The Carpenters
Soundtrack

The Carpenters Net Worth

The Carpenters was born, is Soundtrack, Actor. The Carpenters were brother and sister Richard Carpenter and Karen Carpenter. Both grew up in Downey, California and were very musical at an early age. Richard Carpenter started his own instrumental band with his sister Karen called "The Richard Carpenter Trio." Richard played the piano and organized the music, and Karen played the drums. The Richard Carpenter Trio won a 1966 "Battle of the Bands" contest. Richard helped Karen develop her singing voice and started to make demo tapes with her after the Richard Carpenter Trio split up. One of those demo tapes was sent to Herb Alpert at A&M Records and he immediately signed on Richard and Karen as "Carpenters," after he liked what he heard.In 1969 the Carpenters made their first album called "Offerings." It was a flop, and so was their first single "Ticket To Ride," which was a ballad version of the Beatles song. In 1970 the Carpenters made their second album called "Close To You." The album was a hit, and the two singles "Close To You" and "We've Only Just Begun" made the Carpenters superstars. This earned them 2 Grammy Awards and made them millionaires. The Carpenters were ridiculed, because they didn't fit into the rock-and-roll, drug scene during the early 70s. They were considered "goody two shoes" and "square" by most, but their music was very much loved by people of all ages.During the Carpenters performance for President Richard Nixon at the White House in 1973, President Nixon called them "Young America At Its Best," a title that made them stand out even more during the 70s. But nevertheless, the Carpenters continued to make hits songs and albums. In 1971 their third album, simply called "Carpenters" was successful with songs like, "Rainy Days and Mondays" "For All We Know" and "Superstar." In 1972 the Carpenters had another hit record with their fourth album called "A Song For You," which had hit songs like "Top Of The World" and "Goodbye To Love" and "Hurting Each Other." The Carpenters had another hit album in 1973 with their fifth album called "Now & Then." The song "Yesterday Once More" became the Carpenters signature song and it is their most recognized song around the world. It was also their most successful song.The Carpenters popularity climaxed and they started to tour around the world, extensively. They had numerous television guest appearances on talk shows, and they were starting to make their own musical variety shows for ABC. It was also at this time, that Karen Carpenter started to become more sensitive about her weight. Music critics called her fat, and this upset her. She started to diet lightly, by only eating green salads and drinking iced tea. Then she didn't eat at all, and started to abuse laxatives. Karen became thinner and thinner. Around 1975 she collapsed on stage during one of the tours, and was bedridden for 6 weeks. Her weight had lowered to 77 pounds. In 1975 the Carpenters had made their sixth album called "Horizon." The album wasn't as successful as the previous 4 had been, but it did moderately well. In 1976 the Carpenters started to have more success on television, when they started making their own variety shows. These shows were very successful for ABC and the Carpenters, and their popularity was still growing. In 1976 the Carpenters made their seventh album called "A Kind of Hush." This album only did moderately well also, and their record sales were getting lower.In 1977 they made their eighth album called "Christmas Portrait," and this album did very well. The Carpenters were still doing the TV shows and Variety Specials. By this time they were touring excessively and it was wearing Karen and Richard out. Karen had become even thinner, and people were starting to notice. Sometimes when she would walk out on stage the audience would gasp when they saw her, because of her excessively thin looks. Around 1979, Richard Carpenter checked into a chemical dependency unit in Oklahoma, to help himself get off of sleeping pills. Since Richard was in the hospital the Carpenters music and TV shows were on hiatus. Karen was becoming weary and restless, and wanted to make music. So she decided to make a solo album. She wanted Richard's blessing, but he said no at first. Later Richard told Karen it was okay, but asked her not to make a disco music. So Karen flew from Los Angeles to New York to make her solo album with famous music producer Phil Ramone.Phil and Karen didn't want to make more of the Carpenters trademark music, so they both decided to do more adult and edgier music. Karen sang more sexually themed songs like "Making Love on a Saturday afternoon" and "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind" and "Make Believe It's Your First Time." Karen and Phil both loved the album, and during the end of 1979, when Richard was cured and Karen's solo album was finished, everyone met at A&M Studios to listen to Karen's solo album. On their first listen, everyone but Karen and Phil hated the album. Richard Carpenter and Herb Alpert hated it so much, that they decided to shelve the album. Phil Ramone and Karen were hurt. During 1980 Karen started to date Thomas Burris. A wealthy real-estate businessman. Karen was looking for two things in a man she would marry. That we was rich, so that he wouldn't financially depend on her, and that he would be important, so that he wouldn't be intimidated by her superstar. Karen found those things in Tom Burris and married him in 1980 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. A newly and happily married Karen was wanting to make more music again. So she and Richard went back to the studio and made their last album together, "Made In America." The album did better then expected.Karen and Tom's marriage was falling apart, and after a long fight at the Carpenter's house, Tom came down the stairs and told Richard "You Can Have Her!". Karen was preparing divorce papers at the time of her death but they were never signed or filed. During the early 80s, Karen's long battle with anorexia nervosa, was getting worse. Karen still picked at her food, and rarely ate. So she and Richard agreed to send her off to New York again. Karen met with a psychotherapist everyday, but she didn't really make progress. She went into hospital and was fed intravenously and went from 80 lbs, to 100 lbs.She had obviously gained too much weight. She checked out of the hospital, and went back to Los Angeles, but was still weight-obsessed and the disorder returned to her again. On February 4, 1983 Karen died of a heart attack from her long battle with anorexia nervosa. The autopsy had also shown that she had died from overdosing on ipecac, a drug used to make her vomit, and when taken in large quantities, it becomes fatal.After her death, during 1983, Richard made a tenth Carpenters album called "Voice of the Heart." He used old Karen recordings and some music from her shelved solo album for "Voice of the Heart." The album wasn't a failure but it wasn't a hit either. In 1984, Richard got married and produced the eleventh Carpenters album called "An Old Fashioned Christmas." In 1985 Richard helped produce "Yesterday Once More," a Carpenters compilation album that was the first of many compilation albums to be produced. The songs on "Yesterday Once More" were all remixed for better and cleaner sounding songs. In 1987, Richard made his first solo album called "Time." Richard sang and had guest singers like Dionne Warwick contribute to the album. The album turned out to be a flop.In 1989, he made a twelfth Carpenters album called "Lovelines." More songs from Karen's shelved solo album were used here, and later that year, Richard help to direct and produce "The Karen Carpenter Story" TV movie, which was a success.During the early 90s Richard started a family that has grown to 5 or 6 children. In 1996 his mother Agnes died and Richard wrote brief liner notes to accompany Karen Carpenter's finally released solo album, and in 1997 Richard made his second solo album called "Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor." It was an instrumental album that flopped again. During the late 90s Richard helped produced more Carpenters compilation albums and box sets, and started touring by himself around the USA and Japan. He also does concerts with artists such as Petula Clark. In 2001 Richard produced the thirteenth Carpenters album called "As Time Goes By.", a combination of unreleased Carpenters songs and outtakes of songs. In 2003 Richard Carpenter participated in a charity event called "Top Of the World" and in December 2003, he wrote the liner notes to a new Carpenters compilation CD released by A&M Records, called "Gold: 35th Anniversary Edition." In 2004 he released "As Time Goes By" to the USA for the first time and in March 2004, he participated in "Top of the World II" charity event.
The Carpenters is a member of Soundtrack

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Soundtrack, Actor
Origin Downey, California, United States
Genres Pop soft rock
Years active 1969–1983
Labels A&M
Associated acts The Richard Carpenter Trio
Website richardandkarencarpenter.com
Past members Karen Carpenter Richard Carpenter

💰 Net worth

The Carpenters, a renowned American musical duo consisting of Karen and Richard Carpenter, achieved immense success throughout their career. Known for their smooth, melodic sound and heartfelt songs, the Carpenters' net worth is estimated to range from $100,000 to $1 million in 2024. Rising to prominence in the 1970s, they produced numerous chart-topping hits and Grammy-winning albums, showcasing their exceptional talent as both singers and songwriters. In addition to their successful music career, the Carpenters also dabbled in acting, with appearances in television shows and films. Their timeless sound and artistic contributions have undeniably left a lasting legacy in the realm of music and entertainment.

Famous Quotes:

I got upset when this whole "squeaky clean" thing was tagged on to us. I never thought about standing for anything! They [the critics] took "Close to You" and said: "Aha, you see that number one? THAT's for the people who believe in apple pie! THAT's for people who believe in the American flag! THAT's for the average middle-American person and his station wagon! The Carpenters stand for that, and I'm taking them to my bosom!" And boom, we got tagged with that label.

Biography/Timeline

1908

The Carpenter siblings were both born at Grace–New Haven Hospital (now called Yale–New Haven Hospital) in New Haven, Connecticut, to Harold Bertram (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988) and Agnes Reuwer (née Tatum, March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996). Harold was born in Wuzhou, China, moving to Britain in 1917, and the US in 1921, while Agnes was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. They married on April 9, 1935; their first child, Richard Lynn, was born on October 15, 1946, while Karen Anne followed on March 2, 1950. Richard was a quiet child who spent most of his time at home listening to Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Red Nichols and Spike Jones, and playing the piano. Karen was friendly and outgoing; she liked to play Sports, including softball with the neighborhood kids, but still spent a lot of time listening to music. She enjoyed dancing and began ballet and tap classes aged four. Karen and Richard were close, and shared a Common interest in music. In particular, they became fans of Les Paul and Mary Ford, whose music featured multiple overdubbed voices and instruments. Richard began piano lessons aged eight, but quickly grew frustrated with the formal direction of the lessons and quit after a year. He had begun to teach himself how to play by ear by 11, and resumed studying with a different Teacher. He took a greater interest in playing this time, and would frequently practice at home. By age 14, he was interested in performing professionally, and started lessons at Yale School of Music.

1963

In June 1963, the Carpenter family moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Downey. hoping that it would mean better musical opportunities for Richard. He was asked to be the organist for weddings and services at the local Methodist church; instead of playing traditional hymns, he would sometimes rearrange contemporary Beatles songs in a "church" style. In fall 1964, Richard enrolled at California State College at Long Beach where he met Future songwriting partner John Bettis, Wesley Jacobs, a friend who played the bass and tuba for the Richard Carpenter Trio, and Frank Pooler, with whom Richard would collaborate to create the Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1966.

1964

That same fall, Karen enrolled at Downey High School, where she found she had a knack for playing the drums. She had initially tried playing the glockenspiel, but had been inspired by her friend Frankie Chavez, who had been drumming since he was three. She became enthusiastic about the drums, and began to learn complex pieces, such as Dave Brubeck's "Take Five". Chavez persuaded her parents to buy a Ludwig drum kit in late 1964, and she began lessons with local jazz players, including how to read concert music. She quickly replaced the entry-level kit with a large Ludwig set that was a similar set-up to Brubeck's Drummer, Joe Morello. Richard and Karen gave their first public performance together in 1965, as part of the pit band for a local production of Guys and Dolls.

1965

By 1965, Karen had been practicing the drums for a year, and Richard was refining his piano techniques under Pooler's tuition. Late that year, Richard teamed up with Jacobs, who played tuba and stand-up bass. With Karen drumming, the three formed the jazz-oriented Richard Carpenter Trio. Richard led the band and wrote all the arrangements, and they began to rehearse daily. He bought a tape recorder, and began to make recordings of the group. Originally, neither Karen nor Richard sang; Richard's friend Dan Friberg occasionally filled in on trumpet, along with guest vocalist Margaret Shanor.

1966

In mid-1966, the Richard Carpenter Trio entered the Hollywood Bowl annual Battle of the Bands competition. They played an instrumental version of "The Girl from Ipanema" and their own piece, "Iced Tea". They won the competition on June 24 and were signed up by RCA Records. They recorded songs such as the Beatles' "Every Little Thing" and Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night". A committee reviewed their recordings and chose not to produce them, so the trio were released from RCA.

1967

In 1967, Jacobs left to study classical music and join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Richard Carpenter Trio disbanded. Richard and Bettis then were hired as Musicians at a refreshment shop at Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.. They were expected to play turn of the 20th century songs in keeping with the shop's theme. The shop's patrons had other ideas; many requested the Musicians to play current popular music. When the pair tried pleasing their customers and honoring the requests, they were fired by a Disneyland supervisor named Mr. Guder for being "too radical". Bettis and Richard were unhappy about their dismissal and wrote the song "Mr. Guder" about their former superior.

1968

By 1968, Spectrum had disbanded, finding it difficult to get gigs as their music was not considered "danceable" by rock and roll standards. Having enjoyed their multi-layer sound experiments at Osborn's studio, Richard and Karen decided to formally become a duo, calling themselves Carpenters. Later in the year, the duo received an offer to be on the television program Your All American College Show. Their performance on the program, playing a cover of "Dancing in the Street", was their first television appearance, with new Bassist Bill Sissoyev. The program had a weekly winner with all weekly winners competing in semi-finals and finals at the end of 12 weeks. The finals featuring "The Dick Carpenter Trio" aired on August 31, 1968. Karen also auditioned as a vocalist in Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, but was unsuccessful. By this time, Sulzer had become the group's manager, while the duo continued to record demos with Osborn, one of which was sent to A&M Records via a friend of Sulzer's. At the same time, the duo were asked to audition for a Ford Motor Company advertising campaign, which included $50,000 each and a brand new Ford automobile. The group accepted the offer, but quickly withdrew it after receiving a formal offer from A&M. Label owner Herb Alpert was intrigued by Karen's voice, later saying "It touched me ... I felt like it was time". On meeting the duo, Alpert said "Let's hope we can have some hits!"

1969

Despite the poor showing of Offering, A&M retained the Carpenters and decided they should record a hit single instead. In December 1969, they met Burt Bacharach, who was impressed by their work and invited the duo to open for him at a charity concert, which should include them performing a medley of Bacharach / Hal David songs. Herb Alpert asked Richard to re-work a Bacharach/David song "(They Long to Be) Close to You", which had first been recorded in 1963 by Richard Chamberlain, and Dionne Warwick the following year. Richard Carpenter decided the song would work as a standalone piece, and wrote an arrangement from scratch without being influenced by any earlier recordings. The duo struggled on an early recording attempt, and for the second session, Alpert suggested that seasoned session player Hal Blaine play drums instead of Karen. Larry Knechtel was tried out as a session Pianist, but was replaced by Richard for the final take. The Carpenters' version was released as a single in March 1970. It entered the charts at No. 56, the highest debut of the week ending June 20. It reached No. 1 on July 25 and stayed there for the next four weeks.

1970

The Carpenters' popularity confounded critics. With their output focused on ballads and mid-tempo pop, the duo's music was often dismissed as being bland and saccharine. The recording industry, however, bestowed awards on the duo, who won three Grammy Awards during their career (Best New Artist, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus, for "(They Long to Be) Close to You" in 1970; and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for Carpenters in 1971). In 1974, the Carpenters were voted Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo, or Group at the first annual American Music Awards.

1971

In 1971, the A&M graphics department hired Craig Braun and Associates to design the album cover for their third album. "I recognized it to be a great logo as soon as I saw it", says Richard. The logo was used on every Carpenters album thereafter; Richard said it was done "to keep things consistent". The logo did not appear on the front cover of Passage but a small version appeared on the back cover.

1972

"Goodbye to Love" was featured on the Carpenter's fourth album, A Song for You released on June 13, 1972. The title track, a cover of a song on Leon Russell's debut album, was considered as a single, but rejected owing to its length. The album also included a Carole King song, "It's Going To Take Some Time" and another Nichols / Williams original, "I Won't Last A Day Without You". Another Carpenter / Bettis composition, "Top of the World", was originally intended as just an album cut, but after Lynn Anderson scored a hit with the song in early 1973, the Carpenters opted to record their own single version. It was released in September and became the Carpenters' second Billboard No. 1 hit, in December.

1973

During this period, the pair released just one single, "I Won't Last a Day Without You" from A Song for You. The Carpenters finally decided to release their original two years after its original album release and some months after Maureen McGovern's 1973 cover. In March 1974, the single version became the fifth and final selection from the album to chart in the Top 20, reaching No. 11 on the Hot 100 in May.

1974

Despite numerous concert appearances, the Carpenters have never released a live album in the US. Two such albums, Live in Japan (1974) and Live at the Palladium (1976) have been released in Japan and reissued on CD there. Richard has said he is not particularly interested in live albums.

1975

Richard Carpenter was the creative force behind the Carpenters' sound. An accomplished keyboard player, Composer and arranger, music critic Daniel Levitin called him "one of the most gifted arrangers to emerge in popular music." The duo's smooth harmonies were not in step with contemporary music, which was dominated by heavy rock. Instead, the Carpenters strove for a rich and melodic sound, along the same vein as the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas, but with greater fullness and orchestration including frequent use of small string and horn sections and introspective lyrics centred around relationships. Richard also admired the musicianship and arranging skills of Frank Zappa, and the two briefly met backstage at the Billboard Forum in 1975. He has credited Judd Conlon as a key influence on his vocal arranging.

1976

As the group's popularity increased, demand for Karen's vocals at the expense of her drumming overshadowed her abilities and gradually, she played the drums less; for A Kind of Hush, she played no drums at the sessions at all, although she continued to sporadically drum in concert. From spring 1976 onward, the tours would include a drum medley for Karen to play, and a piano solo number was included for Richard. Karen made a final return to studio drumming for the track "When It's Gone (It's Just Gone)" on Made in America, albeit in tandem with Nashville session Drummer Larrie Londin, and she also provided percussion in tandem with Paulinho da Costa on "Those Good Old Dreams". Karen used Ludwig Drums, Zildjian cymbals, a Rogers foot pedal and hi-hat stand, 11A drumsticks and Remo drumheads.

1978

By 1978, Richard had become addicted to Quaaludes, which he had been taking on prescription in increasing doses since the 1971 tours. On September 4, during an engagement at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he decided to quit touring, and the concerts there were curtailed. On December 3, the Carpenters were scheduled to play at the Pacific Terrace Theatre, Long Beach Convention Center, which turned out to be the last live concert that Karen and Richard played together. Richard refused to fly to the UK for an appearance on ITV's Bruce Forsyth's Big Night, realizing he had a serious Problem, so Karen performed without him and denied rumors that the duo were to split.

1979

Richard began treatment for his addiction at a facility in Topeka, Kansas, for six weeks in January 1979. He decided to take the rest of the year off to relax and rehabilitate. Richard was now sure that Karen was battling with anorexia nervosa, but she denied it, saying she simply had colitis. Karen did not want to take a break from singing nor seek professional medical help for her own condition, so she decided to pursue a solo album project with Producer Phil Ramone in New York. The choice of Ramone and more adult-oriented and disco / dance-tempo material represented an effort to retool her image. Heatwave keyboardist and Songwriter Rod Temperton (and Future Michael Jackson collaborator) was asked by Ramone to help with songwriting and arranging, and Billy Joel's backup band were used for the album. She decided not to record Temperton's "Off the Wall" and "Rock with You", which later became hits for Jackson. The album was finished by early 1980, but drew a negative reception from A&M. Her mother, Agnes did not like Karen working without Richard, while Richard felt that Karen was not well enough to have worked on the album. The total cost of recording was $500,000 of which $400,000 came from the Carpenters' own funds. The album was not released and although the press announced it was canceled at Karen's request, its rejection devastated her, who felt she had just wasted months of work. It was finally issued in 1996, 13 years after Karen's death.

1980

Following the cancellation of her solo album and her marriage to Tom Burris on August 31, 1980, Karen decided to record a new album with Richard, who had now recovered from his addiction and was ready to continue their career. The Carpenters produced their final television special in 1980, called Music, Music, Music!, with guest stars Ella Fitzgerald and John Davidson. Karen's outfit for the show was designed by Bill Belew, who was nominated for an Emmy Award for best costume designer. He had also designed her wedding dress.

1981

On June 16, 1981, the Carpenters released what would become their final LP as a duo, Made in America. The album sold around 200,000 copies and spawned the hit, "Touch Me When We're Dancing", which reached No. 16 on the Hot 100. It also became their fifteenth and final number one Adult Contemporary hit. The album also produced three other singles, including "(Want You) Back in My Life Again", "Those Good Old Dreams", and a remake of the Motown hit "Beechwood 4-5789". The singles fared well on the adult contemporary charts. "Beechwood 4-5789", the last single by the Carpenters to be released in Karen's lifetime, on her 32nd birthday. The album concluded with "Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)", referring to Karen's marriage. Promotion for the album included a whistle-stop tour of America, Brazil and Europe, including an appearance on America's Top Ten. At all of these events, the band mimed to the studio recordings.

1983

Following Karen's death, Richard has continued to produce recordings of the duo's music, including several albums of previously unreleased material and numerous compilations. The posthumous Voice of the Heart was released in late 1983 and included some tracks left off Made in America and earlier albums. It peaked at No. 46 and was certified gold. Two singles were released, "Make Believe It's Your First Time", a second version of a song Karen had recorded for her solo album, and "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore".

1984

Richard married his (adopted) first cousin, Mary Rudolph, on May 19, 1984. Together, they have four daughters and one son, and live in Thousand Oaks, California, where the couple are supporters of the arts. In 2004, Richard and his wife pledged a $3 million gift to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation in memory of Karen. Richard has actively supported the Carpenter Performing Arts Center at his alma mater, Long Beach State. He continues to make concert appearances, including fund raising efforts for the Carpenter Center.

1985

Shortly after Karen's death, a film archivist discovered some rare footage of an early Carpenters' television appearance. The archivist contacted Richard Carpenter and the two began viewing more footage which he had found. When the British division of A&M Records learned of the discoveries, they suggested the footage be turned into a video for home viewing. The finished piece, entitled "Yesterday Once More" is 55 minutes long and combines vintage and recent film clips. A&M Video and Richard intended "to create a video that played like an album"; all music was remixed from the masters and each selection was put into correct synchronization. The video was released in the spring of 1985.

1988

Japanese singer Akiko Kobayashi has been influenced by Karen Carpenter, and she asked Richard to produce her 1988 album, City of Angels. In 1990, the alternative rock band Sonic Youth recorded "Tunic (Song for Karen)" in recognition of her musical talents. A tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter, by contemporary artists such as Sonic Youth, Bettie Serveert, Shonen Knife, Grant Lee Buffalo, Matthew Sweet, and The Cranberries, was released in 1994 and provided an alternative rock interpretation of Carpenters hits. Richard Carpenter played keyboards for the Matthew Sweet cut "Let Me Be the One". Modern entertainers such as Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain have listed Karen Carpenter as an influence on their careers.

1989

For the second Christmas season following Karen's death, Richard constructed a new Carpenters' Christmas album entitled An Old-Fashioned Christmas, using outtakes from Christmas Portrait and recording new material around it. Richard released his first solo album, Time, in 1987, sharing vocals between himself, Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield. The track "When Time Was All He Had" was a tribute to Karen. The same year, Todd Haynes released the short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, which featured Barbie dolls playing the main cast. Richard objected to music being used in the film without his consent, and served an injunction in 1990 that prevented it from being shown. On January 1, 1989, the television special The Karen Carpenter Story premiered on CBS, topping the ratings for that week. It included the previously unreleased "You're the One" and "Where Do I Go from Here" in its Soundtrack, which were released on the album Lovelines later that year.

1990

A critical re-evaluation of the Carpenters occurred during the 1990s and 2000s with the making of several documentaries such as Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters (US), The Sayonara (Japan), and Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (UK). Despite contentions that their sound was "too soft" to fall under the definition of rock and roll, major campaigns and petitions exist toward inducting the Carpenters into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2003

"Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun" became RIAA certified gold singles and were featured on the best-selling album Close to You, which placed No. 175 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2003. The album also included "Mr. Guder", the song inspired by Disneyland supervisor Victor Guder, who had dismissed the young songwriters for playing popular music when they worked at the park.

2007

In 2007 and 2009, the current owners of the former Carpenter family home on Newville Avenue, Downey, obtained city permits to tear down the existing buildings to make room for newer and larger structures, despite protests from fans. In February 2008, the campaign was covered in the Los Angeles Times. At that time an adjacent house that had once served as the band's headquarters and recording studio had already been demolished and the main house was on the verge of being demolished too. The original house was featured on the cover of Now & Then and was where Karen had died. In the words of one fan, "this was our version of Graceland."

2013

After "Goodbye to Love" had been released, attitudes towards the duo changed slightly. Ken Barnes, writing in Phonograph said "It's certainly less than revolutionary to admit you like the Carpenters these days – in 'rock' circles, if you recall, it formerly bordered on heresy. Everybody must be won over by now." Since then, the group's "saccharine" image has softened and Musicians have cited the Carpenters as a key influence. In 1995, Rolling Stone's Sue Cummings wrote that the 1990s acceptance of the duo's work was "a renewed ironic appreciation", adding that listeners "had loved the veneer, then hated it, then found it even more compelling, on a second look, for the complexity in the places where the darkness cracked through".

Some The Carpenters images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.