Carole King honoured by President Obama

... Carole King was honored on Wednesday night at the White House with the fifth Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to receive the award. President Obama opened the evening with a statement on the tragedy in Oklahoma and followed calling King a 'living legend' (see video below). King then took the stage to sing Beautiful from Tapestry before giving the stage over to a group of artists performing her music. The Set List (We are still trying to determine the performer on two of the songs): Beautiful ' Carole King Will You Love Me Tomorrow ' Gloria Estefan, Trisha Yearwood, Emeli Sande Up on the Roof ' James Taylor So Far Away ' Trisha Yearwood Loco-Motion ' Billy Joel Cryin' in the Rain ' James Taylor and TBD (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman ' Emeli Sande Jazzman ' Carole King I Believe in Loving You ' Carole King I Feel the Earth Move ' Carole King You've Got a Friend ' Carole King and James Taylor The show will be on PBS on May 28. More from VVN Music Have Your Say Click here to win an iPhone5! Carole King honoured by President Obama ... [ read more ]

Obama honors Carole King at White House concert

... Collins, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand and many others. In 1990, she and ex-husband Goffin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wednesday's tribute is the latest in the "In Performance at the White House" series under Obama. It will televised nationally by PBS stations on May 28. ___ Associated Press writer Brett Zongker contributed to this report. ___ Online: Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: http://www.loc.gov/about/awardshonors/gershwin/ ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap Obama honors Carole King at White House concert ... [ read more ]

Carole King hits D.C. for Gershwin salute

... to King and host their own concert in the East Room. The White House concert featuring Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sandé, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood as well as King is due to be televised by PBS. The Gershwin Prize commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the legendary American songwriting team whose extensive manuscript collections are in the Library of Congress. The prize is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. Carole King hits D.C. for Gershwin salute ... [ read more ]

Carole King

(Feb. 9, 1942)

Artistfacts®: You can leave comments about the artist/band at the bottom of the page.

Her birth name is Carole Klein. She has played the piano since she was 4 years old.

While she was a student at Brooklyn high school, she dated Neil Sedaka, who was in a band called The Tokens. Soon after, she formed her own group called the Co-sines and took the professional name Carole King. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

She met first husband Gerry Goffin at Queens College in New York. She and Goffin became songwriting partners, writing in the Brill Building for Aldon Music. They wrote hits for some of the biggest names of the day: The Animals, the Shirelles, Herman's Hermits, and the Byrds. They wrote "The Loco-Motion" for Little Eva. It was not their only #1 hit.

She set a record in 1973 with a concert in Central Park that drew 100,000 people. That record, though, has since been broken.

King had stage fright, which is why one of her bands, The City (with guitarist Danny Kortchmar), never toured. That probably explains why their 1968 album flopped.

Kortchmar had previously played with the Flying Machine, which included James Taylor. Taylor and King became good friends, and he was the one who encouraged her to try a solo career.

Her previous band The City also included bassist Charles Larkey, who King married after her divorce with Goffin.

King wrote for the children's television program Really Rosie in 1975. Around that time she also started writing with Goffin again.

Her third husband, Rick Evers, died of a heroin overdose in 1978.

King acted on Broadway in 1994 for the first time, taking over for Petula Clark in Bloodbrothers.

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1987.

Her 1994 live album Carole King: In Concert included David Crosby, Graham Nash, daughter Sherry Goffin, and Guns n' Roses guitarist Slash.

Carole and her daughter Louise Goffin, also a singer, sang the theme song "Where You Lead," for the long-running mother/daughter sitcom The Gilmore Girls. King's music was used throughout the show's run. (thanks, brea - Philadelphia, PA)

Her 1971 Tapestry album was the best-selling album ever until 1978 when Fleetwood Mac's Rumours outsold it. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

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Comments:

She's still influencing artists today, such as Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Adele, and most notably, the late Amy Winehouse, whose story has uncanny parallels to Ms. King's: both were child prodigies, both very self-determined, both had bad stage fright, and both got into bad relationships. My generation (Generation X) knows her from the "Really Rosie" soundtrack she did with the late Maurice Sendak, even if we didn't know who she was or that it was her. Ms. King IS American songwriting along with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Bob Dylan and Beach Boy Brian Wilson. There are singer-songwriters, and then there are Carole King and James Taylor. They transcend the singer-songwriter movement just as Johnny Cash transcends Country and Bob Marley transcends Reggae.

- Dana, Woodbury, MN, MN

An often overlooked artist who had a major influence on music in the 60's and 70's. The number of musicians she has influenced in incalculable.

- Dan, Greenwood, SC

Carole's "It's too late" Is the best ever.
Tom Aydelott
Pilot Grove, Mo.

- Tom, pilot grove, MO

james taylor and carole king are awesome.

- Jeanette, Irvine, CA

James Taylor wrote the liner notes for Tapestry and played guitar on a few cuts too.

- Christine, Chicago, IL

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