Karen Ichiuji-Ramone ( Ichiuji, May 15, 1951 – March 25, 2020), known by her stage name Karen Kamon, was an American singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her performance of "Manhunt" on the soundtrack to the movie ''

Flashdance ''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend an ...

.'' In 1984, her recording of "Loverboy" reached #88 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

. She also sang "Squeeze Play" on the soundtrack to the movie ''

D.C. Cab ''D.C. Cab'' (also known as ''Street Fleet'') is a 1983 American comedy film written and directed by Joel Schumacher, based on a story by Topper Carew and Schumacher, and starring Max Gail, Adam Baldwin, Mr. T, Charlie Barnett, Gary Busey, Mar ...

'' and provided additional voices for the movie ''

Oliver & Company ''Oliver & Company'' is a 1988 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on November 18, 1988, by Walt Disney Pictures. The 27th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the Charl ...

.'' In television, she appeared in one episode of the U.S. TV series ''

T.J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network un ...

.'' She is listed as a production associate on

Karen Carpenter Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praise ...

's solo album and credited, on the Carpenters' compilation album ''

Lovelines ''Lovelines'' is the posthumous thirteenth studio album by American music duo Carpenters, the second Carpenters album released after the death of Karen Carpenter. It was released in 1989 and is a compilation album assembled by Richard Carpenter ...

,'' as a friend of Karen Carpenter. She was also interviewed for the installment of VH1's series ''

Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is a documentary television series on VH1. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group. The program examines the beginning of their career, their road to success, and the hardships they may have ...

'' that dealt with "

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

" and appeared in a segment in the VH1 documentary ''100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll History.''

Personal life

Kamon first met music producer

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business par ...

while working as a tour publicist for

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repertoir ...

in 1977. Ramone produced the first of two albums in her known discography, ''Heart of You,'' in 1984. She was married to him from 1984 until his death in 2013 at the age of 79. They had three children, including Matthew Ramone, general manager of Phil Ramone Incorporated. On March 25, 2020, it was reported on a Karen Carpenter Facebook site that Kamon had died.

Discography

Albums

*1984: ''Heart of You'' – Label: CBS-26017 – included the single "Loverboy," which reached #88 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart *1987: ''Voices'' – Label: ATCO-90575 (including a cover version of the Russ Ballard classic "Voices")

Soundtracks

*1983: '' D.C. Cab: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' *1983: '' Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture''

References

External links

* 1951 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American women 21st-century American women American women pop singers American actresses of Japanese descent {{US-film-actor-stub