Historical Figure
Karen Carpenter
1950–1983
American singer and drummer (1950–1983)
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Biography
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and drummer of the highly successful duo the Carpenters, formed with her older brother Richard. With a distinctive three-octave contralto range, she was praised by her peers for her vocal skills. Carpenter appeared on Rolling Stone's 2010 list of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
Timeline
The story of Karen Carpenter, told in moments.
"(They Long to Be) Close to You" hit number one. The Carpenters sold over 100 million records worldwide. Her contralto voice was unusually rich for pop radio. She sang at a pitch most female pop singers avoided.
At their commercial peak but privately struggling. Karen began starving herself. Anorexia wasn't well understood. The music industry treated thinness as a job requirement. Nobody intervened in time.
Died at her parents' home in Downey, California, of cardiac arrest caused by emetine cardiotoxicity from years of ipecac syrup abuse. Age 32. Her death brought anorexia nervosa into public awareness for the first time.
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