Carole King
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Carole King is undoubtedly the most successful singer/songwriter during the first half of the '70s. In more than four decades of her fruitful career, she has been inducted into both Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside her long-time songwriting partner Gerry Goffin.
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[edit] About
Not all who dream of becoming successful make it as easily as others do. Carole King’s success both as a singer and a songwriter has its own share of rejection and failures.
This American singer, songwriter and pianist was born Carol Klein in Brooklyn, New York on February 9, 1942.
It was in high school when she started playing the piano and formed the group called the Co-Sines at James Madison High School. At Queens College, Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka and Gary Goffin were her classmates. Neil Sedaka’s first big hit Oh, Carol had her as its inspiration.
Gary Goffin was the guy whom Carole married later and eventually formed a partnership with in songwriting. Their tandem gave birth to their first big hit Will You Love Me Tomorrow which they did for The Shirelles.
Carole tried to launch herself as a singer for several times but failed. Because of the lukewarm acceptance by the public, she decided to venture into another line and put up Tomorrow Records. After getting a divorce from Goffin, she married Charles Larkey and moved to the West Coast. Still, her career was a failure after releasing two albums Now That Everything’s Been Said and Writer in 1970.
Determined not to surrender from the rejection that she got, she gathered the old pop hits that she wrote, plugged in something new, and the Tapestry album was born in 1971 which finally made Carole’s instant fame – as a singer and songwriter. Tapestry sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and remained in the charts for more than five years. Tapestry won four Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female, Record of the Year for It’s Too Late, and Song of the Year for You’ve Got a Friend.
After Tapestry, Carole’s succeeding albums: Music (1971), Rhymes and Reasons (1972), Fantasy (1973) and Wrap Around Joy (1974) also got a big share in the market.
Her free concert at Central Park in New York City was a record in 1973 when it gathered over 100,000 people, proving that Carole has produced her own niche in the music industry. In 1974, Wrap Around Joy was a Billboard no. 1 hit album.
There was a break in Carole’s career when, after releasing the album Speeding Time in 1983, she preferred to be involved in environmental issues in Idaho and only came back to the music scene towards the end of the 80s. Her work with Eric Clapton as guest produced City Streets in 1989
Carole had a chance to co-write a song entitled If It’s Over for Mariah Carey in 1991, and in early 1993, Slash of Guns N’ Roses appeared in her Color of Your Dreams album.
To her credit, Carole has written 400 songs, for herself and for others. Still until today, many singers would like to sing her songs. In the 1995 album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King, artists like Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Richard Marx, Aretha Franklin, and the Bee Gees sang her hits.
Carole King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category in 1990. She is till active, doing concerts and releasing albums in her own Rockingale Records.
[edit] Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Grammy Award | Record of the Year for It's Too Late | Won |
| 1972 | Grammy Award | Album Of The Year for Tapestry | Won |
| 1972 | Grammy Award | Song Of The Year for You've Got A Friend | Won |
| 1972 | Grammy Award | Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for Tapestry | Won |
| 1990 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Non-Performer | Won |
| 1993 | Grammy Award | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television from movie A League of Their Own (1992) for Now and Forever | Nominated |
| 1999 | Golden Satellite Award | Best Original Song in a Motion Picture from movie You've Got Mail (1998)] for Anyone At All shared with Carole Bayer Sager | Won |
| 2000 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Music and Lyrics from movie Freedom Song (2000/I) (TV)] for Song Of Freedom | Nominated |
| 2002 | Johnny Mercer Award | Songwriter's Hall of Fame | Won |
| 2002 | Johnny Mercer Award | Songwriter's Hall of Fame | Won |
| 2004 | Grammy Trustees Award shared with Gerry Goffin; Orrin Keepnews; Marian McPartland | - | Won |
| 2007 | Long Island Music | Long Island Music Hall of Fame | Won |
[edit] Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | US Hot 100 | US A.C. | UK | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | It Might As Well Rain Until September | 22 | - | - | - |
| 1963 | He's a Bad Boy | 94 | - | - | - |
| 1971 | It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move | 1/- | 1/- | 6/- | Tapestry |
| 1971 | So Far Away/Smackwater Jack | 14 | 3 | - | Tapestry |
| 1972 | Sweet Seasons | 9 | 2 | - | Music |
| 1972 | Been to Canaan | 24 | 1 | - | Rhymes and Reasons |
| 1973 | Believe In Humanity | 28 | - | - | Fantasy |
| 1973 | You Light Up My Life | 67 | 6 | - | Fantasy |
| 1973 | Corazon | 37 | 5 | - | Fantasy |
| 1974 | Jazzman | 2 | 4 | - | Wrap Around Joy |
| 1975 | Nightingale | 10 | 1 | - | Wrap Around Joy |
| 1976 | Only Love Is Real | 28 | 1 | - | Thoroughbred |
| 1976 | High Out of Time | 76 | 40 | - | Thoroughbred |
| 1977 | Hard Rock Cafe | 30 | 8 | - | Simple Things |
| 1977 | Simple Things | - | 37 | - | Simple Things |
| 1978 | Morning Sun | - | 43 | - | Welcome Home |
| 1980 | One Fine Day | 12 | 11 | - | Pearls: Songs Goffin and King |
| 1982 | One to One | 45 | 20 | - | One to One |
| 1989 | City Streets | - | 14 | - | City Streets |
| 1992 | Now and Forever | - | 18 | - | Color of Your Dreams |
| 2001 | Love Makes the World | - | - | - | Love Makes the World |
[edit] News
[edit] Tours & Concerts
07/12/08 - Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States (Foxwoods Casino - MGM Grand Theater)
[edit] Announcements
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
 1970 Ode/Epic |
 1971 Ode/A&M |
Music CK.jpg
1971 Ode/Epic |
Rhymes and Reasons CK.jpg
1972 Ode/Epic |
Fantasy CK.jpg
1973 Ode/Epic |
 1974 Ode/Epic |
Really Rosie CK.jpg
1975 Ode/Epic/Legacy |
Thoroughbred CK.jpg
1976 Ode/Epic |
Simple Things CK.jpg
1977 Capitol |
Welcome Home CK.jpg
1978 Capitol |
Touch the Sky CK.jpg
1979 Capitol |
Pearls Songs of Goffin and King CK.jpg
1980 Capitol |
One to One CK.jpg
1982 Atlantic |
Speeding Time CK.jpg
1983 Atlantic |
City Streets CK.jpg
1989 Capitol |
Color of Your Dreams CK.jpg
1993 Rhythm Safari |
In Concert CK.jpg
1994 Rhythm Safari |
Time Gone By CK.jpg
1994 Priority |
Time Heals All Wounds CK.jpg
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Love Makes the World CK.jpg
2001 Rockingale |
 2005 Rockingale |
Love Makes the World CK.jpg
2007 Rockingale |
[edit] Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | It Might As Well Rain Until September | |
| 1963 | He's a Bad Boy | |
| 1971 | It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move | Tapestry |
| 1971 | So Far Away/Smackwater Jack | Tapestry |
| 1972 | Sweet Seasons | Music |
| 1972 | Been to Canaan | Rhymes and Reasons |
| 1973 | Believe In Humanity | Fantasy |
| 1973 | You Light Up My Life | Fantasy |
| 1973 | Corazon | Fantasy |
| 1974 | Jazzman | Wrap Around Joy |
| 1975 | Nightingale | Wrap Around Joy |
| 1976 | Only Love Is Real | Thoroughbred |
| 1976 | High Out of Time | Thoroughbred |
| 1977 | Hard Rock Cafe | Simple Things |
| 1977 | Simple Things | Simple Things |
| 1978 | Morning Sun | Welcome Home |
| 1980 | One Fine Day | Pearls: Songs Goffin and King |
| 1982 | One to One | One to One |
| 1989 | City Streets | City Streets |
| 1992 | Now and Forever | Color of Your Dreams |
| 2001 | Love Makes the World | Love Makes the World |
[edit] Compilations & Live Releases
A Natural Woman CK.jpg
1994 Ode, Sony, Ode/Legacy, Epic/Legacy |
 1996 Epic/Legacy |
Goin' Back CK.jpg
1998 mw, Sony Special Products, EMI-Capitol Special Markets |
Super Hits CK.jpg
2000 Sony |
Reba Duets CK.jpg
2007 Label: |
[edit] Other artists
[edit] Similar artists
[edit] Influences
[edit] Contemporaries
[edit] Trivia
- In 2008, 37 years after it was original released, Carole's Tapestry album was re-released as a deluxe double CD package. The second disk featured live performances of the Tapestry collection of songs.
- The book, Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon -- And the Journey of a Generation, by Sheila Weller, released in 2008, chronicles the lives and careers of these three music icons, as they represent women who came of age in the 1960s.
- Carole King won four Grammy Awards in 1971: Record of the Year for It's Too Late, Album of the Year for Tapestry, Song of the year for You've Got a Friend, and Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female).
- Now living in Idaho, USA, Carole is active in the movement to preserve the forest wilderness. She has appeared before Congress in support of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), also called the Rockies Prosperity Act.
- Carole's song, Now and Forever from the film "A League of Their Own," was nominated for an Academy Award.
- In 1994 Carole spent six months starring the in the Broadway production, "Blood Brothers."
- Carole's third husband, Rick Evers, died of a heroine overdose in 1978.
- The songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Songwriters in 1987 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
- Carole formed her first singing group, called The Co-Sines, while still in high school.
- The writing team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin had number one hits with "Take Good Care of My Baby," by Bobby Vee, and "The Locomotion," by Little Eva.
- The first song that Carole and Gerry Goffin wrote that topped the charts was "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," sung by the Shirelles.
- Neil Sedaka's 1959 hit song, "Oh! Carol" was written in honor of Carole King. Carole countered with her release, "Oh! Neil," but it was a flop.
- Carole moved from California, USA to Ireland in the early 1990s.
- King's album "Tapestry," has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
- Carole attended Queen's College in New York.
- Carole started playing piano at the age of four.
- After many of Carole's and Gerry's songs had become hits for other performers, "It Might as Well Rain Until September" was the first song Carole released as a singer.
- Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Neil Sedaka were friends and classmates in the same high school.
- Carole has been married three times. Her first husband, Gerry Goffin, was also her co-writer for a number of hit songs. That marriage lasted from 1960 to 1968 and ended in divorce. They had two children. She married Charles Larkey in 1968 and divorced in 1976. They also had two children.
- Her last marriage, to Rick Evers, left her a widow in 1978.
- Carole has one son, Levi, and three daughters: Louise, Molly and Sherry.
- Carole King and her daughter Louise Goffin sing the theme song to Gilmore Girls.
