Everyday Creation
Everyday Creation is about purpose, awe and good vibrations. The show's title refers to three types of creation: The ways we express ourselves (for example, with art, music and so many other pursuits fueled by purpose and passion); the parts of life that fill us with awe (birth, death, love, the big picture); and our personal power to create our best possible lives while also making the world a better place. Here, you’ll encounter interviews, essays and some episodes created simply for information and fun. I'm your host Kate Jones, welcoming you to Everyday Creation.
Everyday Creation
Singer, Songwriter and Raspberries Founder Eric Carmen Had Hits All by Himself
Eric Carmen, whose aunt was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra, had a natural talent for music even as a kid. In 1970, he founded the Raspberries, known for their hit single "Go All The Way," which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
He launched a successful solo career in 1975 with such hits as "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" and "All by Myself." In the chapters, you'll see two of his album covers, one of which also is used in this episode's thumbnail.
Carmen's songwriting continued to thrive in the 1980s, co-writing popular songs like "Almost Paradise" for "Footloose" and "Make Me Lose Control" for "Dirty Dancing."
You can go to YouTube to listen to Carmen singing "All by Myself" from "The Definitive Collection" album. And if you want to revisit the Raspberries' "Go All The Way," you can go here. There's also a live recording of the song by the band members who reunited decades later for a concert at The House of Blues Sunset Strip.
Carmen died in March 2024; no cause of death was given. The February 2025 issue of Rolling Stone has an intriguing piece about him. It's written by Andy Greene, who spent six months doing the interviews for it. The story is titled "ALL BY HIMSELF" and subtitled "Eric Carmen was a power-pop genius behind songs like ‘Go All the Way’ and ‘All by Myself,’ but the musician’s perfectionism, personal demons, and obsession with conspiracy theories haunted him until his still-unexplained death."
This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, wrote and recorded about the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's done tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.
Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.
This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.
Excerpt:
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"He loved Leonard Bernstein.
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He saw 'West Side Story' 11 times.
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Then he saw the Beatles and loved them
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even more.
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He taught himself guitar and joined several bands
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before founding the Raspberries
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in 1970."
Kate:
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That's just a bit
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of Sheldon Zoldan's tribute to Eric Carmen, who
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died in March
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2024.
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For more, here's the rest of the story.
Sheldon:
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I wouldn't be surprised if Eric Carmen was
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humming a tune when he came out of
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the womb.
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He had music in his genes.
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He grew up outside of Cleveland, idolizing his
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aunt who played the violin in the Cleveland
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Orchestra.
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He hung out on stage when they practiced.
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Carmen died March 11. No cause was given.
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He was 74.
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The Song of the Day is paying tribute
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to the musicians,
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singers, and songwriters
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who died in 2024.
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Carmen was all three. He was singing when
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he was two. A year later, his parents
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signed him up for classes at the Cleveland
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Institute of Music.
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He started taking classical piano when he was
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11.
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He started writing songs when he was 12.
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He loved Leonard Bernstein.
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He saw "West Side Story" 11 times.
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Then he saw the Beatles and loved them
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even more.
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He taught himself guitar and joined several bands
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before founding the Raspberries
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in 1970.
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The group was the antithesis
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of progressive rock bands of the era. Their
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single,
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"All the Way," went all the way to
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number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in
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1972.
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Carmen added solo act to his resume in
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1975.
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"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" reached number
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11.
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"All by Myself"
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reached number two. Both songs were based on
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music by Russian composer
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Sergei Rachmaninoff.
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His music was in the public domain in
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the U.S. but not elsewhere.
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So Carmen ended up giving 12 percent of the
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royalties to the composer's
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estate.
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Carmen's success continued into the 1980s,
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co-writing "Almost Paradise" for the movie "Footloose"
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and "Make Me Lose Control" for "Dirty Dancing."
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That song rose to number three on Billboard's
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Hot 100.
Kate:
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This is Kate Jones. You'll find a lot
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of other tributes on Everyday Creation.
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Please check them out, and thank you for
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listening.
