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Karen Carpenter

t’s no secret that the 60’s and 70’s was an oasis of incredible
musicians on the popular music front. The variety of skill
Iand talent was simply mindblowing.

Quite a generic start for an article I admit but when talking
about Karen Carpenter, you have to use words like ‘incredible’
and ‘mindblowing’. It’s funny though, to the casual music
listener, very few would accredit Karen Carpenter as a
drummer. Many wouldn’t know that she actually started her
music career this way, not singing until some time later. In fact
she often described herself as a drummer who could sing.

By the time of her death in 1983, she had one of the most
unique voices in popular music. Of course, it was truly
beautiful but it had a power which could reach right into the
soul of any mere mortal without the hint of effort. So we begin
our story of Karen Carpenter...

Karen was born in 1950 in New Haven, Conneticut, the
youngest of two children. Her brother, Richard was older by
three years and would later become the other half of the duo,
The Carpenters.
During Karen’s younger years, she loved dancing and by the In 1979, while Richard was taking a year off for addiction
age of four was already involved in Tap and Ballet classes. treatments, Karen decided to record a solo album. Many of the
Her brother was already learning piano and becoming a very recordings on the album were shelved but later released after
talented musician. her death.

In 1963 the family moved to Los Angeles and a year later, at Karen’s personal life had become turbulent, not finding stable
the age of 14, Karen joined her school band. To begin with she romance until 1980 when after a whirlwind relationship, she
was given the Glockenspiel, an instrument she was not very married Thomas Burris. This would also prove to be ill-fated
fond of but soon found herself drawn to the drums. Her family and 14 months later the couple split.
bought her a drum set and within a year she was playing very
complicated and skilled drum signatures. Her ongoing illness with her weight was also becoming very
apparent at public appearances as she was looking more
Carpenter was initially nervous about performing in public, and more frail. Karen was frequently in and out of hospital
but said she “was too involved in the music to worry about it”. undergoing treatments for Anorexia and her addiction to
She graduated from Downey High School in the spring of 1967, laxitives.
receiving the John Philip Sousa Band Award, and enrolled as a
music major at Long Beach State where she performed in the On 4th February 1983, Karen collapsed at her parents home.
college choir with Richard. The choir’s director, Frank Pooler, Paramedics were called and found her heart beating just once
said that Karen had a good voice that was particularly suited to every ten seconds. She was rushed to Downey Community
pop, and gave her lessons in order for her to develop a three- Hospital but was pronounced dead at 9:51am.
octave range.
Carpenter’s funeral was held February 8, 1983, at Downey
In 1965, Karen, Richard, and his college friend Wes Jacobs, a United Methodist Church. Approximately one thousand
bassist and tuba player, formed the Richard Carpenter Trio.[16] mourners attended, including her friends Dorothy Hamill,
The band rehearsed daily, played jazz in nightclubs, and also Olivia Newton-John, Petula Clark and Dionne Warwick. Her
appeared on the TV talent show Your All-American College estranged husband Thomas Burris also attended, and tossed his
Show.[8] Richard was immediately impressed with his sister’s wedding ring into her casket. Carpenter was buried at the Forest
musical talent, saying she would “speedily maneuver the sticks Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California. In 2003 her body
as if she had been born in a drum factory”.[17] She did not sing was moved, to be placed with her parents in a mausoleum at the
at this point; instead, singer Margaret Shanor guested on some Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village,
of their songs. California.
After Jacobs left the band in 1967, Richard and Karen were An autopsy released on March 11, 1983, ruled out drug
keen to try out other music styles and with Gary Sims and John overdose, attributing death to “emetine cardiotoxicity due to
Bettis they formed the band Spectrum. However, this was not or as a consequence of anorexia nervosa”. She was discovered
to prove successful. to have a blood sugar level of 1,110 milligrams per decilitre,
more than ten times the average. Two years later, the coroner
In 1969, A&M Records signed the Carpenters and the first told colleagues that Carpenter’s heart failure was caused by
album, The Offering (later retitled Ticket to Ride) was written. repeated use of ipecac syrup, an over-the-counter emetic often
10 of the 13 songs were written by Richard with Karen singing used to induce vomiting in cases of overdosing or poisoning.
most of the songs as well as playing drums and bass. This was disputed by Levenkron, who said he had never known
her to use ipecac, or seen evidence she had been vomiting.
Their next album ‘Close to You was to provide the Carpenters Carpenter’s friends were convinced that she had abused
with two hit singles, (They long to be) Close to you and We’ve laxatives and thyroid medication to maintain her low body
only just begun reaching No:1 and No:2 in the charts. weight and thought this had started after her marriage began to
crumble.
During the mid 1970’s both were plagued by health issues.
Richard had drug addiction problems while Karen was battling Again, Rock ‘n’ Roll had claimed yet another young life but
with weight loss and Anorexia. The result was many cancelled Karen’s silky voice can never be forgotten. ALthough her voice
gigs and tours. is where she will be remembered, it is fitting to remember that
she simply called herself ‘the drummer that sang’.

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