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Ric OcasekCzech-born American musician and music producer
Date of Birth: 23.05.1949
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek, an American musician of Czech origin, was born on March 23, 1949, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He studied at Bowling Green State University. Ocasek was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the American rock band 'The Cars'. He later became a producer for several groups, including alternative rock bands 'Weezer' and 'Nada Surf', hardcore punk band 'Bad Brains', punk rock band 'Bad Religion', renowned American rock band 'No Doubt', indie rock band 'Guided by Voices', electronic project 'Bran Van 3000', and duo 'Suicide'.
Music Career
Ocasek released his first solo album, 'Beatitude', in 1982. This release was an experimental exploration of the rock sound of his previous band, 'The Cars'. In 1986, Ocasek released the album 'This Side Of Paradise', which featured heavy synthesizer parts and the popular single 'Emotion In Motion' following the LP. 'The Cars' disbanded in 1988, and Ocasek disappeared from the limelight for a couple of years before resurfacing in 1990. One of his tracks, 'Rockaway', briefly made it onto the charts, but his solo albums suffered commercial failure, especially when compared to his previous success with 'The Cars'. Over the next decade, Ocasek continued to release albums, including 'Quick Change World' (1993), 'Getchertikitz' (1996), and 'Troublizing' (1997). In 2005, his release 'Nexterday' was released without much fanfare, although critics responded favorably to the album.
Producer and Other Ventures
Ocasek had established himself as a sought-after music producer since his time with 'The Cars'. He worked with many bands and, more recently, in 2006, became the producer for the third album of the American pop-rock band 'The Pink Spiders', titled 'Teenage Graffiti'. He also produced part of the album 'Even If It Kills Me' by the American rock band 'Motion City Soundtrack'.
Other Interests
Ocasek wrote a book of poetry called 'Negative Theatre' in 1993. For many years, his hobbies included drawing, creating photo collages, and making art from media objects. In 2009, some of his artwork was exhibited in a gallery in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
Personal Life
Ric Ocasek and model Paulina Porizkova began dating in 1984 after filming the music video for 'Drive' by 'The Cars'. At the time, Porizkova was 19, while Ocasek was 35 and already married to Susan Ocasek. They got married in 1989, which was Ocasek's third marriage and Porizkova's first. In 2009, the couple celebrated their 25th anniversary and had a 'porcelain wedding'. Ocasek has six sons, two from each of his marriages.
