[48] Carpenter was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California. Though Richard was concerned about her health, he still thought her voice sounded as good as ever. [27] She sang most of the songs on the band's first album, Offering (later retitled Ticket to Ride); her brother wrote ten of the album's thirteen songs and sang on five of them. At 5'4" and 145 pounds, she was often told she looked chubby. The album also featured another now classic Carpenters hit, “We’ve Only Just Begun.” The Carpenters picked up the Grammy for best new artist in 1970, and they continued to reach the charts with such songs as “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “Superstar” and “Hurting Each Other.”. [60], In early interviews, Carpenter showed no interest in marriage or dating, believing that a relationship would not survive constant touring, adding "as long as we're on the road most of the time, I will never marry". "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. [112] Randy Schmidt wrote a biography about Carpenter entitled Little Girl Blue, published in 2010, which included a foreword by Warwick. Carpenter had a distinctive voice and was praised for her three-octave contralto. [75], Richard Carpenter speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1983[94], Carpenter's singing has attracted critical praise and influenced several significant musicians and singers, including Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Pat Metheny, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Shania Twain, Natalie Imbruglia, and k.d. Karen Carpenter died much too young, before she had an opportunity to come of age and distance herself from her family the way most young people do when they hit their late teens. She was praised for her three-octave contralto[2][3] vocal range and drumming abilities. When it came to filming the CBS documentary The Karen Carpenter Story (Now Streaming On Amazon) any mention of Karen’s deprived affection was written out. [80][81] She seemed somewhat frail and worn out, but according to Dionne Warwick, was vibrant and outgoing, exclaiming, "Look at me! She married real estate developer Thomas Burris in 1980. Richard and Karen Carpenter signed to A&M Records on April 22, 1969. She is most remembered for The Carpenters. "Karen Carpenter has directed with flawless timing." [72] At live performances, fans reacted with gasps to her gaunt appearance, and many wrote to the pair to inquire what was wrong. Singer Karen Carpenter could serenade anyone just by the sound of her voice, but what most fans didn’t know was that she struggled with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder. Todd Haynes' "Superstar - The Karen Carpenter Story" is worth watching. [32], On October 12, 1983, shortly after her death, the Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was educated at boarding schools in England before finding work in the printing business. However, RCA did not see a fut… She began her efforts to lose weight with the Stillman water diet, so-called because it was the brainchild of Dr. Irwin Maxwell Stillman, and because adherents were told to drink eight glasses of water a day.She soon lost twenty pounds. Thomas James Burris: Quick Facts. [45][75], By late 1981, Carpenter was using thyroid replacement medication, which she obtained using the name of Karen Burris, to increase her metabolism. [53] She collected Disney memorabilia and liked to play softball and baseball. Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963 with her family. [6], The family moved in June 1963 to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey after Harold was offered a job there by a former business associate. [1], Carpenter's death brought media attention to conditions such as anorexia nervosa;[99] the condition had not been widely known beforehand. [66] She has been called "one of the greatest voices of our lifetime" by Elton John. [36] She preferred Ludwig Drums, including the Ludwig SuperSensitive snare, which she favored greatly. Karen Carpenter was an American singer and drummer who was one-half of the vocal and instrumental duo named The Carpenters along with her older brother Richard Carpenter. Karen Anne Carpenter Wiki Biography. Initially, Carpenter was the band's full-time drummer, but gradually took the role of frontwoman as drumming was reduced to a handful of live showcases or tracks on albums. Although Karen's bass playing is heard on the original album, Richard remixed both songs (as he has done with almost every Carpenters song), and Joe Osborn's bass playing was substituted on later "greatest hits" releases. [18] She did not sing at this point; instead, singer Margaret Shanor guested on some numbers. She lost about 20 pounds (9 kg) and intended to lose another five pounds. Karen Anne Carpenter was born on March 2, 1950, at Grace New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, the daughter of Agnes Reuwer (née Tatum, March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988). Karen's older brother, Richard Carpenter, decided to put together an instrumental trio with him on the piano, Karen on the drums and their friend Wes Jacobs on the bass and tuba. [102], A 43-minute film titled Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, directed by Todd Haynes, was released in 1987, and featured Barbie dolls as the characters. … He used Ken and Barbie dolls to reenact her life and her struggle with fame and anorexia. [25][26] Karen started out as both the group's drummer and co-lead singer, and she originally sang all of her vocals from behind the drum set. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts". Karen Carpenter's dream was to have a family. Her struggles with eating disorders would later raise awareness of anorexia and body dysmorphia. [18], In April 1966, the Carpenters were invited to audition at a session with bassist Joe Osborn, well-known for being part of the studio-musician collective the Wrecking Crew. [45] She refused to declare publicly that she was in ill health; on her 1981 Nationwide appearance, she simply said she was "pooped". Still Karen’s personal life seemed to be improving around this time. But she wanted to cancel the wedding because he confessed to having a vasectomy before meeting. [61] In 1976, she said the music business made it hard to meet people and that she refused to just marry someone for the sake of it. THE FIGMENT FACTORY. When she smiled for the cameras, nobody saw anything troubling. Karen Anne Carpenter was born on March 2, 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, to Harold Bertram Carpenter and Agnes Reuwer. They were born in New Haven, Connecticut, Richard Lynn Carpenter (born in 1946) and Karen Anne Carpenter (in 1950). (born 2000). Her mother, Agnes, refused to have the family painted in a negative light for the documentary, thus leaving out the truth. Karen returned to California seemingly in better health. ', Donna Summer was a singer-songwriter who became the "Queen of Disco" in the 1970s with such hits as "Love to Love You Baby," "I Feel Love" and "Last Dance. ", Sam Cooke was a trailblazing recording artist who helped shape the soul and pop scene with hits like "You Send Me," "Chain Gang" and "Sad Mood. [8] She joined the school band, initially to avoid gym classes. [68] Carpenter filed for divorce on October 28, 1982, while she was in Lenox Hill Hospital. Karen Anne Carpenter was born on the 2 nd March 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut USA and was a famous musician, singer and drummer, probably best recognized for being the co-founder of the duo called The Carpenters in 1969, alongside her brother Richard Carpenter. In a revealing new biography Randy Schmidt tells the full story of … Former son in law of Agnes Reuwer and Harold Bertram Carpenter. Though she was initially expected to just be the drummer, Karen tried singing and impressed everyone there with her distinctive voice. Karen Carpenter died from anorexia on February 4, 1983, leaving behind a legacy of chart-topping singles and tragic personal struggle. They split up after she suggested that her brother Richard join the group. [40] On Made in America, Karen provided percussion on "Those Good Old Dreams" in tandem with Paulinho da Costa, and played drums on the song "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)" in unison with Larrie Londin. [71], By September 1975, Carpenter weighed 91 pounds (41 kg; 6 st 7 lb). Carpenter fired the trainer and began her own weight-loss program using exercise equipment and counting calories. A new book by author Randy Schmidt has revealed the truth surrounding Karen Carpenter’s eating disorder.Karen was deprived of her mother’s affection at a young age due to her mother’s apparent “inability to love.” Moreover, Carpenter was an American by her nationality, and her ethnicity was Caucasian white. In 1996, the complete solo album, titled Karen Carpenter, was finally released. Carpenter spent weeks recovering at her parents’ home, but she would battle her eating disorder for the rest of her life. Karen Carpenter's dream was to have a family. Their squeaky clean persona won over such famous fans as President Richard Nixon who had them play at the White House in 1973. [73] Richard later stated that he and his parents did not know how to help Karen. Karen Anne Carpenter was born on the 2 nd March 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut USA and was a famous musician, singer and drummer, probably best recognized for being the co-founder of the duo called The Carpenters in 1969, alongside her brother Richard Carpenter. The pair later became world famous as Carpenters, one of the 1970s biggest soft rock acts. While this album failed to take off, they hit it big with their next release, 1970’s Close to You. Tom Petty was best known as the legendary frontman of the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. She also struggled with eating disorders … [57] In the early 1970s she would become the pitcher on a celebrity all-star softball team. Karen’s eating disorder began … While Carpenters were on hiatus in the late 1970s, she recorded a solo album, which was released years after her death. After several years of touring and recording, Carpenters were signed to A&M Records in 1969, achieving commercial and critical success throughout the 1970s. [20], In 1967, Jacobs left the trio to study at the Juilliard School, and the Carpenter siblings were keen to try out other musical styles. Born on March 2, 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut, Karen Carpenter was one-half of the hit 70s pop duo, the Carpenters, with her brother Richard. Today, March 2, … ... Parents this link opens in a new tab; KAREN . More hits soon followed, including “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “Top of the World.” Carpenter battled anorexia for many years, and the disease contributed to her untimely death in 1983. Harold was born in Wuzhou, China, where his parents were missionaries. [67] Two months later, following an argument after a family dinner in a restaurant, Carpenter and Burris broke up. She had tried her hand at several instruments, only to discard them. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chavez persuaded her family to buy her a $300 (the equivalent of $2,500 in 2019) Ludwig kit, and he began to teach her how to play. Carpenter died of heart failure, likely brought on by her longtime battle with anorexia. [31], Because she was just 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall, it was difficult for people in the audience to see Karen behind her kit. The couple settled in Newport Beach. [16] In 1965, Karen, Richard, and his college friend Wes Jacobs, a bassist and tuba player, formed the Richard Carpenter Trio. PERSONAL LIFE. ... "The Richard Carpenter Trio." [87][88] Her estranged husband, Thomas Burris, also attended and placed his wedding ring into her casket. [12] The track "Ticket to Ride", a Beatles cover song that later became the album's title track, was released as the Carpenters' first single; it reached No. "[80] She had also begun to write songs after returning to California and told Warwick that she had "a lot of living left to do". When her parents responded by buying her a proper drum set, she was able to play it instantly, and before long the idea of some kind of Carpenters group had been born. [45] Carpenter spoke with Cherry Boone, who had recovered from anorexia, and contacted Boone's doctor for help. Bruce Gifford, the conductor (who had previously taught her elder brother), gave her the glockenspiel, an instrument she disliked, and after admiring the performance of her friend and classmate, drummer Frankie Chavez (who had been playing from an early age and idolized jazz drummer Buddy Rich), she asked if she could play those instead. https://www.biography.com/musician/karen-carpenter. RESUMES. [69], Carpenter began dieting while in high school. Even though the Carpenters were now bona fide stars (their third album went four times Platinum), there was one person who was unimpressed with how far Karen had come – her mother. [32][95] Paul McCartney has said that she had "the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive". Click here to add your own text and edit me. Karen Carpenter's velvet voice charmed millions in the 70s… but behind the wholesome image she was desperately unhappy. Sadly, this union soon fell apart as Carpenter struggled with her illness and her husband wrestled with business woes. On February 4, 1983, Karen was at her parents' house in Downey, California where she was set to … Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and was included in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of the top 50 cult movies. The exact date of their first date is unknown, but they became man and wife the same year, on August 31, 1980, in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hill Hotels in the presence of the media. Karen Carpenter was part of the iconic duo The Carpenters, along with her brother Richard. Karen was just 15 when the Carpenter Trio was formed. On February 1, 1983, at the age of 32, Karen Carpenter collapsed and died in her bedroom at her parents' house — her heart simply gave out. It is only important because it is a high profile fake death, and the more of those I can catalog the better. When she was four, Karen was enrolled in tap dancing and ballet classes. She is most remembered for The Carpenters. [12], Carpenter was initially nervous about performing in public, but said she "was too involved in the music to worry about it". She did her schooling in England. Her parents … Wikimedia Commons Aspects of Karen’s Childhood that affected her Disorder. [34] Starting with the Carpenters' 1976 concert tour and continuing thereafter, she would perform a showcase in which she moved around the stage playing various configurations of drums. She was the only featured drummer on Ticket to Ride and on Now & Then, except for "Jambalaya". ... Was infamously portrayed by Louise Fletcher in The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) She met Harold Carpenter when she was 16. It was withdrawn from circulation in 1990 after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Richard Carpenter. On Feb. 4, 1983, singer Karen Carpenter fell victim to heart failure brought on by the chemical emetine after an eight-year battle with anorexia nervosa. [10] Along with other musicians, including Gary Sims and John Bettis, the siblings formed the group Spectrum, which focused on a harmonious vocal sound and recorded many demo tapes in Osborn's garage studio, working out how to overdub voices onto multitrack tape. The opening and concluding tracks were sung by both siblings in unison. [41] In 1981, after release of the Made in America album (which turned out to be their last), the Carpenters returned to the stage and went on some promotional tours, including an appearance for the BBC program Nationwide. [44][45], Carpenter released her first solo record, "Looking for Love" / "I'll Be Yours", in 1967 on Osborn's Magic Lamp label. While Karen played baseball with her friends, Richard usually played the piano. In 1980, Karen performed a medley of standards in a duet with Ella Fitzgerald on the Carpenters' television program Music, Music, Music. [74] She then chose to be treated in New York City by psychotherapist Steven Levenkron. She reduced her weight to 120 pounds (54 kg; 8 st 8 lb) and stayed approximately at that weight until around 1973, when the Carpenters' career reached its peak. She used the medication in conjunction with increased consumption of the laxatives (up to 80–90 tablets per night) upon which she had long relied, which caused food to pass quickly through her digestive tract. Her eating habits also changed around this time; she would try to remove food from her plate by offering tastes to others with whom she was dining.