We’ve lost two more: RIP Karl Wallinger and Eric Carmen

Another two musicians have shuffled off this mortal plane. Karl Wallinger, the head of World Party and one-time member of The Waterboys has died at the age of 66. Eric Carmen, the voice of power-pop pioneers The Raspberries and a solo artist in his own right, passed away at the age of 74.

Wallinger, born in Wales, was part of The Waterboys for their first three albums, including 1985’s This is the Sea which featured the band’s biggest hit.

He left shortly after to form World Party, right around the same time he appeared on Sinead O’Connor’s debut album, The Lion and the Cobra. The first World Party album, Private Revolution, seemed ahead of its time. I still have this single on my phone.

There were several more albums between 1990 and 2000. But then, disaster. Wallinger was struck down by a brain aneurysm in February 2001. The next five years were spent in rehab. He did return to performing in 2006 and supported Steely Dan in on some dates. Live appearances became more sporadic after 2010 and by 2015, Wallinger and the band had retired.

Wallinger died on March 10. No cause of death was given.

Eric Carmen was a co-founder of The Raspberries, a Cleveland band that took elements of 70s pop and combined them with big guitars, helping to create the entire genre of power pop. This was their biggest hit before they broke up in 1975.

Carmen went solo–and softer–in 1976. His biggest AM Top 40 hit was this song, a track that made him even more money when it was covered by Celine Dion and used for the soundtrack of Bridget Jones’s Diary.

There were other hits, too: “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” “She Did It,” “Hungry Eyes” and “Make Me Lose Control” among them. His last album was released in 2000. His wife reported that he died in his sleep on March 11. No cause of death was given.