Carole King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carole King
King in 2002
Born	Carol Joan Klein (1942-02-09) February 9, 1942 (age 83) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician
Years active	1958–present
Spouse(s)	Gerry Goffin ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1968)​ Charles Larkey ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1976)​ Rick Evers ​ ​ (m. 1977; died 1978)​ Rick Sorenson ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1989)​
Children	4, including Louise Goffin and Molly Larkey
Musical career
Genres	Pop folk rock pop rock soft rock Brill Building blue-eyed soul
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	Rockingale Ode/Epic/CBS A&M Records Koch Records Priority/EMI RCA
Signature

Carole King (born Carol Joan Klein on February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is famous for writing and singing many popular songs. She wrote or helped write over 100 songs that became hits in the U.S. and the UK, making her one of the most successful female songwriters ever.

In the 1960s, Carole King and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote many hit songs for other artists. Many of these songs are still well-known today. In the 1970s, she started singing her own songs. Her album Tapestry (1971) was a huge hit. It stayed at number one on the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks and remained on the charts for over six years.

Carole King has released 25 solo albums and has sold more than 75 million records around the world. She has won many awards, including four Grammy Awards. She is also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice!). She was the first woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2013 and was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015.

Carole King's Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Carole King was born Carol Joan Klein on February 9, 1942, in Manhattan, New York City. Her parents, Eugenia and Sidney Klein, were both Jewish. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a firefighter.

Carole's mother played the piano and taught Carole some basic skills when she was three. When Carole was four, her parents found out she had absolute pitch. This meant she could name any musical note just by hearing it. Her father loved to show off this special talent to friends.

Carole's mother started giving her real music lessons when she was four. Carole was very eager to learn. She wanted to master the popular songs she heard on the radio. She started kindergarten at four and was so smart that she skipped a grade, going straight to second grade.

In the 1950s, she went to James Madison High School in Brooklyn. She formed a band called the Co-Sines and changed her name from Carol Klein to Carole King. She also made demo recordings with her friend Paul Simon. Her first official song, "The Right Girl," was released in 1958.

Meeting Gerry Goffin and Early Success

Carole King attended Queens College, where she met Gerry Goffin. He became her songwriting partner. They got married in August 1959 when Carole was 17. They both left college and took day jobs, writing songs together in the evenings.

Neil Sedaka, who had dated Carole in high school, had a hit song in 1959 called "Oh! Carol". Gerry Goffin wrote a playful response called "Oh! Neil," which Carole recorded. This song was not a big hit. However, after they wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" for the Shirelles, which became a number one hit in 1960, Goffin and King decided to focus on songwriting full-time. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" became a very famous song.

Carole King's Music Career

The 1960s: Songwriting Hits

King, Gerry Goffin and Little Eva on the cover of Cash Box; September 15, 1962

In the 1960s, Carole King wrote the music and Gerry Goffin wrote the lyrics for many classic songs. They wrote hits for many different artists. Some of their famous songs include "Chains" (recorded by the Everly Brothers and the Beatles), "The Loco-Motion", and "Keep Your Hands off My Baby" (both for their babysitter Little Eva).

Carole King also recorded some songs herself during this time. Her first big success as a singer was "It Might as Well Rain Until September" in 1962. It reached number 22 in the U.S. and number 3 in the UK. She recorded a few more songs, but by 1966, she mostly stopped recording her own music for a while.

Other popular songs King and Goffin wrote in the 1960s include "Crying in the Rain" for the Everly Brothers, "Take Good Care of My Baby" for Bobby Vee, "Up on the Roof" for the Drifters, "One Fine Day" for the Chiffons, and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the Monkees. They also wrote the classic song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for Aretha Franklin. They worked alongside other famous songwriters in a place called the Brill Building.

By 1968, Goffin and King had divorced. Carole King moved to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, with her two daughters. She started a music trio called "The City" with bassist Charles Larkey (who later became her husband) and guitarist Danny Kortchmar. The group released one album, Now That Everything's Been Said (1968). However, Carole King did not like performing live, so the album was not promoted much and did not sell well. The group soon broke up.

The 1970s: Solo Stardom

King on the cover of Cash Box; May 15, 1971

In Laurel Canyon, Carole King met other musicians like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. She released her first solo album, Writer, in 1970. It reached number 84 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Her next album, Tapestry (1971), was a huge success. It included new songs and new versions of her older hits like "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." The album was recorded at the same time as James Taylor's album Mud Slide Slim, and they shared some musicians. Both albums included the song "You've Got a Friend", which became a number one hit for James Taylor. Carole King said she did not write it for anyone specific, but James Taylor loved it and wanted to record it.

Tapestry was an instant hit. It had many popular songs, including "It's Too Late", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Tapestry stayed at number one on the album charts for 15 weeks and remained on the charts for almost six years. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Carole King became the first woman to win the Song of the Year award for "You've Got a Friend." Rolling Stone magazine ranked Tapestry as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Her next album, Carole King Music, was released in December 1971 and also became a hit. It reached number 8, meaning that Tapestry and Carole King: Music were both in the top 10 at the same time for many weeks. This album included the top-ten hit "Sweet Seasons."

Rhymes and Reasons (1972) and Fantasy (1973) followed, both selling very well. Rhymes and Reasons had the hit single "Been to Canaan". Fantasy had two hits, "Believe in Humanity" and "Corazon."

In 1973, Carole King performed a free concert in Central Park in New York City for over 100,000 people. This concert was recorded for a film called Carole King: Home Again - Live in Central Park.

In September 1974, King released Wrap Around Joy, which also reached number one. It included the hit songs "Jazzman" and "Nightingale".

In 1975, Carole King wrote and recorded songs for the children's animated TV show Really Rosie, based on the books by Maurice Sendak.

King around 1977

Thoroughbred (1976) was her last album with the Ode label. For this album, she worked with old friends like David Crosby, Graham Nash, and James Taylor. She also reunited with Gerry Goffin to write four songs.

In 1977, King released Simple Things. This was her first album with a new record label. She married Rick Evers around this time. Simple Things was her last album to be certified gold by the RIAA, except for some later compilation and live albums.

The 1980s and 1990s: New Directions

Carole King continued to release albums in the 1980s, including One to One (1982) and Speeding Time (1983). In 1985, she wrote and performed "Care-A-Lot," the theme song for The Care Bears Movie. She also wrote music for the movie Murphy's Romance and even had a small acting role in it.

In 1988, she acted in an off-Broadway play called A Minor Incident. In 1989, she released the album City Streets, which featured famous musicians like Eric Clapton and Branford Marsalis.

In the 1990s, her song "Now and Forever" was used in the movie A League of Their Own (1992) and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Her 1993 album Colour of Your Dreams included an appearance by Slash.

In 1994, she acted on Broadway in the musical Blood Brothers. In 1997, she sang backing vocals on Celine Dion's song "The Reason". They also performed together at the first VH1 Divas Live concert. Carole King performed "You've Got a Friend" with Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, and Shania Twain, and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" with Aretha Franklin and others. In 1998, King wrote and performed "Anyone at All" for the movie You've Got Mail.

The 2000s and 2010s: Tours and Tributes

King performing aboard USS Harry S. Truman in the Mediterranean in 2000

In 2000, Carole King was asked to record a new version of her song "Where You Lead" as the theme song for the TV show Gilmore Girls. She changed some of the lyrics to fit the mother-daughter story of the show. She often performs this song with her daughter, Louise Goffin.

In 2001, King appeared in a TV ad for the Gap with her daughter. She released a new album called Love Makes the World, which included songs she wrote for other artists.

In 2004, King started her Living Room Tour. Shows from this tour were recorded and released as the album The Living Room Tour in 2005. This album was very successful, becoming her highest-charting album since 1977. A DVD of the tour, Welcome to My Living Room, was released in 2007.

King and James Taylor performing during their 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour

In 2010, Carole King and James Taylor went on their Troubadour Reunion Tour together. This tour celebrated the first time they played at The Troubadour, West Hollywood club in 1970. The tour was a huge success, with King performing for some of the largest audiences of her career.

During the tour, King released two albums. One was The Essential Carole King, a collection of her songs. The other was Live at the Troubadour, a live album with James Taylor. This album debuted at number 4 in the U.S. and sold over 500,000 copies.

In 2011, King released A Holiday Carole, an album of Christmas music and new songs written by her daughter Louise Goffin. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Carole King's autobiography, A Natural Woman: A Memoir, was published in April 2012 and became a New York Times bestseller.

In December 2012, King received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2013, she was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Library of Congress also announced that King was the 2013 recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, making her the first woman to receive this honor. President Barack Obama presented her with the award at the White House in May 2013.

In 2014, King was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year. On December 6, 2015, she was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to American culture.

In 2016, King was the main performer at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, London. She performed her entire Tapestry album live for the first time. A live album of this concert was released in 2017.

In October 2018, King released a new version of her song "One." She rewrote the lyrics to reflect her hopes for America in the 2018 United States elections.

Carole King's Acting Roles

Carole King has appeared in acting roles from time to time. In 1975, she was the voice of the main character in Really Rosie, an animated TV special. She also appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1975.

In 1984, she starred in the Faerie Tale Theatre episode Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Later, she appeared in three episodes of the TV series Gilmore Girls as Sophie, the owner of the music store. Her song "Where You Lead (I Will Follow)" was also the theme song for the series. She returned to her role in the 2016 Gilmore Girls Netflix revival. King also acted as a replacement in the Broadway musical Blood Brothers.

Carole King's Personal Life and Family

Carole King has been married four times. Her children are musicians Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor, artist Molly Larkey, and Levi Larkey. As of November 2018, King lives in Idaho.

Carole King's Activism

After moving to Idaho in 1977, Carole King became involved in protecting the environment. Since 1990, she has worked with groups like the Alliance for the Wild Rockies to support the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). This act aims to protect wild areas. King has spoken in front of Congress three times to support this act.

King also supports the Democratic Party. In 2003, she started campaigning for John Kerry. In 2004, she gave a speech and sang at the Democratic National Convention. She continued to support Kerry in the election. When Kerry became Secretary of State in 2013, she campaigned for Ed Markey, who ran for Kerry's old Senate seat.

In 2008, King appeared on The Colbert Report and talked about her political views. She said she supported Hillary Clinton but would also be happy if Barack Obama won the election.

On October 6, 2014, she performed at a Democratic fundraiser attended by Vice President Joe Biden.

On January 21, 2017, King participated in the 2017 Women's March in Stanley, Idaho. She carried a sign that said "One Small Voice." She wrote that she believes "one small voice plus millions of other small voices is exactly how we change the world."

Carole King endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Carole King's Legacy and Tributes

King during an interview at the JFK Presidential Library, Boston, Mass., April 12, 2012

Many famous artists honored Carole King on the 1995 album Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King. Artists like Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Amy Grant, Richard Marx, Aretha Franklin, Faith Hill, and the Bee Gees performed her songs.

Monkee member Micky Dolenz released King for a Day in 2010, an album of songs written by King.

Many other artists have covered Carole King's songs over the years:

• "You've Got a Friend" was a number one hit for James Taylor in 1971.
• Barbra Streisand had a hit with "Where You Lead" in 1972.
• "Locomotion" was recorded by Grand Funk in 1974 and reached number one.
• Helen Reddy covered "No Sad Song" in 1971 and "I Can't Hear You No More" in 1976.
• The Carpenters recorded King's "It's Going to Take Some Time" in 1972.
• Martika had a hit in 1989 with her version of "I Feel the Earth Move".
• Gloria Estefan's version of "It's Too Late" was popular in 1995.
• Linda Ronstadt recorded "Oh No Not My Baby" in 1993.
• Celine Dion recorded King's song "The Reason" in 1997 with Carole King singing backup.
• "Where You Lead" (with lyrics by Toni Stern), re-recorded with King's daughter, became the theme song of the TV show Gilmore Girls.
• Kylie Minogue had success with her version of "Locomotion".

Film and Broadway Stories about Carole King

In 1996, a movie called Grace of My Heart was made. It was loosely based on Carole King's life. The film shows a singer who writes hit songs for other artists before finally recording her own successful album.

A musical about Carole King's life and career, called Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, opened on Broadway in 2014. It starred Jessie Mueller as Carole King. Jessie Mueller won a Tony Award for her performance. The show ran for six years and had over 2,400 performances on Broadway.

Carole King's Awards and Recognition

Golden Globe Awards

Grammy Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards

Satellite Awards

Other Recognitions

• In 1987, Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• In 1990, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting.
• In 2002, King received the "Johnny Mercer Award" from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• In 2004, Goffin and King were given the Grammy Trustees Award.
• King was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
• In 2012, King received the 2,486th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• On February 9, 2013, King was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
• On May 22, 2013, President Barack Obama presented Carole King with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. She was the first woman composer to receive this award.
• In 2014, King received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
• On December 6, 2015, she was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors.
• In 2021, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist.

Carole King's Music Albums

Carole King's Film and TV Appearances

Carole King's Chart Success and Certifications

The years listed are when the albums and singles were first released.

Images for kids

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  Carole King in 2002

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  Carole King's signature

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  Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Little Eva on a magazine cover in 1962

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  Carole King on a magazine cover in 1971

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  Carole King around 1977

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  Carole King performing in 2000

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  Carole King and James Taylor performing in 2010

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  Carole King during an interview in Boston in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Carole King para niños