(CelebrityAccess) — Ric Ocasek, best known as lead vocalist, songwriter and rhythm guitarist of the post-punk and power-pop band The Cars, has signed with SESAC Performing Rights.
Ocasek’s songwriting credits include “Drive,” “Shake It Up,” “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed.”
The Cars’ 1978 eponymous debut was a smash hit, going six times platinum and the group went on to produce a total of six studio albums, racking up an impressive 17 million records sold in the U.S. alone.
Ocasek’s repertoire is regularly featured in films and television shows such as “Dead to Me,” “Stranger Things,” “Arrested Development” and many more. The use of The Cars’ “Moving In Stereo” (co-written by Ocasek and Greg Hawkes) in the classic film Fast Times At Ridgemont High has become a popular culture reference in its own right.
In addition to his songwriting credits, Ocasek has served as a producer for multiple major artists, with production credits on releases by groups such as Suicide and Bad Brains, as well more commercially accessible bands like Weezer and No Doubt.
In 2010, Ocasek reunited with the surviving original members of The Cars, and the following year, the group released a new studio album Move Like This. As well, Ocasek has ventured into the world of visual art and his work was recently featured in a touring exhibition called Ric Ocasek: Abstract Reality on the road with Wentworth Galleries.
