Carole King

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Carole King
Carole King

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.

Contents

[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

[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

[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.

[edit] Reviews

[edit] External Links

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