Ms. Cara is one of a select group of talented performers who have successfully made the transition from Theater to Television, then to Records, and then to Feature films. She is a veteran artist whose career began in childhood and has span over two decades. Honored by the entertainment industry, she received an Academy Award, two Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, plus numerous other awards emanating from every aspect of the industry. Her performance in the ground breaking 1980s picture, Fame, catapulted her into world wide stardom and motivated a generation of young people to become involved in the performing arts.
Born at 10:41am-EST Actress, singer and songwriter. Latino Playwrights Award: Award of Recognition. [1985] Golden Eagle Awards: Nosotros - Latin America Performer of the Year [1984] Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female [1984] Alpha Music Program in Japan: #1 Female Vocalist from Sendai TV's "Saturday Magazine" [1983] American Music Awards: Best R&B Female Artist nomination [1983] American Music Awards: Best Pop Single of the Year [1983] Bravo Magazine: Otto Award, Most Popular Female Singer [1983] Cashbox Magazine: Top Female Vocalist - Pop Singles [1983] Cashbox Magazine: Black Contemporary - Pop Singles [1983] Cashbox Magazine: Adult Contemporary Vocalist - Pop Singles [1983] Cashbox Magazine: Top Pop Crossover Artist - Black Contemporary Singles [1983] Cashbox Magazine: Pop Single of the Year [1983] Academy Awards (not recipient: sang both songs) [1981] Nomination - Best Song in a Motion Picture, "Out Here On My Own" Grammy Awards: Nomination - Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female [1981] Grammy Awards: Nomination - Best New Artist [1981] (award) Billboard Magazine: Top New Single Artist [1980] (award) Cashbox Magazine: Most Promising Female Vocalist [1980] (award) Cashbox Magazine: Top Female Vocalist [1980] (award) Japan Radio Hit Research Committee: Most Popular Disc Award [1980] Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28. [1976] Won the Oscar for best song in 1984 for the song "Flashdance - What a Feeling" which she co-wrote with Giorgio Moroder. Her father, Gaspar, is Afro-Puerto Rican, and her mother Louise, is of French and Cuban descent. Won a bitter lawsuit with her managers over money and career issues in the 1990s. Chosen by Francesco Scavullo for his 1980s book on some of the most beautiful women in the entertainment business. Irene shared the pages with supermodel Gia, Diahann Carroll and Brooke Shields She was the first artist to perform two nominated songs at the Academy Awards, when in 1981, for the first time, two songs from one film (FAME) were nominated for Best Original Song: 'Fame' and 'Out Here On My Own'. 'Fame' won. Recorded her first record in Spanish for the Latin Market by age 8 and a Christmas LP in English soon after. At age 10 she appeared in a major concert tribute to Duke Ellington with Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr. and Roberta Flack. Her #1 hit Flashdance...What A Feeling was ranked #67 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs. Performed Flashdance...What a Feeling on March 14, 2003 at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Philadelphia 76ers 1983 Championship team. Was one of the five finalists for the Little Miss America pageant at age 3. Was awarded the trophy for "Top Actress of 1976" after being selected in a poll compiled by readers of Right On! Magazine. Wrote the lyrics to "Flashdance..What A Feeling" with co-writer Keith Forsey while riding in a car in New York heading to the studio to record it. The music for Flashdance was written by Giorgio Moroder and the after result was not only a #1 record, it also won them an Oscar and a Grammy. Use to sing backups for quite a few stars, including Vicki Sue Robinson and Lou Reed. On June 22, 2004 two of her movie theme songs "Flashdance...What A Feeling" (#55) from Flashdance and "Fame" (#51) from Fame were selected by the board of the The American Film Institute in their list of "The 100 Years of The Greatest Songs". On March 27, 2004 she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 6th Annual Prestige Awards. She was also inducted a week earlier into the Ciboney Cafe's Prestigious Hall of Fame. Parents are Gaspar and Louise Escalera. Has 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Her age has always been a confusing mystery by biographers who stated her birth year as either 1964 or 1959 from the day she shot to fame. But in July 2004 the mystery was finally solved when the Associated Press obtained her voter registration records from Florida, where she lives, and confirmed her birth year as 1959. Graduated from the Professional Children's School in Manhattan, a rival of the Laguardia High School of Music & Art on which her debut movie "Fame" is based. Announced the making of her own all girl band called "Hot Caramel". She has her own production studio.