Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek (born Richard Otcasek on March 23, 1949) is the former vocalist and frontman for The Cars.
The visually distinctive, very slender singer released his first solo album, Beatitude , was released in 1982, a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars' synth-pop sound.
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 second 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.
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, No Doubt, punk-poppers Nada Surf and Irish folk-punk band Black 47.
Ocasek has since released Troublizing in 1999 with Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan co-producing, and will likely release a new CD, Nexterday , in 2005. He has also written and published a book of poetry, Negative Theatre , in 1993.
Ocasek married supermodel/actress Paulina Porizkova in 1989, his second marriage, the first ending in divorce.
Ocasek had a cameo role in the John Waters film Hairspray.
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