Carole King Artistfacts

Feb. 9, 1942
Her birth name is Carol Klein. She started playing piano when she was 4 years old and showed an early talent for songwriting. Her first hit as a songwriter was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles, which hit #1 in January 1961 when King was just 18.
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. >>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
King met her first husband, Gerry Goffin, at Queens College in New York. She and Goffin became songwriting partners, writing in New York City 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 even wrote a hit sung by their babysitter: "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva. King and Goffin divorced in 1967.
Carole King was one of the first to perform a big free concert in Central Park, playing there on May 26, 1973 to a crowd estimated at 70,000, with a few celebrities in attendance (Jack Nicolson, Faye Dunaway, Joni Mitchell). It was a good vibe: The Parks Department handed out garbage bags and the crowd cleaned up after themselves as they left.
Along with guitarist Danny Kortchmar and bassist Charles Larkey, she was in a band called The City, which released an album in 1968 but broke up soon after. Kortchmar and Larkey both played on King's Tapestry album, and King married Larkey in 1970 (they split in 1976).
King and Gerry Goffin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 in the "non-performer" category, and in 2021 King got in as an artist. She was inducted by Taylor Swift, who sang "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," to open the ceremony.
King had stage fright, which is one reason her band The City never toured. Her good friend James Taylor encouraged her to step on stage and try a solo career.
King wrote for the children's television program Really Rosie in 1975. Around that time she also started writing with Goffin again.
She released her first solo album, Writer, in 1970, but it was her next one, Tapestry in 1971, that put her on the map as an artist. Along with "It's Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move," it includes her original version of "You've Got a Friend," which later became a #1 hit for James Taylor.
King acted on Broadway for the first time in 1994, taking over for Petula Clark in Bloodbrothers.
She was inducted 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. >>
Suggestion credit:
Brea - Philadelphia, PA

Comments: 7

Arlene Christine from New JerseyCarole King wrote for Aldon Music which was NOT in the the Brill Building but located at 1650 Broadway. The Brill Building is at 1619 Broadway. Probably one of Aldon Music's publicity people though it sounded better for them to be associated with the iconic Brill Building.
Idk from Masshchusitsshe has been married 4 times
Dana from Woodbury, Mn, MnShe'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.
Dan from Greenwood, ScAn 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.
Tom from Pilot Grove, MoCarole's "It's too late" Is the best ever.
Tom Aydelott
Pilot Grove, Mo.
Jeanette from Irvine, Cajames taylor and carole king are awesome.
Christine from Chicago, IlJames Taylor wrote the liner notes for Tapestry and played guitar on a few cuts too.

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