My deepest condolences to her family. She was an inspiration and an excellent role model for the most talented young women who inspire to be an actress, singers, and dancers. She will be truly missed. Her legacy of hope will live on in most young women.
Rest in Paradise, Irene Cara. You are now performing with the rest of God’s Angels.
RIP – Rest in Paradise !!
Breaking News
George Cheeks, CBS President & CEO, on Timeline to Launch New Daytime Drama, ‘The Gates’: “We’re So Focused on Getting it Right”
March 2024 will be remembered in the TV and soap world when the news broke that CBS is prepping a brand new daytime drama. Many had thought a major network would never bring a new daytime soap into the world, given that the last time it was attempted was 25 years ago when the now defunct Passions bowed on NBC.
However, The Gates is definitely in development and moving forward with some major players associated with it including: Michele Val Jean as The Gates writer, showrunner and one of its executive producers, and Sheila Ducksworth from NAACP Venture
Now, for the first time since its announcement, George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+, spoke on the project that will feature a Black family as its central focus who live in a wealthy gated community.
Speaking with Vulture, and when asked if The Gates is really something that truly has a chance of getting on the air, Cheeks clarified, “It’s super real. And just to give you a little bit of the backstory, when we hired Sheila Ducksworth to run the NAACP Venture, she and I had multiple meetings talking about what different genres she was going to lean into, and we talked a lot about daytime.”
Cheeks added, “One of the things that the data made very clear to both of us is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women, and yet when you look at soap operas, it’s usually sort of a white-led family with supporting characters that reflect more of our society. So we just thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to flip that and make the core anchor family a Black family, and then make the other characters reflect more the broader scope of society?”
The CEO gave props to Michele Val Jean, and how Ducksworth came to the table with the former B&B and GH writer. “She found this great writer, Michele Val Jean, who’s been in the soap opera space for 30 years. She came up with a pitch, and we loved it,” shares Cheeks. “We brought Procter & Gamble into it as well, because if there were going to be (product) integrations, we could do it more holistically and organically. All of that is to say, we did a lot of work on the front end to put this together. So while yes, it’s development, it’s accelerated development.”
When prodded on the timeline of when The Gates could come to full fruition, Gates related, “The actual timeline and when we’re going to do it is still uncertain, because we want to get this right. I mean, there hasn’t been a new soap opera launch since I can’t even begin to tell you when. But we have great success with Bold and the Beautiful and Young and the Restless, and so we think we’re the right folks to be launching a new soap. I wish I could tell you more about exact timing, but we’re so focused on getting it right, and that will dictate when we’re ready to launch it.”
The CBS exec also shared that whether The Gates will wind up an hour soap or half-hour is not yet determined, but that it is being developed as an hour show.
So, after reading what George Cheeks, the CBS President & CEO had to say about ‘The Gates’, are you even more excited for what looks to the first new network soap in 25 years? Comment below.
Breaking News
Robyn Bernard, ‘General Hospital’s’ Terry Brock, Dead at 64
Breaking News
51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Announce Broadcast Date on CBS
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Tuesday, that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Friday night, June 7th (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.
This year will mark the 18th time CBS has broadcast the Daytime Emmy Awards, which is more than any other network.
The 2024 Daytime Emmys will take place at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles. Back in December of 2023, the delayed 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards were also held at that venue. The June 7th date for the upcoming ceremony will be the first time in several years that the event is scheduled a few weeks earlier than normal; excluding last year’s revised date to the actors and writers strikes.
Lifetime Achievement honoree, nominations, host, and additional information will be announced in the coming weeks.
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS noted, “We eagerly anticipate our return in June as we once again partner with CBS to recognize the exceptional and talented individuals who make daytime television great. We’re thrilled to kick off our second half-century of the Daytime Emmys.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.
The 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will once again be produced by NATAS and Associated Television International (ATI), which produced Daytime Emmy Award ceremonies on The CW in 2009 and on CBS in 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Adam Sharp and Lisa Armstrong are executive producers from NATAS, while David McKenzie is executive producer from ATI.
So, glad to know that the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards honoring performance and shows in the 2023 calendar year, will be held in early June this year, and once again broadcast on CBS? Comment below.
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