Ric Ocasek, an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer, was widely known as the main co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman of the rock band The Cars.
With the Cars, he released seven studio albums featuring hit songs like “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” “You Might Think,” “Let’s Go,” and “Drive.”
Apart from his work with the band, he had also released seven solo studio albums, covering songs like “Emotion in Motion.” In 2018, he and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame.
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Quick Stats
| Real Name | Ric Ocasek |
| Date of birth | March 23, 1944 |
| Place of birth | Baltimore, MD |
| Date of death | September 15, 2019 |
| Age at the time of death | 75 |
| Nationality | American |
| Net Worth | $40 million |
| Height | 6′ 4″ |
Ric Ocasek Early Life
Born on March 23, 1944, in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, Ric Ocasek, whose full name was Richard Theodore Ocasek, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, after his family relocated there when he was 16.
His mother was of Irish and Welsh descent, while his father, a systems analyst at the Lewis Research Center of NASA, was of Czech origin.
He finished his high school education at Maple Heights High School in 1963 and attended Antioch College and Bowling Green State University for a brief period. However, he eventually dropped out of college to pursue his passion for music
Ric Ocasek Career
Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr first crossed paths in Cleveland in 1965 while performing with their respective bands on the local Big 5 Show. After reconnecting in Columbus, Ohio, the two formed the band ID Nirvana in 1968, followed by Milkwood in Boston in the early 1970s, which released How’s the Weather in 1973.
After forming several bands together, Ocasek and Orr formed Cap’n Swing with Elliot Easton, which eventually evolved into the Cars in late 1976 with the addition of Greg Hawkes and David Robinson.
Ocasek became the band’s principal songwriter, and they performed their first official show in December 1976.
After heavy airplay of their song Just What I Needed on Boston radio stations, the Cars signed a record deal with Elektra Records and released their self-titled debut album in June 1978, followed by Candy-O in 1979, which was even more successful.
Although their third album, Panorama, was not well-received by critics, the band continued to produce successful albums such as Shake It Up (1981) and Heartbeat City (1984).
Ocasek released his first solo album, Beatitude, in 1982, followed by This Side of Paradise in 1986. After the Cars disbanded in 1988, Ocasek released several more solo albums and produced for other artists.
He also wrote a book of poetry titled Negative Theatre and hosted an exhibition called “Teahead Scraps” in Columbus, Ohio, in 2009. In addition, he made appearances in movies and other media.
Ric Ocasek’s Physical Appearance
Ric Ocasek was a tall man, standing at 6 feet and 4 inches or 193 centimeters, with a weight of 84 kilograms or 185 pounds. His biceps size and body measurements of chest-waist-hips were not known.
He wore a UK size 12 shoe. Ric Ocasek had striking blue eyes and his hair color was grey-white.
Ric Ocasek’s Marriage With Constance Campbell
Ric Ocasek, the musician, and singer had three marriages throughout his life. His first marriage was to Constance Campbell, and they had two sons named Christopher and Adam.
Christopher is a singer who formed the rock group Glamour Camp and appeared in the romantic comedy film Pretty Woman.
Ric Ocasek’s Marriage With Suzanne LaPointe
After divorcing his first wife, Ric Ocasek married Suzanne LaPointe, and they were together for 17 years between 1971 and 1988. They had two children together, Derek and Eron.
Ric Ocasek’s Marriage With Paulina
During his second marriage, Ric met Paulina Porizkova, a 19-year-old Czech-born supermodel, during the +-filming of a music video in 1984. He divorced Suzanne and married Paulina in August 1989. They had two sons together named Jonathan Raven and Oliver.
In May 2018, Ric’s third wife, Paulina, announced that they had separated a year earlier and were in the process of getting a separation.
Ric Ocasek’s Net Worth
In 2019, at the time of his passing, Ric Ocasek, a musician and music producer from the United States, had a net worth of $40 million. This amount is inclusive of his combined net worth with his ex-wife, Paulina Porizkova, who is a supermodel.
Ric Ocasek Death
On September 15, 2019, Ric Ocasek was discovered dead at his New York City townhouse. Ocasek had been recuperating from a surgical procedure but after a few days Ocasek passed away due to natural causes.
