The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Karen Carpenter

Karen Carpenter liked to sing and dance, but, as a young girl, she never got the kind of encouragement and praise her brother did. Richard, the apple of their mother's eye, was a Yale-trained piano prodigy. When Karen joined Richard's band just after high school, she wasn't even considered for the front woman role.Instead, she

Karen Carpenter liked to sing and dance, but, as a young girl, she never got the kind of encouragement and praise her brother did. Richard, the apple of their mother's eye, was a Yale-trained piano prodigy. When Karen joined Richard's band just after high school, she wasn't even considered for the front woman role. Instead, she was thrown behind the drum kit, which, truth be told, was fine with her. She loved a good beat. Then, when that band broke up, Richard suggested to Karen they take on the world as a brother-sister duo. 

Their big break came quickly. In 1969, they signed with A&M Records, and while their first album, Offering, was a relative flop, their second, Close to You, was a triumph. They found themselves feted all over the country. Radio listeners loved the pair's gentle-on-the-ears sound, and Karen's voice, much more than Richard's tinkling of the ivories, took center stage. Richard, used to the spotlight, wasn't always thrilled with his sister's notoriety. In fact, he was quite jealous. This became particularly clear when he became addicted to Quaaludes. Then Karen recorded a solo album in 1980. According to this look at The Carpenters' career in the AV Club, Richard ridiculed the record, and the album was shelved. It wasn't released until after Karen's death in 1983. 

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