Carole King

Carole King
King in 2002
Born
Carol Joan Klein[1]

(1942-02-09) February 9, 1942
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Years active1958–present
Spouses
Gerry Goffin
(m. 1959; div. 1968)
    Charles Larkey
    (m. 1970; div. 1976)
      Rick Evers
      (m. 1977; died 1978)
        Rick Sorenson
        (m. 1982; div. 1989)
        Children4, including Louise Goffin and Molly Larkey
        Musical career
        Genres
        • Pop
        • folk rock[2]
        • pop rock
        • soft rock
        • Brill Building
        • blue-eyed soul
        Instruments
        • Vocals
        • piano
        WorksCarole King discography
        Labels
        • Rockingale
        • Ode/Epic/CBS
        • A&M Records
        • Koch Records
        • Priority/EMI
        • RCA
        Formerly ofThe City
        Websitecaroleking.com
        Signature

        Carole King Klein[3] (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her extensive contributions to popular music. She wrote or co-wrote 118 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 during the latter half of the 20th century and 61 songs that reached the UK charts, establishing her as the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts from 1962 to 2005.[4][5][6]

        In the 1960s, King and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, composed over two dozen hit songs for various artists, many of which remain standards. She transitioned to a solo performing career in the 1970s, following her debut album Writer (1970) with the critically acclaimed Tapestry (1971), which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks and stayed on the charts for over six years.[7]

        King has released 25 solo albums, with Tapestry being her most successful, and has sold over 75 million records worldwide.[8][9] Her honors include four Grammy Awards, inductions into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a performer and songwriter), the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (as its first female recipient), and the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors.[10][11]

        1. ^ "Legendary singer/songwriter Carole King looks back". TODAY.com. October 4, 2012. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
        2. ^ Carole King pitchfork.com Retrieved 07 November 2023
        3. ^ Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (November 4, 2014). "Our People Our Traditions". Finding Your Roots. Season 2. Episode 7. PBS. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019. Actually I am still 'Klein', I've incorporated that my legal name now is 'Carole King Klein'. You know, I went through four marriages and changed my name every single time, and then I finally came back to 'no, I'm Klein!'.
        4. ^ "Official Website of Carole King – Songwriter, Performer, Author". Carole King. January 24, 2014. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
        5. ^ The People Who Created The Soundtrack To Your Life eBook: Stuart Devoy: Kindle Store. Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
        6. ^ David Roberts, Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, 2005. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
        7. ^ "'Tapestry' Jumps from number 15 to number 7 on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Chart". Carole King. October 12, 2001. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
        8. ^ "Carole King and James Taylor Troubadour Reunion Comes to an End" Archived September 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine July 20, 2010, Anit Music.com
        9. ^ King Bio at Allmusic.com
        10. ^ Vivinetto, Gina (May 12, 2021). "Jay-Z, Carole King, Tina Turner among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2021 inductees". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
        11. ^ "Librarian of Congress Names Carole King Next Recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song" Archived March 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine December 12, 2012, www.loc.gov