“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” his wife, Amy Carmen, wrote on the singer’s website. wrote. “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. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.’”

All by myself eric carmen has died at age 74

“Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend,” Carmen’s wife Amy said in a statement on his official website.All by myself eric carmen has died at age 74

“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.All by myself eric carmen has died at age 74

The latter quote from Carmen’s wife is a callback to the song “Love Is All That Matters,” from his 1977 solo album “Boats Against the Current.” No cause of death or exact date of death has been announced.

While mostly known as a balladeer, in his early years the Cleveland-born musician was the primary singer and songwriter of the Raspberries, who rebelled against the heavy, glam and progressive-rock scenes of the early ’70s and threw back to the Beatlesesque pop they were raised on. Carmen was not only a deft (if deliberately derivative) songwriter but also a full-throttle rock and roll shouter in the Paul McCartney/ Steve Marriott tradition, and the author of several classic songs of the genre, including the band’s highly suggestive first and biggest hit, “Go All the Way,” as well as “I Wanna Be With You,” “Let’s Pretend,” “Tonight” and “Overnight Sensation.”

The group was often lambasted at the time for being too pop or wimpy, but the Raspberries could be a powerhouse rock band when they chose to. Along with kindred spirits Badfinger, Big Star and Todd Rundgren, they forged a model that has been revived multiple times over the decades, most vividly in the early ‘90s with bands like Teenage Fanclub, the Posies and even Nirvana: Kurt Cobain was a fan, as well as Bruce Springsteen — who contributed liner notes to a live reunion album — Kiss and Motley Crue.All by myself eric carmen has died at age 74

Not surprisingly, considering their years of playing together, the lineup gelled quickly and powerfully, and soon united with producer-manager Jimmy Ienner (older brother and business partner of future Columbia

Records CEO Don Ienner) and signed with Capitol Records. An inspired producer, the elder Ienner helped the band to attain their vibrant combination of power and pop: Bringing together a wide range of influences spanning from the Beatles, Beach Boys and girl groups to hard rockers like the Who and Free, those influences came into vivid focus on “Go All the Way.”

As a songwriter, Carmen had hits including Almost Paradise from the Footloose soundtrack, as well as Never Gonna Fall In Love Again and Make Me Lose Control.eric carmen has died at age 74