Eric Carmen epitomized a true musician and he is one of the most adaptable artists of his time. He has shown his appeal both in the pop and the rock genres by providing fans with songs that have stayed classic until today. While he can play multiple instruments and has a wonderful voice, his skill for songwriting may be his most appealing aspect.

Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 11, 1949 and loved music from a young age. He became the youngest student ever at the Cleveland Institute of Music at the age of three and began taking violin lessons when he was six. At 11, he was being trained in classical piano and started writing his own songs. Some of the rock bands to come on the scene in the 1960s, like the Beatles, influenced his music style.

He was part of the band Cyrus Erie while at college at John Carroll University. One of the members of that band, guitarist Wally Bryson, joined with Carmen, Dave Smalley and Jim Bonfanti to form the Raspberries. The new band quickly found success with their self-titled album in 1972 and the single "Go All the Way." The following albums, Fresh Raspberries, Side 3 and Starting Over, gave more success to the band with singles like "I Wanna Be With You" and "Let’s Pretend."

The band soon split, and Eric Carmen struck out on his own. His sound was decidedly different from the sound of the Raspberries with a grown-up style. He released his self-titled debut in 1975 and found immediate success with "All By Myself" and "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again." He followed it up with Boats Against the Current in 1977, Change of Heart in 1978 and Tonight You’re Mine in 1980.

His talent as a songwriter was shown in the 1980s with the theme song from Footloose, "Almost Paradise," in 1984 along with "Hungry Eyes" in 1987 for the hit movie Dirty Dancing. He had another hit after that with "Make Me Lose Control." Carmen slowed his career after that significantly to spend time with his family. In 2004, the Raspberries reunited and played a show in Cleveland, Ohio. The show was a success and led to 10 sold-out concerts across the country. Although he may have no plans of making another comeback, someone with as much love for music as Carmen will surely be back in the game soon.