Losing Christine McVie vs. Losing Irene Cara

Artists Of Color Just Don’t Get The Same Fanfare

Hispanic artist Irene Cara ruled the 80s with her “Fame” and “Flashdance.” She energized a dance movement and inspired a generation of Black and Hispanic artists. But mourning over her passing paled in comparison to the outpouring of grief for Songbird Christine McVie who passed days later. Photo credit Wikimedia commons

I get that people are grieving the passing of Christine McVie, as they should. May she rest in Music Heaven. But it pains me that the multi-talented (dancer, singer/songwriter, actress) Irene Cara passed a few days prior, with, by comparison, little fanfare.

Christine gave my generation the soundtracks of our youth. It’s hard to imagine those days without her and FleetwoodMac. She will forever be our “Songbird.”

But Irene pulled us onto the dance floor in what seemed like a dance revolution! “Fame” and “Flashdance” dominated the ’80s. That powerful voice — and those leg-warmers!

I hate to say it, but this is the second artist of color we’ve lost in the past 1.5 years — the legendary Cicily Tyson’s death was overshadowed by the legendary Betty White’s death — who to me didn’t get the tributes they deserved for their contributions to the arts and to our lives.

That sucks.