Born Irene T Escalera in New York City. One of a select group of talented performers who have successfully made the transition from theater to television, then to records, and then to feature films. She is a veteran artist whose career began in childhood and has spanned over two decades. Honored by the entertainment industry, she received an Academy Award®, two Grammy® Awards, a Golden Globe Award, plus numerous other awards emanating from every aspect of the industry. Her performance in the ground breaking 1980's picture FAME (1980) catapulted her into world wide stardom and motivated a generation of young people to become involved in the performing arts. Other notable credits include SPARKLE (1976), "Roots: The Next Generations" (1979, TV mini-series), "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (1980, TV), KILLING 'EM SOFTLY (1982), D.C. CAB (1983, also song "The Dream"), CITY HEAT (1984, also singer "Embraceable You" and "Get Happy"), CERTAIN FURY (1985), BUSTED UP (1986, also singer "Dying for Your Love"), CAGED IN PARADISO (1990, also singer "Paradiso"), and HAPPILY EVER AFTER (1993, voice - "Snow White").  Music Best Song 1983: FLASHDANCE "Flashdance... What a Feeling" - Lyric (w. Keith Forsey) 1 nomination, 1 Award