The Cars’ Ric Ocasek Dies at 75

Ric Ocasek, frontman and producer for The Cars, died on Sunday in New York City at the age of 75. Rolling Stone confirmed the news with an NYPD representative yesterday evening. No cause of death is currently available.

Ocasek, born in Baltimore and eventually making his way to Boston, fronted and acted as the primary songwriter for The Cars from their forming in 1976, and the band released their self-titled debut two years later, beginning an influential career that would solidify them as one of the memorable groups from the late-’70s new wave movement, spawning early hits like the ubiquitous “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.”

After The Cars’ dissolution in 1988, Ocasek pursued a solo career and continued production work, including on Weezer’s Blue and Green albums, along with work on albums from Guided By Voices, No Doubt, Le Tigre and more. The Cars reunited (without bassist/singer Benjamin Orr, who passed away in 2000) in 2010 and released a finale album, Move Like This, the next year.

Ocasek and The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, reuniting again for one performance featuring Weezer bassist Scott Shriner. Weezer released a heartfelt note after Ocasek’s passing, writing, “Ric was so kind to us, and never faltered or changed a thing either professionally or personally in the three different decades we worked with him. When you were his friend, it was for life, and he was always as generous as could be with his time and care.”