Biography
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Years Active
1968 – 1983 (15 years)
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Founded In
Downey, Los Angeles County, California, United States
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Members
- Bob Messenger
- Danny Woodhams
- Douglass Strawn
- Earle Dumler
- Karen Carpenter (1969 – 1983)
The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). Known for their soft musical style, the group featured Karen’s contralto vocals and Richard’s harmonising, arranging, and composition work. Over a 14-year career, the Carpenters released 10 studio albums, multiple singles, and appeared in several television specials.
Originally from New Haven, Connecticut, the siblings moved to Downey, California, in 1963. Richard studied piano from an early age and later attended California State University, Long Beach. Karen began playing the drums during her teenage years. Their first performances together began in 1965, followed by the formation of the jazz-influenced Richard Carpenter Trio, which included bassist Wesley Jacobs. They later formed the band Spectrum before signing with A\&M Records in 1969 as the Carpenters. They achieved significant commercial success in 1970 with the singles "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". Their style, often classified as melodic pop, saw continued success on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. They earned three number-one singles and five number-two singles on the Billboard Hot 100, along with 15 number-one songs on the Adult Contemporary chart and 12 top-10 singles overall.
During the 1970s, the Carpenters maintained a demanding touring schedule, which contributed to personal challenges. In 1979, Richard temporarily stepped away from performing to recover from an addiction to the sedative Quaalude. Karen, meanwhile, experienced severe health issues related to anorexia nervosa. The duo's activities came to an end in 1983 following Karen’s death from heart failure related to complications of the eating disorder. Her passing received widespread media attention and increased public awareness of eating disorders. The Carpenters’ music remains popular and continues to receive both critical and commercial recognition. With global sales exceeding 100 million records, they are considered among the best-selling music artists of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carpenters
Studio albums
Offering (re-released as Ticket to Ride) (1969)
Close to You (1970)
Carpenters (1971)
A Song for You (1972)
Now & Then (1973)
Horizon (1975)
A Kind of Hush (1976)
Passage (1977)
Christmas Portrait (1978)
Made in America (1981)
Posthumous releases
Voice of the Heart (1983)
An Old-Fashioned Christmas (1984)
Lovelines (1989)
As Time Goes By (2001)
Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)
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