Last pictures of The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek show him soaking up the sun and relaxing on Miami Beach with his 21-year-old son six months before he died

  • Ric Ocasek was found dead in his Manhattan home at the age of 75 on Sunday
  • The former-lead singer of The Cars was believed to have died of natural causes 
  • Photos taken in March show him relaxing on Miami Beach with his son Oliver 
  • Oliver's mother, Ocasek's ex-wife Paulina Porizkova, found him 'unresponsive'
  • The pair announced they had split-up in May 2018 after 28 years of marriage 

The last pictures of The Cars lead singer, who was found dead at his home yesterday, have emerged showing him walking with his son on a beach in Florida. 

Ric Ocasek was pictured in his last candid photos enjoying a sunny afternoon with his 21-year-old son, Oliver.

The pair were seen lounging on VIP sunbeds in Miami Beach as the guitarist had his fingernails painted black in March.

Ocasek, 75, was also taking pictures as he smiled while walking across the sand with his tall look-alike son.

The singer was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' in Manhattan by his estranged wife Paulina Porizkova, Oliver's mother, at around 4.14pm on Sunday.

Ric Ocasek (left) and his 21-year-old son Oliver were seen lounging on VIP sunbeds in Miami Beach as the guitarist had his fingernails painted black in March

Ric Ocasek (left) and his 21-year-old son Oliver were seen lounging on VIP sunbeds in Miami Beach as the guitarist had his fingernails painted black in March

Ocasek with his look-alike 6ft4in son Oliver on the beach earlier this year, just months before the singer's death

Ocasek with his look-alike 6ft4in son Oliver on the beach earlier this year, just months before the singer's death

The frontman was pronounced dead at the scene and appeared to have died from natural causes, Page Six reported.

An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com that Ocasek was 75 years old at the time he died, other reports have suggested he was 70. 

Ocasek and band The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April last year.

They were described as 'hook-savvy with the perfect combo of new wave and classic rock,' by the institution. 

Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek

Ocasek and band The Cars were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April last year

Ocasek was found dead at around 4.14pm in his Gramercy Park home (above) in New York

Ocasek was found dead at around 4.14pm in his Gramercy Park home (above) in New York

Ric Ocasek (left) was pronounced dead in his Gramercy Park townhouse in Manhattan, New York, at the age of 75
Ocasek (left) found by estranged wife and supermodel Paulina Porizkova (right) 'unconscious and unresponsive'

Ric Ocasek (left) was pronounced dead in his Gramercy Park townhouse in Manhattan, New York, at the age of 75. He was found by estranged wife and supermodel Paulina Porizkova in 'unconscious and unresponsive'

At the time Ocasek told Rolling Stone: 'It's certainly a wonderful feeling to be accepted by peers and you see the people that are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who gets inducted, it's a positive feeling that you get.'

The band originated in Boston in 1976 and two years later released their self-titled album which shot them to fame with hits that included 'My Best Friend's Girl.'

Ric Ocasek during his sophomore year at Maple Heights High School in Ohio, in 1961

Ric Ocasek during his sophomore year at Maple Heights High School in Ohio, in 1961

The members were: Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Benjamin Orr and David Robinson.

They produced six records from the 1978 to 1987 of which there were 13 top-40 singles. 

In 1984 they won MTV's Video of the Year award for the song 'You Might Think' from their fifth album.

The band are most known for their song 'Drive' being used as the soundtrack for a CBS video for Live Aid that showed the horrors of famine in Ethiopia. 

The film was broadcast to around 100,000 people inside the John F. Kennedy stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 1985.

The emotional footage showed severely malnourished and emaciated children and parents while the synth pop-rock track played beneath it. The video was later replayed at Live 8 in 2005. 

The band broke up in the late 80s when Ocasek embarked on a solo career. 

After a long hiatus until 2011, The Cars released a new album called 'Move Like This.'

This was the first album they put out without bassist Orr who died at the age of 53 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000. 

The Cars released six records between the years of 1978 to 1987 (pictured L-R. Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Benjamin Orr, David Robinson)

The Cars released six records between the years of 1978 to 1987 (pictured L-R. Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Benjamin Orr, David Robinson)

Ocasek's estranged wife Porizkova, a former Czechoslovakian supermodel, released the following statement after the pair split last year (above)

Ocasek's estranged wife Porizkova, a former Czechoslovakian supermodel, released the following statement after the pair split last year (above)

(Pictured L:R) David Robinson, Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes of The Cars at the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio in 2018

(Pictured L:R) David Robinson, Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes of The Cars at the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio in 2018

Ocasek recently listed his home on East 19 street in Manhattan for sale at over $15 million, after he and Porizkova announced their split in 2018.

The couple, who were together for 28 years, had two sons together, Jonathan and Oliver. 

At the time she wrote on Instagram: 'Our family always has been - and still is - a well-built car. When the four of us are together, we can go wherever the road takes us.

'But as a bicycle, my husband and I no longer pedal in unison. So we're ditching the bike. 

'The love we have for one another is so wide and deep it's practically tangible, and that sort of love can never disappear.'

In May last year Porizkova said the couple, who have two sons together, had been 'peacefully separated for the past year'.

When asked about single life at the time she told Closer Weekly: 'It's so scary and weird. I don't know what to make out of it yet. I feel like I've had my soulmate.'

In 2015 Porizkova said she was grateful to have someone like Ocasek in her life, but that it was a challenge to stay together with their careers.

She told Yahoo: 'I agree, we did get lucky to find the right person, having the brains to know that it's the right person, and to work on it and not let it fall apart when things aren't easy.

Fans shared their memories of the 'Drive' singer, famously heard beneath a Live Aid montage

Fans shared their memories of the 'Drive' singer, famously heard beneath a Live Aid montage

One mourner called him 'one of the most influential bands in music'

One mourner called him 'one of the most influential bands in music'

TV personality Nigel Barker remembered a moment he was able to meet Ocasek

TV personality Nigel Barker remembered a moment he was able to meet Ocasek 

'It's always challenging with two people with separate careers. I know models and rock stars have a rep. It's hard when you spend a lot of time apart. Sometimes you risk growing apart. 

'I've seen that a lot of times. [But] we have always been close as a family unit. We have always traveled together and enjoyed spending time together.'

Porizkova and Ocasek first met while The Cars were filming the music video for Drive in 1984. The couple, who were still legally married at the time of his death, were reportedly had a net worth of $80m. 

Ocasek and Porizkova bought the 6,000 square-foot townhouse in New York City where the star was found dead for $2.5 million in 1989. 

They listed the townhouse for sale in January 2019 for $15.3 million. The pair also co-owned a 5.5-acre country property 90 miles north of New York City in Millbrook, which they bought in 1997 for $650,000. 

Ocasek had a total of six sons with three wives. 

The musician previously listed songwriters who initially inspired him, which including Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Gene Vincent, to the Vinyl District

Ocasek said: 'When the '60s came, of course I loved The Beatles, but I also loved the Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa.

'I certainly always loved a good pop song. I always liked great songs, and it didn't matter if it was from the Carpenters or Lou Reed. As long as they were done well and they weren't corny or fake.'

Tributes are pouring in for the deceased musician on Twitter.

Another fan said Ocasek and the band 'brightened quite a few otherwise ugly days'

Another fan said Ocasek and the band 'brightened quite a few otherwise ugly days'

One film critic said tit was impossible to think of their senior year without his music

One film critic said tit was impossible to think of their senior year without his music 

American television critic and Pulitzer Prize recipient Nussbaum remembered the star

American television critic and Pulitzer Prize recipient Nussbaum remembered the star

Some recalled what an integral part Ocasek was in their childhood

Some recalled what an integral part Ocasek was in their childhood

One fan shared a passage that claimed Ocasek allowed them take home random stacks of records

Other mourners shared photographs of some of their treasured records including ones by Ocasek and The Cars

Other mourners shared photographs of some of their treasured records including ones by Ocasek and The Cars

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