(TRR) – Ric Ocasek, frontman of The Cars, has passed away. Ocasek died Sunday at his townhouse in New York, according to NBC New York. He was 75.
Police said they received a call around 4 p.m. for an unconscious male at a townhouse on East 19th Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement sources confirmed the deceased was Ocasek.
Ric Ocasek formed The Cars in Boston with bassist and friend Benjamin Orr in 1976. The Cars inked a deal with Elektra and released their eponymous debut LP in 1978. The album included breakout hits like “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Moving In Stereo,” and the lead single “Just What I Needed.”
The band released their sophomore effort Candy-O in 1979. The album saw the band achieve greater commercial success, as it hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The record included their smash hit “Let’s Go.”
The Cars went on to release two more consecutive LPs in 1980 and 1981 -the platinuim-selling Panorama and Shake It Up. In 1984, they released Heartbeat City which featured mega-hits like “Magic,” “You Might Think,” and “Drive.” The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Last year, The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to his renouned work with The Cars, Ric Ocasek released two solo albums – after the group disbanded in 1988.
He also found success as a producer, working with the likes of Hole, No Doubt, Bad Brains, Guided By Voices, Bad Religion, Nada Surf, and Motion City Soundtrack. He collaborated with alt-rock giants Weezer on their Blue Album and Green Album, both of which went multi-platinum. He produced a third record for the band – 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright In The End which hit No. 5 on the Billboard 200.