Ric Ocasek

Ric Ocasek (born Richard Otcasek on March 23, 1949) is the former vocalist and frontman for The Cars.

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The visually distinctive, very slender singer released his first solo album, Beatitude, in 1982, a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars' New Wave Rock sound.

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A more synthesizer-heavy followup, This Side Of Paradise, was released in 1986. A minor hit, "Emotion In Motion" accompanied the album. After the split of the band in 1987, he released a third solo album in 1991 titled Fireball Zone and Quick Change World in 1993. While "Rockaway" (from Fireball Zone) enjoyed a brief stay on the charts, both albums suffered disappointing sales.

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Ocasek has also produced many records, both while working with The Cars and since then, such as Bad Brains' Rock for Light and Guided By Voices' Do the Collapse. His other production credits include Weezer, Bebe Buell, No Doubt, punk-poppers Nada Surf and Irish folk-punk band Black 47.

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Ocasek has since released Troublizing in 1999 with Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan co-producing, and will release a new CD, Nexterday, in 2005. He has also written and published a book of poetry, Negative Theatre, in 1993.

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Ocasek married supermodel/actress Paulina Porizkova in 1989, his third marriage, the first two ending in divorce. He has six sons- two from each of his three marriages. He met Porizkova while filming the video for the Car's song "Drive", directed by Timothy Hutton, while he was still married to his second wife Suzanne. Porizkova was only 19 at the time of the 1984 meeting and they have been together ever since.

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Ocasek had a cameo role in the John Waters film Hairspray.

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March 23: March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). There are 283 days remaining....

1949: 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday....

Vocalist: REDIRECT Singing...

Ric Ocasek related Images and Photos (experimental)

Ric Ocasek: Nexterday

Ric Ocasek: Nexterday