Ric Ocasek (born March 23, 1944 – died September 15, 2019) was an American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Record Producer, and Painter from Baltimore, Maryland. He was famous for being the lead vocalist of the popular band named “the Cars“.
He and other members named Greg Hawkes, David Robinson, Benjamin Orr, & Elliot Easton launched the band in the late 1970s. Ric also remained the band’s songwriter and main guitarist.
photo – billboard
His real full birth name is Richard Theodore Otcasek. On September 15, 2019, Ocasek died due to natural causes at the age of 75. According to a source, Richard found dead in his apartment in New York City by his estranged wife Paulina Porizkova.
The late singer was on the floor unresponsive and unconscious in his Manhattan apartment when Porizkova saw him. Many celebrities from the music industry paid tribute to the legendary musician on their respective social media accounts.
Career, Album List & Net worth
source – showbiz411
The 75-year-old Richard launched his career with his group “the Cars” in 1976 in Boston. The band released their self-entitled album in 1978. It also appeared on the Billboard 200 album chart for 139 weeks.
The same year, the Cars even dubbed as the “Best New Artist” in the Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll. Then, Ocasek released three albums titled “Candy-O (1979), “Panorama (1980)” and “Shake It Up (1981)”.
In 1982, Richard Theodore began a solo artist profession and released his debut album “Beatitude”. The Cars’ most commercially hit project was “Heartbeat City” which published in 1984. The album’s song “You Might Think” even bagged the “Video of the Year” at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984.
Some of the other popular Ric’s projects were Door to Door, Move Like This, Negative Theater, Troublizing, Nexterday, etc. Wealth Factor: the accumulated Net worth of Ric Ocasek is $25 million US Dollars, as of 2019.
Personal Affairs, Spouse & Children
The late guitarist first tied the knot with his wife “Constance” many years ago. However, there is no information about their marriage date and venue. The former pair also had two kids i.e. two sons named Christopher (born 1964) and Adam Ocasek (born 1970).
Christopher followed the footstep of his dad and became a singer. He also created a rock band titled “Glamour Camp” and released one album in 1989. Constance and Richard’s love life ended soon and they divorce.
picture – hollywoodlife
Furthermore, Otcasek then married his second spouse “Suzanne Ocasek” in 1971. They also had two boys together and their elder kid Eron Otcasek came to this world in 1973.
In 1981, the couple welcomed their second child “Derek Otcasek”. The musicians’ began his affair with his girlfriend “Paulina Porizkova” while he was also with Suzanne. They met each other during the filming the music video for the song “Drive” in 1984.
Paulina and Ric wedded on August 23, 1989, and their wedding was a lavish function which took place on Saint-Barthélemy Island. They also had two boys together.
On November 4, 1993, their elder son “Jonathan Raven Otcasek” stepped in their life and a second kid “Oliver Otcasek” was born in 1999. In 2017, Richard separated from his model partner and announced about their split in May 2018.
| Wiki/Bio | |
|---|---|
| Real Full Birth Name | Richard Theodore Otcasek. |
| Professional name | Ric Ocasek. |
| Profession | Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Record Producer, and Painter. |
| Famous for | being the lead vocalist of the popular band named "the Cars". |
| Age (As of 2019) | 75 years old. |
| Date of Birth (DOB), Birthday | March 23, 1944. |
| Date of Death | September 15, 2019. |
| Birthplace/Hometown | Baltimore, Maryland, USA. |
| Nationality | American. |
| Sexuality (Gay or Lesbian) | Straight. |
| Gender | Male. |
| Ethnicity | White Caucasian Descent. |
| Religion | Christianity. |
| Sun Sign (Zodiac Sign) | Aries. |
| House In | New York City, New York, USA. |
| Discography | |
| Debut | Album: The Cars (1978). Solo Artist: Beatitude (studio album, 1982). Single: Something to Grab For (1983). |
| Genres | Rock, new wave, and power pop |
| List of Albums | With the Cars band: 1. Shake It Up. 2. Heartbeat City. 3. Door to Door. 4. The Cars. 5. Candy-O. 6. Panorama. 7. Move Like This. As a Solo Performer: 1. Beatitude. 2. Negative Theater. 3. Troublizing. 4. This Side of Paradise. 5. Fireball Zone. 6. Quick Change World. 7. Nexterday. |
| Other Credits | 1. Suicide - Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev (1980). 2. Bad Brains - Rock for Light (1983). 3. Romeo Void - Benefactor (1982). 4. Suicide - A Way of Life (1988). 5. Alan Vega - Saturn Strip (1983). 6. Black 47 - Fire of Freedom (1993). 7. Suicide - Why Be Blue (1992). 8. The Pink Spiders - Teenage Graffiti (2006). 9. The Cribs - For All My Sisters (2015). 10. Le Tigre - This Island (2004). 11. Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album) (1994) etc. |
| Physical Statistics | |
| Height (Tall) | Feet & Inches: 6' 4". Centimeters: 193 cm. Meters: 1.93 m. |
| Weight | Kilograms: 84 Kg. Pounds: 185 lbs. |
| Biceps Size | 16. |
| Body Measurements (Chest-waist-hips) | 43-32-36. |
| Shoe Size (UK) | 12. |
| Tattoo details? | NA. |
| Eye Color | Blue. |
| Hair Color | Grey-white. |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father: Name not available. Mother: |
| Siblings | Unknown. |
| Famous Relatives | Grandparents: Uncle: Aunt: |
| Personal Life Relationship | |
| Marital Status | Married (but separated). |
| Dating History? | had an affair with his ex-girlfriends Constance and Suzanne Ocasek. |
| Girlfriend | Will update. |
| Wife/Spouse Name | 1. Constance (ex-partner). 2. Suzanne Ocasek (1971 - 1988). 3. Paulina Porizkova. |
| Son | 1. Eron Otcasek. 2. Derek Otcasek. 3. Christopher Ocasek. 4. Adam Ocasek. 5. Jonathan Raven Otcasek. 6. Oliver Otcasek. |
| Daughter | None. |
| Education | |
| Highest Qualification | College Drop-out. |
| School | Maple Heights High School. |
| Alma Mater. | 1. Bowling Green State University. 2. Antioch College. |
| Hobbies & Favorite Things | |
| Favorite Celebrities | Elvis Presley (American singer and actor). |
| Dream Holiday Destination | Australia. |
| Favorite Color | Black. |
| Love to do | Music, Travel, Spending time with family, etc. |
| Favorite Food | Italian Cuisine. |
| Wealth | |
| Net worth (approx.) | $25 million US dollars (As of 2019). |
| Salary, Income & Earnings | -- |
| Contact Details | |
| Mobile or Phone Number | -- |
| Office Address | NA. |
| Official Website | http://www.ricocasek.com/ |
| Home Details | Lavish apartment in New York City. |
| Email Address | Not found. |
Some Lesser Known Facts about Ric Ocasek
- The singer was born on the 23rd of March 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Hence, Ric Ocasek’s age is 75 years old, as of 2019.
- His father and mother moved to Cleveland, Ohio when the guitarist was 16 years old.
- Later, he graduated from Maple Heights High School.
- Richard Theodore then enrolled at Antioch College and also attended Bowling Green State University.
- However, he dropped out of college in order to pursue his music career.
- Ric met future Cars’ member Benjamin Orr in Cleveland in 1965.
- Orr was performing with his band the Grasshoppers on the Big 5 Show when the late singer saw him.
- The Cars’ lead guitarist, Ric Ocasek’s height was 6 Feet 4 Inches (193 centimeters tall).
- He also possessed a slim, fit, and healthy physique with an estimated body weight of 84 kilograms (185 pounds).
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- In 1968, they even formed a band called “ID Nirvana” and used to perform at Ohio State University.
- In 2018, Ocasek also got an opportunity to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Cars.
- As a painter, Ric included his various paintings at an exhibit at the Wentworth Galleries in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
- The late musician wrote a book of poetry “Negative Theatre” in 1993.
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