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As the frontman of The Cras, Ric Ocasek was an important figure in rock history. The Cars were one of the earliest bands to merge together guitar-driven rock music with the synthesizer. Part rock, part pop, part new wave, part punk, The Cars led a whole new direction in music under the direction of Ocasek. Unfortunately we lost Ocasek on September 25th, 2019 of natural causes, but will remember him forever through the music of The Cars.

To celebrate the birthday of Ric Ocasek, here are some fun facts about The Cars’ frontman.

1. He was the primary songwriter, singer, and rhythm guitarist of The Cars.
2. He received his first guitar at the age of ten as a gift from his grandmother.
3. He produced three Weezer albums.
4. He has over 100 soundtrack credits.
5. As a child, he often ran away from home and would live for weeks on the streets of Ocean City.
6. The last name he was born with was Otcasek, but he dropped the “T” in the ’70s.

Watch The Cars perform Dangerous Type live on “The Midnight Special” in 1979 here: