The Carpenters

Genres:	Holiday & Seasonal • Music & Radio • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock • Television • Vocals
Descriptive "tags":	easy listening • pop • the carpenters • carpenters • ballad • great singer • wonderful women
Decades Active:	1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s
Links online:	BBC Music • IMDb • Official Homepage • Wikipedia

Biography

This brother-and-sister duo, famous for their easy-on-the-ear pop, featured Richard Carpenter (15 October 1946, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; piano) and Karen Carpenter (b. 2 March 1950, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, d. 4 February 1983, Downey, California, USA; vocals, drums). During 1963, Richard appeared at various New Haven clubs and bars in an instrumental trio. After his family relocated to Los Angeles, he studied piano and backed his sister, who was signed to the small local label Magic Lamp in 1965. With assistance from Wes Jacobs (bass, tuba) and session bass player Joe Osborn, Karen recorded one single, ‘I’ll Be Yours’. Retaining Jacobs, the brother-and-sister team next formed a predominantly jazz/instrumental unit known as the Richard Carpenter Trio. After winning a battle of the bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl they were duly signed to RCA Records, but no material was issued. In 1967, Jacobs left the group to study music and Richard and...

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