Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen CarpenterKaren Carpenter was the instantly recognisable lead singer of the Carpenters. The top-selling American musical act of the 1970s, they delivered the love songs that defined a generation. Karen's velvety voice on a string of 16 consecutive Top 20 hits from 1970 to 1976 – including Close to You, We've Only Just Begun, Rainy Days and Mondays, Superstar, and Hurting Each Other – propelled the duo to worldwide stardom and record sales of over 100 million. Karen's musical career was short – only 13 years. During that time, the Carpenters released 10 studio albums, toured more than 200 days a year, taped five television specials, and won three Grammys and an American Music Award. But that's only part of Karen's story. As the world received news of her death at 32 years of age in 1983, she became the proverbial poster child for anorexia nervosa. Little Girl Blue is an intimate profile of Karen Carpenter, a girl from a modest Connecticut upbringing who became a Superstar. Based on exclusive interviews with nearly 100 friends and associates, including record producers, studio musicians, songwriters, television directors, photographers, radio personalities, classmates, childhood friends, neighbours, personal assistants, romantic interests, hairdressers, and housekeepers.'...thorough and affectionate biography of a singer who's been constantly undervalued by the music industry.' MOJO 'Schmidt cannot be faulted... carefully factual, sensitively pitched book.' The Word 'The first truly convincing account of her nightmarish story.' The Guardian |
Contents
| 1935 | |
| 1948 | |
| 1960 | |
Sprinkled Moondust | |
Just Let Us Know What the Problem | |
The Bird Has Finally Flown the Coop | |
White Lace and Promises Broken | |
Too Little Too Late Too Soon | |
A Song for | |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | |
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY | |
SELECTED TELEVISION APPEARANCES | |
SUGGESTED READING | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
A&M Records Agnes Carpenter Angeles anorexia nervosa artists asked audience band Bash to Tobler became began Burris California called Carole Curb Carpenter family Carpenters album choir Christmas concert Downey drummer drums duo's Evelyn Wallace everything explained fans felt Frank Bonito Frank Pooler Frenda Frenda Franklin friends Galeazzi girl going Grammy Guder heard Herb Alpert interview Itchie Jerry Jerry Moss Jerry Weintraub John Bettis Karen and Richard Karen Carpenter Story Karen told knew Leffler Levenkron listen live looked lyric Mike Curb mother musicians never Newville night Olivia Newton-John performance Phil Ramone piano play radio Ray Coleman recalls release Richard Carpenter says Sedaka seemed session Sherwin Bash sing singer single solo album song sound studio Superstar talent talk television Terry Ellis things took tour vocal voice wanted wedding weeks Weintraub Yesterday Once York