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Karen Carpenter Biography, Age, Songs, Death, Husband, Story, Movies and Drums

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Karen Carpenter Biography

Karen Carpenter was a famous American singer who was famous as a part of the popular soft rock band ‘The Carpenters’. In addition, she along with her brother Richard Carpenter had formed the band and soon become very successful with their soothing music in the 1970s.

Who is Karen Carpenter’s Brother? | Karen Carpenter Brother

Karen Carpenter’s brother Richard Lynn Carpenter is an American musician, record producer, songwriter, and music arranger. He formed half of the sibling duo The Carpenters alongside his sister Karen.

Karen Carpenter Age | When Karen Carpenter was born?

Karen Carpenter entered this world in New Haven, Connecticut on March 2, 1950. She died at the 33 years old under the birth sign Pisces.

Karen Carpenter Image
Karen Carpenter Image

Karen Carpenter Parents and Siblings

She was the daughter of Harold Bertram Carpenter (father) and Agnes Reuwer (mother). Further, she has a brother named Richard Lynn Carpenter who is an American musician. At the age of 13, she moved to Downey, California with her family.

Karen Carpenter Education

Regarding her education, she did her schooling in England. When she was four standards, Karen was enrolled in tap-dancing and ballet classes. During her high school days, she developed an interest in drumming and started learning to play the musical instrument. Likewise, Karen picked up music just to avoid early morning gym classes!

Karen Carpenter Early life and Education

Karen joined the school band when she was at Downey High School in the year 1964. There she was given a chance to play the instrument ‘glockenspiel’ by Bruce Gifford, her conductor. However, she didn’t like playing ‘glockenspiel’ and later took up drumming inspired by her friend Frankie Chavez’s drumming skill.

She convinced her parents into buying her a $300 ‘Ludwig set.’ Then she started taking training from Frankie Chavez. Being a quick learner, Karen picked up the art of drumming in no time and was able to play some very difficult time signatures such as the 5/4 in Dave Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’.

After her graduation in the year 1967, Karen enrolled as a music major at the California State University, Long Beach. She also performed in the college choir with her brother Richard Carpenter. Impressed by her voice, Frank Pooler who is the choir’s director, gave her lessons in singing and helped her to develop a three-octave range.

Karen Carpenter Husband

Karen Carpenter is a married woman. She married Thomas James Burris. They met in 1980 at a dinner at the chic Ma Maison restaurant.  After dating for several months, they married on the 31st of August in 1980 in the Crystal Room of the Beverly Hills Hotel which was quite lavish and in the presence of many other celebrities.

As per sources James, at some point went through a vasectomy. Likewise, the couple was not able to give birth to children and became one of the major reasons for their separation. Just after 3 years of their marriage, Karen passed away on the 5th of February in 1983.

Karen Carpenter Career

Karen Carpenter began her career working in the printing business after college. Soon, she shifted gears to focus on music full-time. Along with her brother Richard and their friend Wes Jacobs, she made a band. Likewise, the trio won the battle of the bands at the Hollywood Bowl in the year 1966.

As a result, the trio landed a contract with RCA Records. Unfortunately for them, RCA Records scrapped the deal as they didn’t believe there was any future in their genre, jazz tuba.

After that, the Carpenter siblings formed another band with four other students from California State University at Long Beach. Together they did many gigs but that band was eventually disbanded too. Finally, in 1969 Karen along with her brother Richard made several music tapes and tried demonstrating them to various music companies.

They got the rewards and were offered a contract by the A&M Records. Over the ensuing years, they came up with several hit albums such as ‘Now & Then’ (1973), ‘Horizon’ (1975), ‘A Kind of Hush’ (1976), ‘A Song for You’ (1972), and ‘Passage’ (1977).

Karen Carpenter Death

Karen Carpenter suffered from the eating disorder ‘anorexia nervosa’ in her younger days. This disease was quite unknown in that period and eventually became fatal for her. This forced her to cancel some of her tours with the band as well.

Karen died on February 4, 1983, at the young age of 32 from heart failure which was mainly caused by her illness. Her death caused a great deal of awareness about the eating disorder.

Karen Carpenter Net Worth and Salary | What is the Net Worth and Salary of Karen Carpenter?

Karen had an estimated net worth of around $6 million At the time of her death in 1983 which is equal to around $14 million today after adjusting for inflation. Technically she only had around $2000 in cash in her bank account at the time of her death. On the other hands, her brother Richard Carpenter is an American musician who has a net worth of $10 million as of 2019.

Karen Carpenter Career with her Brother Richard

They together were called ‘The Carpenters’. Initially, they did many gigs with different band members. In the year 1969, they formed a team of their own and were offered a recording contract by the A&M Records. Karen did most of the singing for their first album and Richard wrote most of the songs.

Further, she played the drum as well as the bass guitar for two of the songs ‘All of My Life’ and ‘Eve,’ both from their first album. The cover for the Beatles’ song ‘All I Can Do’ was their first single. Likewise, their first single reached number 54 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’.

After that, their next album ‘Close to You’ containing two major hits ‘Close to You’ and ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’. Also, these two hits occupied the two top spots on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’.

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