He released two songs that he had written, featuring Karen as lead singer, with himself and Jacobs providing the backing band, but despite the Richard Carpenter Trio winning the prestigious Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands competition in June 1966, commercial success continued to evade them.Īfter the first two singles flopped, Jacobs joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the trio folded. Richard was offered a deal with Osborn’s publishing branch, Lightup Music. He was mesmerised by Karen’s vocals and signed her up right away to his label, Magic Lamp Records. This led to the formation of the Richard Carpenter Trio later that year, featuring Richard on piano and vocals, his pal Jacobs on bass and tuba and Karen playing the drums.Īfter Karen took singing lessons with Frank Pooler, she and Richard joined a session in the Los Angeles studio of renowned bass player, Joe Osborn, in 1966. She and Richard played together in a band for the first time in 1965, when they were involved in a local theatrical show, Guys and Dolls, the Frank Loesser musical. She learned more complex drumming techniques on her new drum kit, purchased by her parents. Karen attended Downey High School in 1964 and began learning to play the drums and to read music. He included Beatles’ hits, rearranged in a more church-like style, in his repertoire!Īttending California State College in 1964, he met his future song writing partner, John Bettis, fellow musician Wesley Jacobs (who became his good friend), and Frank Pooler, who became Karen’s singing coach.
After the Carpenter family moved to Downey, Los Angeles, in 1963, he became organist at the local Methodist Church.
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Karen also enjoyed music but was sportier in her youth.Īt age 14, Richard wanted a career as a professional pianist, so was sent to Yale School of Music. Richard, a quiet and studious child, was a self-taught pianist from an early age.
Richard and Karen Carpenter were born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 19 respectively. At the peak of their success, Karen tragically died in 1983, at the age of only 32, after losing her long battle against illness.
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They won three Grammy Awards and were given their own TV variety series on NBC, Make Your Own Kind of Music. In 1973, they were even invited to perform at the White House for President Richard Nixon. They were the third-best selling artist in Japan, behind only Mariah Carey and the Beatles. Their main success came between 19, when some of their records achieved quadruple platinum status. Their total record sales surpassed more than 100 million and they were one of the top ten best-selling artists in the world at their peak. Sister and brother duo The Carpenters became one of America’s top musical groups of the 20th century.
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