Died On This Date (February 4, 1983) Karen Carpenter / ’70s Pop Darling
themusicsover Karen Carpenter
May 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983
Karen Carpenter was a drummer and singer who gained tremendous fame during the ’70s when she and her brother, Richard Carpenter performed as The Carpenters. When Karen was in high school, she took an interest in the drums and quickly learned she was a naturally gifted player like her brother was on the piano. After a lot of practice she and her Richard began performing together. In 1965, they formed a jazz group they called the Richard Carpenter Trio, but in 1968, they couldn’t deny Karen’s tremendous voice, so they began to focus more on pop music. Karen and Richard were signed by A&M Records in 1969 as The Carpenters, and within just one year, they began releasing a string of singles that went on to become some of the most memorable pop songs of the era. Songs like “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “Top of the World,” “Close To You,” and “Yesterday Once More” helped define the ’70s as the duo went on to sell millions of singles and albums. Sadly however, Karen suffered quietly with what would later be called anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that lead her to diet frequently. The late ’70s were troublesome for Karen, but after at least one failed relationship and years of battling her inner demons, she was ready to kick-start her career by the early ’80s. But unfortunately, her eating disorder had already resulted in irreversible damage to her organs. On February 4, 1983, Karen Carpenter died of heart failure which was attributed to her anorexia nervosa. She was 32 years old.
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