As Raspberries front man Eric Carmen dies at 74, FEMAIL lifts the lid on the fascinating lives of his former bandmates - 54 YEARS after they were catapulted to music fame
Eric's wife confirmed that he passed away in his sleep at age 74 on Monday His death left fans wondering: What happened to the other members? As the world comes to grips with his passing, see what came of the band
Before there was Maroon 5, Coldplay, and Imagine Dragons, and there was Raspberries – a band that rose to fame in the 1970s and helped pioneer the beloved pop rock genre that we know and love today.
The group was formed in 1970 and was behind a slew of big hits like Go All the Way, Let’s Pretend, I Wanna Be With You, and Tonight before they ultimately separated in 1975.
But despite only being together for five years, they left a huge imprint on the music industry thanks to their distinct and contagious sound – as well as their unforgettable image.
Now, the band has come back into the forefront of many people’s minds amid the devastating news that front man Eric Carmen died in his sleep at age 74 this week.
Raspberries’ front man Eric Carmen (seen in 1975) has died in his sleep at age 74 on Monday, his wife has confirmed
The singer’s death sent shockwaves through the industry and left fans of the beloved ’70s group wondering: What ever came of the Raspberries’ other brand members?
His wife confirmed his tragic passing on his website on Monday, writing, ‘It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.’
The singer’s death sent shockwaves through the industry and left fans of the beloved ’70s group wondering: What ever came of the Raspberries’ other brand members – and what are they all doing now?
Raspberries was originally formed in Cleveland, Ohio, and originally included Eric, Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley.
Their first album, entitled Raspberries, debuted in 1972, quickly followed by their second, Fresh, and their third, Side 3.
Thanks to their catchy songs and enticing stage presence – the band would wear matching tuxedos when they performed – they were an instant success.
Arguably their biggest hit was Go All the Way, which sold over one million copies and reached number five on the US chart.
But tensions over creative differences began to arise in 1973, leading to Dave being kicked out the band, with Jim leaving soon after.
They were replaced by Scott McCarl and Michael McBride, and the band dropped one last LP together, called Staring Over, before they ultimately disbanded in 1975 amid strained relationships and growing arguments.
As the world comes to grips with his passing, take a look back at everything he, as well as the other original Raspberries’ band mates, got up to after they broke up. Eric is seen in 2007
Following the band’s breakup, many huge artists credited them with inspiring their sound – including Bruce Springsteen, Kiss member Paul Stanley, Tom Petty, and Guns N’ Roses member Axl Rose.
After the split, some members went on to have major solo careers – but others tried and failed, riding the success from Raspberries as long as possible before eventually leaving the spotlight.
Much to the group’s devoted fans’ delight, they reunited quite a few times over the years – in 2000, Wally, Dave, and Scott came together to release a six-song EP called Raspberries Refreshed, and in 2004, all four original members teamed up for an emotional concert at the House of Blues.
The success of the latter lead to a mini-tour in 2005; and when one of the shows was recorded and released as a concert film called Live on Sunset Strip two years later – its popularity inspired them to play another string of shows throughout 2007, before eventually parting ways again.
Now, more than five decades after the group first began, Eric’s heartbreaking death has sparked a newfound interest into the band.
As the world comes to grips with his passing, take a look back at everything he, as well as the other original Raspberries’ band mates, got up to after they broke up.
From the stars who became huge musicians on their own to the ones who had to take up other work after failing as solo artists – here’s what happened to the members of the beloved ’70s pop rock group Raspberries.
Eric Carmen launched a major solo career before passing away this week at age 74
Almost immediately after Raspberries broke up in 1975, Eric began making music on his own, and he released his debut solo album in 1975, called Eric Carmen. He’s seen in 1970
It was an instant success, with his song All by Myself skyrocketing to number two on the chart, and his track Never Gonna Fall in Love Again reaching number 11. He’s seen in 1975
He went on to release five more successful albums that contained a slew of big hits. He’s seen in 1975
Almost immediately after Raspberries broke up in 1975, Eric began making music on his own, and he released his debut solo album in 1975, called Eric Carmen.
It was an instant success, with his song All by Myself skyrocketing to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and his track Never Gonna Fall in Love Again reaching number 11.
He dropped his second LP, called Boats Against the Current in 1977, which spent a whopping 13 weeks on the US album chart and contained a slew of big hits like She Did It.
Many stars have also charted by covering his songs over the years – including Shaun Cassidy’s version of That’s Rock and Roll and Olivia Newton-John’s cover of Boats Against the Current.
Eric then released three more albums – Change of Heart in 1978, Tonight You’re Mine in 1980, and his second self-titled LP in 1984.
The latter contained successful songs like I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips and I’m Through with Love.
Eric (seen in 1987) also wrote the song Hungry Eyes for the movie Dirty Dancing, which was another major hit
In 2004, all four original members teamed up for an emotional concert at the House of Blues, which lead to a mini-tour in 2005 and another in 2007. They’re seen on stage in 2005
But in 2013, he briefly returned to release his first single in over 15 years, called Brand New Year, which he described as a ‘Christmas gift’ to his fans. He’s seen in 2005
His wife, Amy, confirmed his tragic passing on his website on Monday, writing, ‘It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.’ He’s seen with his wife
He also wrote the song Hungry Eyes for the movie Dirty Dancing, which was another major hit, and briefly formed a band with ex-Raspberries members Wally and Dave for a few years.
After that ended in 1985, Eric took a hiatus from making music until 2000, when he dropped his sixth album, I Was Born to Love You. In addition, he embarked on a tour with Beatles’ alum Ringo Starr that year.
In 2004, he reunited with his former Raspberries’ band mates for their reunion show and following tour, but after that, he retired from making music.
But in 2013, he briefly returned to release his first single in over 15 years, called Brand New Year, which he described as a ‘Christmas gift’ to his fans.
The singer was married three times during his life; his first wife was a woman named Marcy Hill, who he was with from 1978 to 1979. They welcomed two children together.
He then married a woman named Susan Brown in 1993 but they split in 2009. He wed a former newscaster named Amy Murphy in 2016, and was with until his death.
In his later years, he left Los Angeles to live in a northeast town of Ohio called Gates Mills with his wife and kids.
Wally Bryson joined various bands but eventually landed a job working in a mental health hospital
Following Raspberries split, guitarist Wally Bryson (seen in 2005) tried to form his own band with some musician friends, called Tattoo, but it unfortunately failed
Following Raspberries’ split, guitarist Wally tried to form his own band with some musician friends, called Tattoo, but it unfortunately failed.
They released one album together, which AllMusic.com described as a ‘disaster,’ before going their separate ways.
Wally then joined a group called Fotomaker alongside former The Young Rascals bandmembers Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli, as well as musicians Lex Marchesi, and Frankie Vinci.
They dropped two albums before Wally left in 1979 to move back to his home state of Ohio.
He then teamed up with musician Danny Klawon to form a musical duo called Peter Panic.
They performed in a series of live shows around Cleveland, but never recorded any new music.
In 1980, Wally reunited with Dave and Eric to form a new group called Cleveland Band The Secret. They brought in a local drummer named Frank Musarra, but disbanded in 1985.
Then, in 1999, he teamed up with former Raspberries’ members Dave and Scott to release a six-song EP called Raspberries Refreshed.
Wally was also present at the 2004 Raspberries’ reunion show and the following mini-tours in 2005 and 2007.
Wally was also present at the 2004 Raspberries reunion show and the following mini-tours in 2005 and 2007. He’s seen in 2007
In recent years, Wally has lived a much quieter life out of the spotlight, working at a local mental hospital with ‘mentally challenged people.’ He’s seen with his bandmates in 2009
He doesn’t use social media and hasn’t been pictured since 2018, so it’s unclear what he’s up to now. He’s seen in 2018
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, he also performed with a local Ohio band called Sittin’ Ducks in his free time.
In recent years, Wally has lived a much quieter life out of the spotlight. During a rare interview with Cleveland.com in 2012, he revealed that he was residing in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and working at a local mental hospital with ‘mentally challenged people.’
At the time, he said he still had a fierce love of performing and hit the stage whenever he could, playing at local bars and restaurants.
He also admitted in the interview that he was no longer in contact with his former Raspberries’ bandmates.
He’s married to a woman named Kay, and together, they share a son, named Jesse. He doesn’t use social media and hasn’t been pictured since 2018, so it’s unclear what he’s up to now.
Jim Bonfanti lives a quiet life and enjoys running and taking photographs of wildlife
After parting with Raspberries, Jim briefly formed a new band called Dynamite with ex-Raspberries’ member Dave Smalley. Jim is seen in 1007
He was ecstatic to reunite with his Raspberries’ band mates in the early 2000s, writing on his blog at the time, ‘I’m having a blast touring again.’ He’s seen recently
After parting with Raspberries, Jim briefly formed a new band called Dynamite with ex-Raspberries’ member Dave, as well as musicians Kevin Raleigh and Michael Stanley Band.
But when that ended, the drummer actually left music behind for many years and moved back to Ohio, where he grew up.
‘In 1977, I reached a period in my life that didn’t allow room for music, so I sold my drums to a local drummer,’ he later wrote on the blog Modern Drummer.
In 1988, he realized how much he missed playing, and decided to buy the drum set back and started participating in local gigs with various bands.
He was ecstatic to reunite with his Raspberries’ band mates in the early 2000s, writing on his blog at the time, ‘I’m having a blast touring again.’
‘I enjoy touring more now than I did in the ’70s because I appreciate the opportunity to play again and connect with our fans,’ he added.
‘I have an appreciation I didn’t have before, knowing that these things can end in a blink. But for now we can still go out and play and really have fun.’
After that ended, Jim played drums in Jeff Soukup’s brand until 2015. He then joined a group called Abbey Rodeo, which was made up of ‘local veteran musicians who all share a love and passion for the British invasion.’
He suffered from a horrific health scare in 2010 when he had a heart attack, but he fully recovered and told MyDigitalPublication.com in 2015 that he ‘now runs about 70 miles a month.’
He’s been married to a woman named Barb since before he even joined Raspberries in the ’70s, and they have welcomed two daughters together. He’s seen recently with his family
Jim still performs here and there – he played at a local benefit in October 2023 (seen) – but he mostly enjoys a quiet life with his wife and two dogs
He’s now a grandfather, and based off his social media, he seems to have a new passion for photographing wildlife. He’s seen recently
He’s been married to a woman named Barb since before he even joined Raspberries in the ’70s, and they have welcomed two daughters together.
Jim still performs here and there – he played at a local benefit in October 2023 – but he mostly enjoys a quiet life with his wife and two dogs.
He’s now a grandfather, and based off his social media, he seems to have a new passion for photographing wildlife.
He’s still wildly proud of everything Raspberries achieved, telling MyDigitalPublication.com following the resurgence of their song Go All the Way thanks to its inclusion in the Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy, ‘It’s so exciting.
‘When we got together, we were just band. We had ideas but none of us ever thought that some 40 years later we would be relevant.’
Dave Smalley recently released his first solo album – almost 50 years after Raspberries split
After leaving Raspberries, bassist Dave played alongside Jim in their new band Dynamite for a few years. He’s seen with Eric during Raspberries’ reunion tour in 2007
When that ended, he moved to Cleveland and formed a group called The Secret, but when they too split up soon after, he left the spotlight for quite some time. He’s seen in 2005
In 2004, he hit the stage for the Raspberries’ reunion concert and following tours (seen). He dropped his first solo album, called Internal Monologue, in 2020
After leaving Raspberries, bassist Dave played alongside Jim in their new band Dynamite for a few years.
When that ended, he moved to Cleveland and formed a group called The Secret, but when they too split up soon after, he relocated again to Arizona, where he left the spotlight for quite some time.
In 2000, he reunited with Wally and Scott for their EP, and in 2004, he hit the stage for the Raspberries’ reunion concert and following tours.
He dropped his first solo album, called Internal Monologue, in 2020 – decades after he departed from Raspberries.
‘Through all of my musical endeavors, my love for song writing has endured,’ he wrote following its release.
‘Internal Monologue, my first solo release, is a collection of my personal favorites.’