Who is Karen Carpenter

Carpenter lived with her parents until she was in her mid-20s. After the Carpenters became successful in the early 1970s, she and her brother bought two apartment buildings in Downey. Called "Close To You" and "Only Just Begun," the "Close To You" apartment can still be found at 8356 East 5th, Downey, CA.

In 1976, Carpenter bought two Century City apartments, gutted them, and turned them into one condominium. Located at 2222 Avenue of the Stars, the doorbell chimed the first six notes of "We've Only Just Begun". As a housewarming gift, her mother gave her a collection of leather-bound classic works of literature. Carpenter collected Disney memorabilia, loved to play softball and baseball, and listed Petula Clark, Olivia Newton-John, and Dionne Warwick among her friends.

Carpenter's busy schedule reduced her involvement in serious long-term relationship. She dated Mike Curb, Tony Danza, Steve Martin, and Alan Osmond. Carpenter went out with songwriter Tom Bahler, and broke up with him after she found out he had fathered a child with a married woman; this breakup inspired Bahler to write the Michael Jackson song She's Out of My Life.

After a whirlwind romance, Carpenter married real estate developer Thomas James Burris on August 31, 1980. When they met, Burris was 39 years old and divorced, and Carpenter was 30. The couple were married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the Crystal Room. A new song performed by Carpenter at the ceremony, "Because We Are In Love," was released in 1981. The couple went to Bora Bora for their honeymoon. Carpenter called her family from the island and described it as "Boring Boring." read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Richard Nixon (edited out of the photo) meeting with Karen and Richard Carpenter on August 1, 1972.

Carpenters Anthology

Yesterday Once More: Memories of the Carpenters and Their Music

The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters

The Carpenters: The Untold Story : An Authorized Biography

Carpenters: Songs From the Television Series

Carpenters - Christmas Portrait

Karen Carpenter (They Died Too Young)

When Karen Carpenter began performing on television, I was really young and liked her immediately. I believe Karen's voice was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard, and her personality was sweet, fun and bubbly. I loved watching Karen and her brother, Richard, on television; and I tried my best to sing along to all of their songs. I think I would walk across hot coals to have a voice like Karen's! I hope you enjoy this lens about Karen Carpenter and stop by often to watch videos and see my latest updates.

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