Acclaimed singer and actress, Irene Cara, has passed away at the age of 63.

Cara was known for singing and co-writing the song “Flashdance… What a Feeling”, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Irene Cara parents: Gaspar Cara, Louise Cara

Irene Cara was born in The Bronx, New York City, as the youngest of five children born to Gaspar and Louise Escalera

Her father, who was Puerto Rican, was a factory worker and retired saxophonist, and her mother, who was Cuban, was a movie theater usher. She had two sisters and two brothers.

At the tender age of three, she became one of five finalists for the “Little Miss America” pageant. Later, she made early TV appearances on The Original Amateur Hour and Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show.

In addition, during her childhood, she recorded a Latin-market Spanish-language record and an English-language Christmas album.