Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005. King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband,

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the List of Billboard number-one ...

, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

, for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album ''

Writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

'', King scored her breakthrough with the album ''

Tapestry Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...

'', which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years. King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being ''Tapestry'', which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her record sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide. King Bio at Allmusic.com/ref> She has won four

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s and was inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

. She has been inducted twice into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

, as a performer and songwriter. She is the recipient of the 2013

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Gershwin Prize The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music. Created in 2007 by the United States Library of Congress, the prize is named after brothers Ge ...

for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.

Early life and education

King was born Carol Joan Klein on February 9, 1942, in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York City, to Jewish parents Eugenia (''née'' Cammer), a teacher, and Sidney N. Klein, a firefighter. King's parents met in an elevator in 1936 at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

, where her father was a chemistry major and her mother was an English and drama major. They married in 1937 during the last years of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. King's mother dropped out of college to run the household; her father also quit college and briefly took a job as a radio announcer. With the economy struggling, he then took a more secure job as a firefighter. After King was born, her parents remained in Brooklyn and were eventually able to buy a small two-story duplex where they could rent out the upstairs for income. King's mother had learned how to play piano as a child, and after buying a piano, would sometimes practice. When King developed an insatiable curiosity about music from the time she was about three, her mother began teaching her basic piano skills, without giving her actual lessons. When King was four, her parents discovered she had

absolute pitch Absolute pitch (AP), often called perfect pitch, is a rare ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone. AP may be demonstrated using linguistic labeling ("naming" a note), associating ...

, which enabled her to name a note correctly just by hearing it. King's father enjoyed showing off his daughter's skill to visiting friends: "My dad's smile was so broad that it encompassed the lower half of his face. I enjoyed making my father happy and getting the notes right." King's mother began giving her real music lessons when she was four with King climbing the stool, made higher still by a phone book. With her mother sitting beside her, King learned music theory and elementary piano technique, including how to read notation and execute proper note timing. King wanted to learn as much as possible: "My mother never forced me to practice. She didn't have to. I wanted so much to master the popular songs that poured out of the radio." King began kindergarten when she was four, and after her first year she was promoted directly to second grade, showing an exceptional facility with words and numbers. In the 1950s, she went to James Madison High School. She formed a band called the Co-Sines, changed her name from Carol Klein to Carole King, and made demo records with her friend

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

for $25 a session. Her first official recording was the promotional single "The Right Girl", released by

ABC-Paramount ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

in 1958, which she wrote and sang to an arrangement by

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including ''Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way''. ...

. King attended

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

, where she met

, who was to become her songwriting partner. When she was 17, they married in a Jewish ceremony on Long Island in August 1959 after King became pregnant with her first daughter,

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

. They quit college and took day jobs, Goffin working as an assistant chemist and King as a secretary. They wrote songs together in the evening.

Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...

, who had dated King when he was still in high school, had a hit in 1959 with "

Oh! Carol "Oh! Carol" is an international hit written by Neil Sedaka in 1958. Co-written with Howard Greenfield, the song is noted for Sedaka's spoken recitation of the verse, the second time around. The song spent 18 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ...

". Goffin took the tune and wrote the playful response, "Oh! Neil", which King recorded and released as a single the same year. The B-side contained the Goffin-King song "A Very Special Boy". The single was not a success. After writing

the Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadd ...

' ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 1 hit "

Will You Love Me Tomorrow "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sometimes known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song with words by Gerry Goffin and music composed by Carole King. It was recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and hit n ...

", by The Shirelles, the first No.1 hit by a black girl group, Goffin and King gave up their daytime jobs to concentrate on writing. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" became a standard.

1960s

During the sixties, with King composing the music and Goffin writing the lyrics, the two wrote a string of classic songs for a variety of artists. King and Goffin were also the songwriting team behind Don Kirshner's

Dimension Records Dimension Records was a record label founded in 1962 in New York City by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins, owners of Aldon Music. It concentrated on the girl group sound and showcased songs by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Their composition "The Lo ...

, which produced songs including "

Chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

" (later recorded by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

), "

The Loco-Motion "The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. "The Loco-Motion" was originally written for R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp, but Sharp turned the song down. The song is notable for appearing in the ...

", "

Keep Your Hands off My Baby "Keep Your Hands off My Baby" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Little Eva recording The most notable recording was done by Little Eva, who had a No. 12 hit with the song on the ''Billboard'' charts in 1962. Chart history O ...

" (both for their babysitter

Little Eva Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 – April 10, 2003), better known by the stage name of Little Eva, was an American singer, well known for her 1962 hit "The Loco-Motion". Although some sources claim that her stage name was inspired by a charac ...

), and " It Might as Well Rain Until September" which King recorded herself in 1962 — her first success, which charted at 22 in the US and 3 in the UK (where it was her all time greatest hit). King recorded a few follow-up singles in the wake of "September", but none of them sold much, and her already sporadic recording career was entirely abandoned (albeit temporarily) by 1966. Other songs of King's early period (through 1967) include "Half Way To Paradise" ony Orlando, recorded by Billy Fury in U.K. "

Take Good Care of My Baby "Take Good Care of My Baby" is a song written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song was made famous by Bobby Vee, when it was released in 1961. Bobby Vee versions While searching for material for Bobby Vee to record, Vee's producer Snuff ...

" for

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-e ...

, " Up on the Roof" for

the Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...

, "

I'm into Something Good "I'm into Something Good" is a song composed by Gerry Goffin (lyrics) and Carole King (music) and made famous by Herman's Hermits. The song was originally recorded (as "I'm into Somethin' Good") by Cookies member Earl-Jean on Colpix Records ...

" for Earl-Jean (later recorded by

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK a ...

), " One Fine Day" for

the Chiffons :''The Chiffons also briefly recorded under the name The Four Pennies; for the British band of the latter name see The Four Pennies.'' The Chiffons are an American girl group originating from the Bronx, a borough of New York City, in 1960. Hist ...

, and "

Pleasant Valley Sunday "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, most famous for the version recorded by the Monkees in 1967. Inspired by a street named Pleasant Valley Way and their move to suburban West Orange, New Jersey, Goffin an ...

" for

the Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

(inspired by their move to suburban

West Orange, New Jersey West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census.

), and "

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was compo ...

" for

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

. The duo wrote several songs recorded by

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...

, including "

Goin' Back "Goin' Back" (also recorded and released as "Going Back") is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood, along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture th ...

" and "Some of Your Lovin'". By 1968, Goffin and King were divorced and were starting to lose contact. King moved to

Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neighb ...

in Los Angeles with her two daughters and reactivated her recording career by forming "The City", a music trio consisting of Charles Larkey, her future husband, on bass;

Danny Kortchmar Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, ...

on guitar and vocals; and King on piano and vocals. The City produced one album, ''Now That Everything's Been Said'' in 1968, but King's reluctance to perform live meant sales were slow. A change of distributors meant that the album was quickly deleted; the group disbanded in 1969. The album was re-discovered by Classic Rock radio in the early 1980s and the cut "Snow Queen" received nominal airplay for a few years. Cleveland's

WMMS WMMS (100.7 FM) – branded ''100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard'' – is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Widely regarded as one of the most influential rock st ...

played it every few weeks from 1981 to 1985, and the long-out-of-print LP became sought after by fans of Carole King who like the edgy sound of the music.

1970s, ''Tapestry''

While in Laurel Canyon, King met

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

and

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

as well as Toni Stern, with whom she collaborated on songs. King made her first solo album, ''

'', in 1970 for Lou Adler's Ode label, with Taylor playing acoustic guitar and providing backing vocals. It peaked at number 84 in the ''Billboard'' Top 200. The same year, King played keyboards on

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

's album ''

Indianola Mississippi Seeds ''Indianola Mississippi Seeds'' is B. B. King's eighteenth studio album. It was released in October 1970 on ABC Records on LP and May 1989 on MCA Records on CD. On this album B. B. King mixed elements of blues and rock music. Producer Bill ...

''. King followed ''Writer'' in 1971 with ''

'', which featured new compositions as well as reinterpretations of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". The album was recorded concurrently with Taylor's '' Mud Slide Slim,'' with an overlapping set of musicians including King,

and

. Both albums included "

You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor fr ...

", which was a number 1 hit for Taylor; King said in a 1972 interview that she "didn't write it with James or anybody really specifically in mind. But when James heard it he really liked it and wanted to record it". ''Tapestry'' was an instant success. With numerous hit singles – including a ''Billboard'' No.1 with " It's Too Late" – ''Tapestry'' held the No.1 spot for 15 consecutive weeks, remained on the charts for nearly six years, and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The album garnered four

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

including Album of the Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Record of the Year ("It's Too Late", lyrics by Toni Stern); and Song of the Year, with King becoming the first woman to win the award ("

"). The album appeared on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list at number 36. In addition, "It's Too Late" was number 469 on ''Rolling Stone''s

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

. '' Carole King: Music'' was released in December 1971, certified gold on December 9, 1971. It entered the top ten at 8, becoming the first of many weeks ''Tapestry'' and ''Carole King: Music'' simultaneously occupied the top 10. The following week it rose to No.3 and finally to No.1 on January 1, 1972, staying there for three weeks. The album also spawned a top 10 hit, "Sweet Seasons" (US No.9 and AC No.2). ''Carole King: Music'' stayed on the ''Billboard'' pop album charts for 44 weeks and was eventually certified platinum. '' Rhymes and Reasons'' (1972), and ''

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

'' (1973) followed, each earning gold certifications. ''Rhymes and Reasons'' produced another single, " Been to Canaan" (US No.24 and AC No.1), and ''Fantasy'' produced two, "Believe in Humanity" (US No.28) and "Corazon" (US No.37 and AC No.5), as well as another song that charted on the Hot 100, "You Light Up My Life" (US No.67 and AC No.6). In 1973, King performed a free concert in New York City's

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

with 100,000 attending. In September 1974, King released her album ''

Wrap Around Joy ''Wrap Around Joy'' is the sixth album by American singer and songwriter Carole King, released in 1974. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart in late 1974 and spun off successful singles with "Jazzman", reaching number ...

,'' which was certified gold on October 16, 1974, and entered the top ten at 7 on October 19, 1974. Two weeks later it became King's third album to reach number one. ''Wrap Around Joy'' spawned two singles, "

Jazzman "Jazzman" is a 1974 song performed by Carole King, from her album ''Wrap Around Joy''. King composed the music for the song, while David Palmer (formerly of Steely Dan) wrote the lyrics. The song is best known for its lengthy saxophone solos, ...

" and "

Nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...

". "Jazzman" reached 2 on November 9 but fell out of the top ten the next week. "Nightingale" went to No. 9 on March 1, 1975. In 1975, King scored songs for the animated TV production of

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...

's ''

Really Rosie ''Really Rosie'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Maurice Sendak and music by Carole King. The musical is based on Sendak's books ''Chicken Soup with Rice'', ''Pierre'', ''One was Johnny'', ''Alligators All Around'' (which comprise 1962's ...

'', released as an album by the same name, with lyrics by Sendak. ''

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

'' (1976) was the last studio album she made under the Ode label. In addition to enlisting her long-time friends such as

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...

and

Waddy Wachtel Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy N ...

, King reunited with Gerry Goffin to write four songs for the album. Their partnership continued intermittently. King also did a promotional tour for the album in 1976. After covering Carole's "

" on October 17–18, 1975 at two of his high-profile Roxy gigs,

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

showed up in person at the Beacon Theatre, New York on March 7, 1976, to sing "

" with Carole for the night's final encore. In 1977, King collaborated with another songwriter, Rick Evers, on '' Simple Things'', the first release with a new label distributed by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. Shortly after that King and Evers were married; he died of a

cocaine overdose Cocaine intoxication refers to the subjective, desired and adverse effects of cocaine on the mind and behavior of users. Both self-induced and involuntary cocaine intoxication have medical and legal implications (even in absence of relevant advers ...

one year later, while King and daughter Sherry were in Hawaii. ''Simple Things'' was her first album that failed to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' since ''Tapestry'', and it was her last Gold-certified record by the RIAA, except for a compilation entitled ''Her Greatest Hits'' the following year and ''Live at the Troubadour'' in 2010. Despite its Gold-certified record status, ''Simple Things'' was named "The Worst Album of 1977" by ''

'' magazine. Neither ''Welcome Home'' (1978), her debut as a co-producer on an album, nor ''Touch the Sky'' (1979) reached the top 100. ''Pearls – The Songs of Goffin and King'' (1980) yielded a hit single, an updated version of "One Fine Day".

1980s

King moved to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

for '' One to One'' (1982), and ''

Speeding Time ''Speeding Time'' is an album by American singer-songwriter Carole King, released in 1983. King's 13th album in 14 years, ''Speeding Time'' was poorly reviewed and was her first album not to chart. Following the album's release, King did not rec ...

'' in 1983, which was a reunion with ''Tapestry''-era producer

Lou Adler Lester Louis Adler (born December 13, 1933) is an American record and film producer and the co-owner of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Adler has produced and developed a number of iconic musical artists, including The Grass Ro ...

. After a well-received concert tour in 1984, journalist Catherine Foster of ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'' dubbed King "a Queen of Rock". She also called King's performing "all spunk and exuberance." In 1985, she wrote and performed "Care-A-Lot", the theme to ''

The Care Bears Movie ''The Care Bears Movie'' is a 1985 animated musical fantasy film directed by Arna Selznick from a screenplay by Peter Sauder. This was the second feature film from the Canadian animation studio Nelvana (after the 1983 film '' Rock & Rule''), ...

''. Also in 1985, she scored and performed (with

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

) the soundtrack to the

Martin Ritt Martin Ritt (March 2, 1914 – December 8, 1990) was an American director and actor who worked in both film and theater, noted for his socially conscious films. Some of the films he directed include ''The Long, Hot Summer'' (1958), '' The Black ...

-directed movie ''

Murphy's Romance ''Murphy's Romance'' is a 1985 American romantic-comedy film directed by Martin Ritt. The screenplay by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch was based on the 1980 novella by Max Schott. The film stars Sally Field, James Garner, Brian Kerwin, and ...

''. The soundtrack, again produced by Adler, included the songs "Running Lonely" and "Love For The Last Time (Theme from 'Murphy's Romance')", although a soundtrack album was apparently never officially released. King made a cameo appearance in the film as Tillie, a town hall employee. In 1989, she returned to Capitol Records and recorded '' City Streets'', with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

on two tracks and

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed inst ...

on one, followed by '' Color of Your Dreams'' (1993), with an appearance by

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

. Her song, " Now and Forever", was in the opening credits to the 1992

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

A League of Their Own ''A League of Their Own'' is a 1992 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The film stars Tom Hanks, Geena Dav ...

'', and was nominated for a

. In 1988, she starred in the off-Broadway production ''A Minor Incident'', and in 1994, she played Mrs Johnstone on Broadway in '' Blood Brothers''. In 1996, she appeared in ''

Brighton Beach Memoirs ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes '' Biloxi Blues'' and ''Broadway Bound''. Productions ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'' had a pre-Broadway ...

'' in Ireland, directed by

Peter Sheridan Peter Sheridan (born 1952) is an Irish playwright, screenwriter and director. He lives in Dublin. His awards include the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. In 1980 he was writer-in-residence in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, and his short film, Th ...

2000s

In 2000, King was asked to record a version of her hit song "

Where You Lead "Where You Lead" is a song written in 1970 by Carole King with lyricist Toni Stern, introduced on King's iconic 1971 album ''Tapestry''. A Top 40 hit for Barbra Streisand in both a studio and a live version — the latter in a medley entitled "S ...

" as the theme song for the show ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...

''. She rewrote a few lyrics to fit the mother-daughter story. She often performs this song with her daughter,

Louise Goffin Louise Goffin (born March 23, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and producer of the 2011 album ''A Holiday Carole''. Signed by record executive Lenny Waronker to DreamWorks in 1999, Goffin released ''Sometimes a Circle'' in 2002. She wen ...

. She rarely performed the song after its original release due to the rise in the

Women's liberation movement The women's liberation movement (WLM) was a political alignment of women and feminist intellectualism that emerged in the late 1960s and continued into the 1980s primarily in the industrialized nations of the Western world, which effected great ...

and falling out of favor of the sentiment behind the lyrics. King agreed to revamp the song to be, "something more relevant." The song became strongly associated with female friendships and family members. In 2001, King appeared in a television ad for

the Gap The Gap may refer to: Places Australia * The Gap, New South Wales, a locality near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales * The Gap, Northern Territory, a suburb of Alice Springs, Northern Territory * The Gap, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland ...

with her daughter. She performed a new song, "Love Makes the World", which became a title track for her studio album in autumn 2001 on her own label, Rockingale, distributed by Koch Records. The album includes songs she wrote for other artists during the mid-1990s and features Celine Dion,

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

and

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...

. ''Love Makes the World'' went to 158 in the US and No. 86 in the UK. It also debuted on ''Billboard''′s Top Independent Albums chart and Top Internet Albums chart at No. 20. An expanded edition of the album was issued six years later called '' Love Makes the World Deluxe Edition''. It contains a bonus disc with five additional tracks, including a remake of "Where You Lead (I Will Follow)" co-written with Toni Stern. The same year, King and Stern wrote "Sayonara Dance", recorded by Yuki, former lead vocalist of the Japanese band

Judy and Mary Judy and Mary (often stylized as JUDY AND MARY) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 in Japan by bassist Yoshihito Onda and vocalist Yuki Isoya, Yuki, with drummer Kohta Igarashi and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto completing the lineup in 1992. Guit ...

, on her first solo album ''Prismic'' the following year. Also in 2001, King composed a song for ''

All About Chemistry ''All About Chemistry'' is the third and most recent studio album by American rock band Semisonic, released on March 13, 2001, through MCA Records. With this release, the band failed, at least in America, to capitalize on the momentum it had ge ...

'' album by

Semisonic Semisonic is an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1995, consisting of Dan Wilson (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), John Munson (bass, keyboards, backing vocals, guitar), and Jacob Slichter (drums, percussion, keyboards, ba ...

, with the band's frontman Dan Wilson. King launched her Living Room Tour in July 2004 at the

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located inside the Auditorium Building at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

in Chicago. That show, along with shows at the

Greek Theater Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...

in Los Angeles and the Cape Cod Melody Tent (Hyannis, Massachusetts), were recorded as '' The Living Room Tour'' in July 2005. The album sold 44,000 copies in its first week in the US, landing at 17 on the ''Billboard'' 200, her highest-charting album since 1977. The album also charted at 51 in Australia. It has sold 330,000 copies in the United States. In August 2006 the album re-entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at 151. The tour stopped in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A DVD of the tour, called ''Welcome to My Living Room'', was released in October 2007. In November 2007, King toured Japan with

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

and Fergie from

the Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...

. Japanese record labels

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

and

Victor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

reissued most of King's albums, including the works from the late 1970s previously unavailable on compact disc. King recorded a duet of the Goffin/King composition " Time Don't Run Out on Me" with

Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray was the fir ...

on Murray's 2007 album '' Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends''. The song had previously been recorded by Murray for her 1984 album '' Heart Over Mind''.

2010–present

You Can Close Your Eyes JT CK 2010 - crop

In 2010 King and

staged their

Troubadour Reunion Tour The Troubadour Reunion Tour was a 2010 international concert tour by Carole King and James Taylor. It celebrated the 40th anniversary of their first performance together at The Troubadour in November 1970, and was a continuation of their reunio ...

together, recalling the first time they played at

The Troubadour, West Hollywood The Troubadour is a nightclub located in West Hollywood, California, United States, at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive and the border of Beverly Hills. Inspired by a visit to the newly opened Troubadour café in London, i ...

in 1970. The pair had reunited to mark the club's 50th anniversary two and a half years earlier in 2007 with the band they used in 1970. They enjoyed it so much that they decided to take the band on the road for 2010. The touring band featured players from that original band:

Russ Kunkel Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Da ...

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. Sklar rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coaleced into a group in its own right, The Section. This group of musicians so frequ ...

, and

. Also present was King's son-in-law,

Robbie Kondor Robbie Kondor is an American composer, session musician, and arranger. He has worked as a composer on '' The Significant Other'', ''Ball In The House'', ''Sally Jessy Raphael'', ''Happiness'' (1998), ''The Suburbans'' (1999), '' Forever Fabulous ...

and Taylor's three backing singers. King played piano and Taylor guitar on each other's songs, and they sang together some of the numbers they were both associated with. The tour began in Australia in March, returning to the United States in May. It was a major commercial success, with King playing to some of the largest audiences of her career. Total ticket sales exceeded 700,000 and the tour grossed over 59 million dollars, making it one of the most successful tours of the year. During their Troubadour Reunion Tour, King released two albums, one of new material recorded with Taylor. The first, released in April 2010, ''The Essential Carole King'', was a compilation album of King's work and artists covering her songs. The second album, '' Live at the Troubadour'' was released in May 2010, a collaboration between King and Taylor. It debuted at No.4 in the United States with sales of 78,000 copies. ''Live at the Troubadour'' has since received a gold record from the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for shipments of over 500,000 copies in the US and remained on the charts for 34 weeks. King's mother, Eugenia Gingold, died in December 2010 in

Delray Beach, Florida Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles ...

aged 94, from congestive heart failure. In the fall of 2011, King released '' A Holiday Carole'', an album of Christmas music and new songs written by her daughter Louise Goffin who co-produced the album. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Album. King's autobiography, '' A Natural Woman: A Memoir'' was published by Grand Central in the United States in April 2012. It entered ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' best seller list at No.6. In May 2012, King announced her retirement from music. King herself doubted she would ever write another song and said that her 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour with James Taylor was probably the last tour of her life, saying that it "was a good way to go out." King also said she will most likely not be writing or recording any new music. Later that month she wrote on her Facebook page that she never said she was actually retiring and insisted that she was taking a break. Carole campaigned for Idahoan

Nicole LeFavour Nicole LeFavour (born February 8, 1964) is an American politician and educator from Idaho who served as an Idaho State Senator from 2008 to 2012. LeFavour previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008. Early life, ed ...

and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

in 2012. Early in December 2012, King received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

. In 2012 she was given the benefit concert 'Painted Turtle – a celebration of Carole King'. King also did an Australian tour in February 2013. Following the

Boston Marathon bombing The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...

, she performed in Boston with

to help victims of the bombing. In late 2012, the Library of Congress announced that King had been named the 2013 recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song – the first woman to receive the distinction, given to songwriters for a body of work. President

and

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

hosted the award concert at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

on May 22, 2013, with the President presenting the prize and reading the citation. In May 2013 Carole King received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

. In June 2013 she campaigned in Massachusetts for US Representative

Ed Markey Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representati ...

, the Democratic nominee in a special election for the US Senate to succeed John Kerry who had resigned to become Secretary of State. King was honored as

MusiCares Person of the Year The MusiCares Person of the Year is an award presented annually by MusiCares, the charity arm of The Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their artistic achievement in the music in ...

in January 2014. On December 6, 2015, she was honored as a Kennedy Center Honoree. In 2016, King was the headline performer at the British Summer Time Festival held in

Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...

, London on July 3, 2016, playing all of ''

'' live for the first time. An album of the concert was released in 2017. In October 2018, King released a new version of her song, "One". In her first new recording since 2011, she was inspired to re-write the lyrics to her song "One" (originally on her 1977 album ''Simple Things'') as "One (2018)" to reflect her dream for America in the

2018 United States elections The 2018 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. These midterm elections occurred during Republican Donald Trump's term. Democrats made a net gain of 41 seats in the United States House of Representatives, gaining a majo ...

, as "Love won".

Acting roles

King has appeared occasionally in acting roles. One of her earliest was in 1975, when she was the speaking and singing voice of the title character in ''

'', an animated TV special based on the works of

. Also in 1975, she appeared (credited under her married name, Carole Larkey) on ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moor ...

'' in the episode "Anyone Who Hates Kids and Dogs". In 1984, she starred alongside

Tatum O'Neal Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in '' Paper Moon'' (1973) opposite her father, Ryan O'Neal. S ...

Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...

Alex Karras Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935 – October 10, 2012) was an American football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), ...

, and

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...

in the ''

Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, 19 ...

'' episode ''

Goldilocks and the Three Bears "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...

''. She later made three appearances as guest star on the TV series ''

'' as Sophie, the owner of the

Stars Hollow Stars Hollow is a fictional town in Connecticut featured on the television show ''Gilmore Girls'' and the Netflix miniseries '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life''. It is the town in which the protagonists Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter Rory ...

music store. King's song "Where You Lead (I Will Follow)" was also the theme song to the series, in a version sung with her daughter Louise. She reprised the role in the 2016 Gilmore girls Netflix revival, '' Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life''. King also appeared as Mrs. Johnstone as a replacement in the original Broadway production of '' Blood Brothers''.

Personal life and family

King has been married four times, to

, Charles Larkey, Rick Evers, and Rick Sorenson. In her 2012 memoir, King wrote that she had been physically abused by her third husband, Rick Evers, on a regular basis. Evers died of a cocaine overdose days after they separated in 1978. Her children are musicians

and Sherry Goffin Kondor, artist

Molly Larkey Molly Larkey (born December 31, 1971) is an American artist. Larkey, the daughter of American singer-songwriter Carole King and bass player Charles Larkey, was educated at Columbia University and Rutgers University. She is a sculptor working wit ...

and Levi Larkey. , King lives in Idaho.

Political and environmental activism

After relocating to

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

in 1977, King became involved in environmental issues. Since 1990, she has been working with the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and other groups towards passage of the

Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act The Northern Rocky Mountains ecosystem in the United States is known by ecologists, biologists, and naturalists as one of the last areas of the contiguous United States that is relatively undeveloped enough and large enough to support a functioning ...

(NREPA). King has testified on Capitol Hill three times on behalf of NREPA: in 1994, 2007 and again in 2009. King is also politically active in the

United States Democratic Party The Democratic Party is one of the Two-party system, two Major party, major contemporary political parties in the United States. Founded in 1828, it was predominantly built by Martin Van Buren, who assembled a wide cadre of politicians in eve ...

. In 2003, she began campaigning for

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

, performing in private homes for caucus delegates during the Democratic primaries. On July 29, 2004, she made a short speech and sang at the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

, about two hours before Kerry made his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for president. King continued her support of Kerry throughout the general election. When Kerry was named Secretary of State in 2013 she campaigned with US Representative Ed Markey, the Democratic nominee to succeed Kerry in a special election. In 2008, King appeared on the March 18 episode of ''

The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...

'', touching on her politics again. She said she was supporting

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, and said the choice had nothing to do with gender. She also said she would have no issues if

won the election. Before the show's conclusion, she returned to the stage to perform "I Feel the Earth Move". On October 6, 2014, she performed at a Democratic fundraiser at the

Beverly Wilshire Hotel The Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, commonly known as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, is a historic luxury hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive, it was completed in 1928. It has ...

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

, attended by Vice President Joe Biden. On January 21, 2017, King marched in the

2017 Women's March The Women's March was a worldwide protest on January 21, 2017, the day after Inauguration of Donald Trump, the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. It was prompted by Trump's policy positions and rhetoric, which protesters called Misog ...

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

, Idaho, carrying a sign that said "One Small Voice." In an op-ed for ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', she wrote she carried that message because "I've never stopped believing that one small voice plus millions of other small voices is exactly how we change the world."

Legacy

An all-star roster of artists paid tribute to King on the 1995 album '' Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King''. From the album,

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

's version of " So Far Away" and

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

's recording of "A Natural Woman" were both

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart hits. Other artists who appeared on the album included

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

("It's Too Late"),

Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary music, adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's Richard Marx (album), self-titled debut album went tri ...

("Beautiful"),

("You've Got a Friend"),

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill' ...

("Where You Lead"), and the

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era in ...

("Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"). Former

Monkee The Monkees were an American Rock music, rock and pop music, pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones ...

Micky Dolenz George Michael Dolenz Jr. (born March 8, 1945) is an American actor, musician, TV producer and businessman. He is best known as the drummer and one of three primary vocalists for the pop-rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and multiple reunions ...

released ''King for a Day'', a tribute album consisting of songs written or co-written by King, in 2010. The album includes " Sometime in the Morning", a King-penned song originally recorded by the Monkees in 1967. Dolenz had previously recorded another of King's Monkees compositions, "

Porpoise Song "Porpoise Song" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and performed by the Monkees as the theme song for their 1968 film ''Head'' and its accompanying soundtrack album. The single version contains an extended instrumental outro not inc ...

", on his lullaby-themed CD ''Micky Dolenz Puts You to Sleep.'' Many other cover versions of King's work have appeared over the years. Among the most notable are: * "

" was a No. 1 hit for James Taylor in 1971 and a Top 40 hit for

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...

and

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

that same year. *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

had a top 40 hit in 1972 with "

" twice – by itself and as part of a live medley with "Sweet Inspiration". *

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...

covered two Carole King penned tunes: the first was "

No Sad Song "No Sad Song" is a song written in 1971 by Carole King and Toni Stern. It was recorded by Australian singer-songwriter Helen Reddy, appearing on her album '' Helen Reddy'', released in November 1971. The single peaked at number 62 in January 1 ...

" in 1971 (number 62); the second was "

I Can't Hear You No More "I Can't Hear You No More" is a composition written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It was originally recorded as "I Can't Hear You" in 1964 by Betty Everett. The most successful version was the 1976 top 40 single by Helen Reddy. Betty Everett's ...

" in 1976, combined with "Music Is My Life" to reach number 29. * The Carpenters recorded King's "

It's Going to Take Some Time "It's Going to Take Some Time" is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern for King’s 1971 album, ''Music''. It was redone by the Carpenters in 1972 for their fourth album, '' A Song for You''. According to Richard Carpenter, he had to choo ...

" in 1972, and reached number 12 on the ''Billboard'' charts. *

Martika Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known by her stage name Martika ( ), is an American pop singer and actress. She released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which sold over four million copies wor ...

had a number 25 hit in 1989 with her version of "

I Feel the Earth Move I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...

". * "It's Too Late" reappeared on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1995 by

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

. *

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

recorded a new version of "

Oh No Not My Baby "Oh No Not My Baby" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song's lyrics describe how friends and family repeatedly warn the singer about a partner's infidelities. The song is regarded as an American standard due to its long-tim ...

" in 1993, reaching number 35 on the AC Chart the next year. * Celine Dion recorded King's song "The Reason" on her 1997 album ''

Let's Talk About Love ''Let's Talk About Love'' is the fifth English-language and fifteenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released on 14 November 1997, by Columbia and Epic Records. The follow-up to the commercially successful '' Falling into You'' ...

'' with Carole King singing backup. The remake was certified Diamond in France. * "Where You Lead" (lyrics by Toni Stern), re-recorded to include King's daughter, became the title song of TV show ''Gilmore Girls''. * The Crusaders had an instrumental hit with "So Far Away", rising to number 39 in 1972 on the AC Chart. * "Locomotion" was recorded by Kylie Minogue, having success and starting off a long career in the music industry.

Film biography

In 1996, a film very loosely based on King's life, ''

Grace of My Heart ''Grace of My Heart'' is a 1996 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by Allison Anders and starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, Patsy Kensit, and John Turturro. The film charts the music career of Denise Waverly ...

'', was written and directed by

Allison Anders Allison Anders (born November 16, 1954) is an American independent film director whose films include ''Gas Food Lodging'', ''Mi Vida Loca'' and ''Grace of My Heart''. Anders has collaborated with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Televisio ...

. In the film, an aspiring singer sacrifices her own singing career to write hit songs that launch the careers of other singers. Mirroring King's life, the film follows her from her first break, through the pain of rejection from the recording industry and a bad marriage, to her final triumph in realizing her dream to record her own hit album. The story includes material and characters loosely based on King's songwriting colleagues, as well as the singers for whom they wrote their material, and various producers involved in the creative environment that existed at the

Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. It was built in 1931 as t ...

from 1958 to 1964 and in the California music scene from 1965 to 1971.

Broadway musical biography

A musical version of King's life and career debuted in pre-

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

tryouts in September 2013, in San Francisco, titled '' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical''. It starred

Jessie Mueller Jessica Ruth Mueller (born February 20, 1983) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting career in Chicago and won two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 2008 and 2011 for her roles as Carrie Pipperidge in ''Carousel'' and Amalia Balash i ...

in the title role. Previews on Broadway began on November 21, 2013, at the

Stephen Sondheim Theatre The Stephen Sondheim Theatre, formerly Henry Miller's Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 124 West 43rd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Owned by the Durst Organization and managed by the Roundabout Theatre C ...

, with the official opening on January 12, 2014. The book is by

Douglas McGrath Douglas Geoffrey McGrath (February 2, 1958 – November 3, 2022) was an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Tony Award, and Primetime Emmy Awar ...

. Reviews were mixed, but generally warm. Jessie Mueller won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her portrayal of King, and Brian Ronan won the

Tony Award for Best Sound Design The Tony Awards for Best Sound Design of a Play and Best Sound Design of a Musical recognize excellence in sound design for Broadway theatre. They were first given in the 2007–2008 season. In 2014, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announce ...

of a Musical. The show ran for 6 years and 2418 performances on Broadway.

Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Grammy Awards

, - , rowspan="4" , 1972 , ''

'' , Album of the Year , , - , " It's Too Late" ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, , - , "

You've Got A Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor fr ...

" , Song of the Year , , - , ''

'' , rowspan="2" ,

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

, , - , 1975 , "

" , , - , 1976 , ''

'' , Best Album for Children , , - , 1993 , " Now and Forever" , Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television , , - , 1998 , ''

'' , rowspan="3" ,

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

, , - , 2002 , "

" , , - , 2002 , " It's Too Late" , , - , 2004 , Carole King ,

Grammy Trustees Award The Grammy Trustees Award is awarded by The Recording Academy to "individuals who, during their careers in music, technology, and so on have made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording". From 1983 onwards, per ...

, , - , rowspan="2" , 2013 , Lifetime Achievement ,

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...

, , - , '' A Holiday Carole'' ,

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...

, , - , 2014 , Carole King ,

, , - , 2022 , " Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)" (with

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

and

Jamie Hartman Jamie Hartman (born 1971) is an English songwriter and producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, and the former lead singer of the indie-pop band Ben's Brother. Early life Hartman was born and raised in London. Career Ben's Brother Hartman formed ...

) ,

Best Song Written for Visual Media The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (including its previous names) is the Grammy Awards awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media. Recipients * Each year is linked t ...

Primetime Emmy Awards

, - , 2000 , "Song of Freedom" , Outstanding Music and Lyrics ,

Satellite Awards

, - , 1998 , "Anyone At All" ,

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

Recognition

* In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. * In 1988, Goffin and King received the National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award.Weller, Sheila. ''Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon-and the Journey of a Generation'' New York, Washington Square Press, 2008. * In 1990, King was inducted, along with Goffin, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category for her songwriting achievements. * In 2002, King was given the "Johnny Mercer Award" by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. * In 2004, Goffin and King were awarded the

. * King was inducted into the

Long Island Music Hall of Fame The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame was incorporated in July 2005 under the New York State Board of Regents, as a nonprofit organization and holds a provisional charter to operate as a museum in the state of New York. It recognizes ...

in 2007. * In 2012 (December 3), King received the 2,486th star on the

. * On February 9, 2013, King was awarded the

. * On Tuesday, May 21, 2013, the

hosted an invitation-only concert at their Coolidge Auditorium in honor of Carole King. The all-star tribute included performances by

Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand N ...

Colbie Caillat Colbie Marie Caillat (; born May 28, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic R ...

Gian Marco Gian Marco Javier Zignago Alcóver (born 17 August 1970) is a Peruvian musician and actor. He has won the Latin Grammy Award for the Best Singer-Songwriter Album three times. First in 2005 for his album ''Resucitar'', in 2011 for his album ''Dí ...

Shelby Lynne Shelby Lynne (born Shelby Lynn Moorer, October 22, 1968) is an American singer and songwriter and the older sister of singer-songwriter Allison Moorer. The success of her pop rock album '' I Am Shelby Lynne'' (1999) led to her winning the Grammy ...

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his ...

and King's daughter, Louise Goffin. * On the following night, May 22, 2013, at the White House, King was joined by other star performers including James Taylor,

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...

Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo mus ...

and

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

President Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

presented Carole King with the fifth Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first awarded to a woman composer. The White House concert and awards ceremony capped off two days of events celebrating Carole King. * In 2014, King received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...

. *On December 6, 2015, she was honored at the

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...

for her lifetime contribution to

American culture The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...

through the performing arts. *In 2021, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

Discography

* 1970: ''

'' * 1971: ''

Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

'' * 1972: '' Rhymes & Reasons'' * 1973: ''

'' * 1974: ''

'' * 1975: '' Really Rosie (soundtrack)'' * 1976: ''

'' * 1977: '' Simple Things'' * 1978: '' Her Greatest Hits: Songs of Long Ago'' (compilation) * 1978: '' Welcome Home'' * 1979: '' Touch the Sky'' * 1980: '' Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King'' * 1982: '' One to One'' * 1983: ''

'' * 1989: '' City Streets'' * 1993: '' Colour of Your Dreams'' * 1996: '' The Carnegie Hall Concert: June 18, 1971'' * 2001: '' Love Makes the World'' * 2005: '' The Living Room Tour'' * 2011: '' A Holiday Carole'' * 2012: ''

The Legendary Demos ''The Legendary Demos'' is a compilation album by pop rock artist Carole King. It was released on April 24, 2012 on Hear Music. The album contains thirteen demo recordings, ranging in time from "Crying in the Rain" (1962) to six tracks that appear ...

'' (compilation)

Filmography

Certifications

The years given are the years the albums and singles were released, and not necessarily the years in which they achieved their peak. U.S. Billboard Top 10 Albums * 1971 – ''

'' (No.1) * 1971 – ''

'' (No.1) * 1972 – '' Rhymes & Reasons'' (No.2) * 1973 – ''

'' (No.6) * 1974 – ''

'' (No.1) * 1976 – ''

'' (No.3) * 2010 – '' Live at the Troubadour'' (with James Taylor) (No.4) U.S. Billboard Top 10 'Pop' Singles * 1971 – " It's Too Late" / "

" (No.1) * 1971 – "

Sweet Seasons “Sweet Seasons” is a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern which appeared on King's 1971 album ''Music''. It was the only charting single from the album, and was her second of four Top 10 hits in the US. Background ''E! News'' reporter ...

" (No.9) * 1974 – "

" (No.2) * 1974 – "

" (No.9) Albums and singles certifications

References

External links

* *
Carole King On A&M Records
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Carole 1942 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American keyboardists 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women singers A&M Records artists Actresses from New York City American conservationists American women pop singers American women rock singers American women singer-songwriters American film actresses American pop pianists American session musicians American soft rock musicians American television actresses American voice actresses Ballad musicians MNRK Music Group artists Epic Records artists Gershwin Prize recipients Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners James Madison High School (Brooklyn) alumni Jewish American songwriters Jewish folk singers Kennedy Center honorees Musicians from Brooklyn New Jersey Democrats New York (state) Democrats Ode Records artists People from Manhattan People from West Orange, New Jersey Pop pianists Priority Records artists Queens College, City University of New York alumni RCA Records artists Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Singers from New York City Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers People from Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles

Early life and education

1960s

1970s, ''Tapestry''

1980s

2000s

2010–present

Acting roles

Personal life and family

Political and environmental activism

Legacy

Film biography

Broadway musical biography

Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Grammy Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards

Satellite Awards

Recognition

Discography

Filmography

Certifications

See also

References

External links