Karen Carpenter
American singer and drummer (1950–1983)
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1950-03-02
- Died
- 1983-02-04
- Works
- 7
Top works
- Close to You
- Interweaving Tapestries of Culture and Sexuality in the Caribbean, Volume 2
- From Chaos To Bliss
- Interweaving Tapestries of Culture and Sexuality in the Caribbean
- Questioning Jewish Caribbean Identity
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · New Haven, Connecticut, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American singer and drummer who was part of the duo the Carpenters alongside her older brother Richard. She was praised for her contralto vocals, and her drumming abilities were viewed positively by other musicians and critics. Her struggles with eating disorders would later raise awareness of…
Known for
- 60 Songs: BBC Two at 60 — Self (archive footage)2024
- Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection — Self (archive footage)2023
- Herb Alpert Is... — Archival footage2020
- My Music: A Classic Christmas — Self - The Carpenters (archive footage)2019
Article
Karen Anne Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and drummer of the highly successful duo the Carpenters, formed with her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praised by her peers for her vocal skills. Carpenter appeared on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Downey, California, in 1963 with her family. She began to study the drums in high school and joined the Long Beach State choir in college. After several years touring and recording, the Carpenters were signed to A&M Records in 1969, when Karen was 19 years old. They achieved enormous commercial and critical success throughout the 1970s. Initially, Carpenter was the band's full-time drummer, but she gradually took the role of frontwoman as her drumming was reduced to a handful of live showcases or tracks on albums.