Carole King
American singer and songwriter / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American songwriter, and singer-songwriter.[1] King and her writing partner Gerry Goffin wrote over twenty songs that became chart hits. Many different artists recorded her songs in the 1960s. In 1971 she wrote and recorded the album Tapestry. This became very successful. It was at the top of the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks. It is one of the best selling albums of all time.
Carole King | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Carol Klein |
Born | (1942-02-09) February 9, 1942 (age 82) |
Origin | New York City, United States |
Genres | Folk rock Pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Piano Vocals Guitar |
Years active | 1958–present |
Labels | Rockingale Ode/Epic/CBS Records Priority/EMI Records |
Website | CaroleKing.com |
King was born on Manhattan. She grew up in Brooklyn. She had her first No. 1 hit as a songwriter in 1961, with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."
In 2000, Joel Whitburn, who wrote for Billboard Magazine, named her the most successful female songwriter of 1955–99, because she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
King made 25 solo albums. The album that people liked best was Tapestry. Her most recent album is Live at the Troubadour, which she made with James Taylor. This album was #4 on the charts in its first week, and has sold over 400,000 copies.[3][4]
She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into (joined) the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her songwriting. In 2009, Carole King was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. Of all the albums made by women ever, Tapestry stayed on the charts for the longest time, and was the best-selling album for the longest time.[5]