Ric Ocasek, singer songwriter for The Cars, dies at the age of 75

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Ric Ocasek has died. He was the tall, skinny, dark haired singer-songwriter for the band The Cars.

The New York City Police Department says they were called to an apartment at around 4 P.M Sunday.

Police say there is no sign of foul play and it appears the 75 year old Ocasek died in his sleep of natural causes.

Ocasek, born Richard Theodore Otcasek in Baltimore on March 23, 1944.

His family moved to Cleveland when he was 16. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, he met future Cars band mate Benjamin Orr. The pair played in bands together in Ohio before relocating to Boston in the early 1970’s.

That’s where a local DJ began airing one of the bands demo tapes. That lead to a deal with Elektra Records and their debut album was released in 1978.

For the next 10 years the band became a rock radio staple with songs like “Just What I Needed, “Shake It Up”, “Bye, Bye Love” and “You Might Think”.

The video for that song was the “Video of the Year” winner at the very first “MTV Video Music Awards” in 1984.

The Cars broke up in 1988 and Ocasek recorded several solo albums and produced recordings for several other acts before joining up with The Cars for a new album and brief tour in 2011.

Their contributions to music were honored in 2018 when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He was separated from his wife, model/actress Paulina Poriskova at the time of his death. He is survived by his six children.