Ric Ocasek is being remembered by his fans and friends in the music world. The lead singer-songwriter of the legendary new wave band, The Cars, was found dead in his New York townhome, reportedly of natural causes, as previously shared by The Inquisitr . He was 75.
While Ocasek was known for his long list of hit albums and singles with The Cars, including “Just What I Needed,” My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Good Times Roll,” “Drive,” and “You Might Think” — which, incidentally, won Video of the Year at the very first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 — Ocasek also worked as producer on albums by Weezer, Suicide, Bad Religion, No Doubt, and more.
After Ocasek’s sudden death was announced, friends in the music world paid tribute to him on social media.
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea posted a photo of Ocasek to Instagram as he recalled listening to The Cars albums when he was a teenager.
“Ahh man, say it ain’t so. I loved Ric Ocasek,” Flea wrote of Ocasek’s passing. “As an adult, I met him several times and he was gracious, funny and engaging…. Bless his soul. R.I.P. Transcend to the other side Ric. So much love and appreciation from me. You’re All I Got Tonight.”
Courtney Love also posted to Instagram to remember Ric, who had worked with her band, Hole. Love wrote that all of Hole loved working with Ric, and she sent love to his family, which includes, Paulina Porizkova, his wife of 30 years, and Ocasek’s children from his three marriages.
In addition, the band Weezer shared a touching tribute to Ocasek, who produced the band’s 1994 debut album Weezer , aka The Blue Album .
The weezer family is devastated by the loss of our friend and mentor Ric Ocasek, who passed away Sunday. We will miss him forever, & will forever cherish the precious times we got to work and hang out with him. Rest in Peace & rock on Ric, we love you. #RIPRicOcasek #karlscorner pic.twitter.com/JcTXevr6V8
— weezer (@Weezer) September 16, 2019
Tony Kanal from No Doubt recalled working with Ric on his band’s 2001 album Rock Steady . And other music stars, including Bryan Adams, Billy Idol, and Thomas Dolby paid tribute to Ocasek.
You can see some of the reaction to the death of Ric Ocasek below.
R.I.P. Ric Ocasek, lead singer with The Cars, at 75. A very cool cat. He was the first person to hear my album The Flat Earth from start to finish, in Mutt Lange’s house in Chelsea.
— Thomas Dolby (@ThomasDolby) September 16, 2019
RIP Ric Ocasek. Great songwriter and singer for the Cars #RIPRicOcasek
— Bryan Adams (@bryanadams) September 16, 2019
Aw, man. RIP #ricocasek and thank you for the songs on “Heartbeat City” alone. You were a true original.
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) September 16, 2019
Sorry 2 hear about #ricocasek RIP loved his work with the band #Suicide
— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) September 16, 2019
Ocasek himself reflected on his life last year ahead of The Cars long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In an interview with Rolling Stone , Ocasek described playing at the coveted Cleveland Hall of Fame as “a good cap on the bottle” after getting his start in music while living in Cleveland in the 1970s.
“I kind of started playing here and I could stop playing here, in Cleveland,” Ocasek said of his decades-long music career. “This could be the bookends. One guy on a guitar playing bad songs and then I’m in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 45 years later. …It is a lifetime. I had three families during that time…. It’s been a pretty eventful life, I can say.”
