Karen Anne Carpenter net worth is $10 Million. Also know about Karen Anne Carpenter bio, salary, height, age weight, relationship and more …

Karen Anne Carpenter Wiki Biography

Karen Anne Carpenter was born on the 2nd March 1950 in New Haven, Connecticut USA, and was a successful singer and drummer, best known for performing in the duo The Carpenters, co-formed alongside her brother, Richard Carpenter. Karen Carpenter was active in the entertainment industry from 1965 to 1983.

How much was the net worth of Karen Carpenter? It had been estimated by authoritative sources that the overall size of her wealth was as much as $10 million, as of data converted to the present day.

To begin with, the family moved to California in 1983, and Karen studied at Downey High School and enrolled in the school band. Once she tried playing the drums and immediately fell in love with the instrument. Meanwhile, Richard entered the Long Beach University in California, where he met Frank Pooler. The three formed the group The Trio in 1965, playing in clubs throughout Hollywood; they played “The Girl From Ipanema”, a composition of Richard Carpenter “Iced tea” and other songs.

In 1969, The Carpenters formed by brother and sister signed a contract with A & M Records, which was owned by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. Their first album was entitled “Offering” (1969), which was not very popular but reaching 54th position on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, Herb Alpert suggested that they record the song “(They Long to Be) Close to You” which reached the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. This was the first number one, and later they had many singles that topped the charts including “We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970), “For All We Know” (1971), “Rainy Days and Mondays” (1971), “Superstar” (1971) and others. Starting from 1970 until the death of Karen, 10 successful studio albums were released, and all of them received certifications for sales, as well as entering the music charts in USA and UK. The most popular albums were “Close to You” (1970), “Carpenters” (1971), “A Song for You” (1972) and “Now & Then” (1973), which certainly helped the rise of Karen’s net worth.

From 1973, Karen suffered from anorexia nervosa, an unknown disease in those times. However, in 1975, the readers of the magazine Playboy chose her as the best drummer of the year. Encouraged by her manager, Jerry Weintraub, Karen embarked on the project of a solo album in 1979, with Phil Ramone working as a producer of this album. (Meanwhile her brother Richard was admitted to a clinic to recover from his addiction to sleeping pills.) The recordings were made in late 1979 and early 1980. However, Karen’s first and only solo album “Karen Carpenter” (1996) was released posthumously.

Finally, in the personal life of a singer, she dated many celebrities including Alan Osmond, Steve Martin, Mark Harmon, Terry Ellis, Tony Danza and Mike Curb. In 1980, she married Thomas James Burris, but the two divorced in 1982 after an allegedly very turbulent relationship.

Karen died at age 32 on the 4th February 1983, in Downey, California because of a heart attack. There is evidence that her death was due to constant usage of ipecac syrup, a medicine used in hospitals to induce vomiting. It is known to act as a poison when used for long periods. Carpenter used this substance for the last months of her life, apparently causing irreversible damage to the heart muscle. This, coupled with malnutrition and general weakness, caused the total collapse of her body. Karen Carpenter is buried in the family mausoleum of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, County of Los Angeles, California.

IMDB Wikipedia “Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters” (1997) “Lovelines” (1989) “Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story” (2007) “A Song for You” (1 “A Song for You” (1972) “Carpenters” (1971) “Close to You” (1970) “Karen Carpenter” (1996) “Now & Then” (1973) “Now & Then” (1973)1983-02-04 “Offering” (1969) 1950 1950-03-02 1972 1983 972 Alan Osmond American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group (1974) California Connecticut Downey February 4 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (1971 Frank Pooler Grammy Award for Best New Artist Grammy Hall of Fame (2000) Karen Carpenter Karen Carpenter Net Worth March 2 Mark Harmon Mike Curb New Haven Phil Ramone producer Steve Martin Terry Ellis Thomas James Burris Thomas James Burris (m. 1980–1983) Tony Danza Under Review United States

Karen Anne Carpenter Quick Info

Karen Anne Carpenter Trademarks

1. Shoulder length brown hair.
2. Contralto singing vocals

Karen Anne Carpenter Quotes

• The image we have would be impossible for Mickey Mouse to maintain. We’re just… normal people.
• We came out right in the middle of the hard-rock period… it was hard-rock everywhere! But we were ready to make our music, you know? And it was such a turnaround, I guess it caught people by surprise.
• It’s kind of nice to be remembered by your peers and your fans, because you can achieve a lot of success and be a creep too! But we try to be nice, just normal people.
• I enjoy money. Not enough people in this world are happy. I’m determined to be contented, and having money from working makes it easier for me.
• People never think of entertainers as being human. When you walk out on stage the audience think, “Nothing can go wrong with them.” We get sick and we have headaches just like they do. When we are cut, we bleed.
• (on her 1975 collapse) I had been on a crash diet, and I carried on losing weight afterwards, even though I began eating like mad to counteract it. I’d become stricken with nervous tension which was burning away all my energy.
• (on her brother) If he listened to music, I listened to music. It was unconscious, but I idolized him so much and we were so close even though we were three years apart.
• [In 1976] Richard is 30, and I’m 26. But the letters we got when we said we weren’t virgins, read as though we had committed a crime. People must have been dumb to have believed that we were that good.
• We had to speak out and tell the truth about us as it is. It’s hell living like a pair of angels.
• We spent an awful lot of time trying to achieve perfection as close as we can come. It’s the foremost thing in both of our minds, at all times.

Karen Anne Carpenter Important Facts

• Was nicknamed ‘Freckle Face’ as well by her peers.
• She and her brother decided to record ‘Honolulu City Lights’ in 1978 after visiting Hawaii.
• Wanted to name her children Kristi and Richard, after her brother.
• On October 12, 1983, the Carpenters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Another one of her favorite songs was ‘Look to Your Dreams, which, although written in 1974 at the request of Karen, was not recorded until 1978, it was stored in the vaults of A&M because Richard believed it not to be commercially successful. In 1983, following the death of Karen, the song was finally completed and released on the “Voice of the Heart” album in October 1983.
• ‘Now’, which Carpenter recorded in April 1982 during a two week vacation from her stay in New York, was the last song she ever recorded.
• Was godmother to her best friend Frenda Franklin’s children Andrew and Ashley.
• Was planning to go to the nail salon with Frenda Franklin the day she died in celebration of her divorce, as she was suppose to sign the papers to make her divorce from Tom Burris official that day.
• Made her last public appearance on January 11, 1983 at a photo call of past Grammy winners to celebrate the Grammy’s 25th anniversary. She appeared tired and frail, but was vibrant and outgoing.
• When she was young, she enjoyed playing baseball with the other kids in the neighborhood.
• Lived at 2222 Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
• Playboy Magazine ranked Karen as the best rock drummer of 1975 during it’s annual poll.
• First started recording music with her brother in 1965 and 1966.
• Was a fan of the novel, ‘The Best Little Girl in the World’ (1978), as her copy of the novel had been worn out extensively.
• Expressed interest in starring in a movie or a musical.
• Was a local favorite in her neighborhood as a child.
• Was very skilled at playing baseball and pitching, earning the nickname ‘Butterball’ in grade school.
• The last show she ever watched was a recorded episode of Magnum, P.I. (1980) the night before she died.
• Was 19 years old when she was first signed to A & M Records.
• Said that she never ‘Smoked, did drugs, or drink,’ with the exception of occasional wine.
• Was a fan of Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, and Ella Fitzgerald.
• Was planning to become either a nurse or an artist for her profession.
• Her favorite T.V. shows included Dallas (1978), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), and I Love Lucy (1951).
• Was planning to dye her hair bronze when she died.
• Was born with dark blond hair.
• Was originally offered the songs ‘Rock with You’ and ‘Off the Wall’ but declined the offer to do these songs, declaring them ‘too funky.’ They were later given to Michael Jackson.
• Enrolled in tap dance and ballet classes at age 4.
• Karen Carpenter died on February 4, 1983, a month away from what would have been her 33rd birthday on March 2.
• Through her German ancestry, she and her brother are distantly related to Catholic reformer Martin Luther.
• She and her brother, Richard Carpenter, were both awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6931 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 12, 1983.
• Portrayed by Cynthia Gibb in The Karen Carpenter Story (1989).
• Biography in: “The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives”. Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 133-134. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1998.
• Arguably, her best performance is a song which was never even released. It was a song opted not to be used on her infamous aborted solo album. It is a song penned by Paul Jabara [“Last Dance”] and Jay Asher, and is called “Something’s Missing (In My Life)”. Many who have heard the work-lead feel it truly relates to Karen’s personal struggles and depth of her feelings. The song remains unmixed and without strings. The song some people regard as her best Carpenters song is a song which was her personal favorite called “I Need to Be in Love”.
• Ranked #3 on Entertainment Tonight (1981)’s top 25 stories in 25 years.
• She was managed by Jerry Weintraub from 1976 – 1983
• She was managed by Terry Ellis from 1975 – 1976
• She was managed by Sherwin Bash from 1970 – 1975
• The Carpenter Private Mausoleum in Westlake Village, California is a 46,000-pound, Partenope-style structure and was constructed in Texas over seven months. It is polished sunset red with beautiful warmth and color and lively crystal patterns. Similar structures have a price range of $600,000. Karen, Agnes, and Harold use up 3 out of 6 spaces in the mausoleum.
• She was a huge fan of Matt Monro and Spike Jones and His City Slickers.
• After the Carpenters became successful during the early 1970s, she and her brother bought two apartment buildings in Downey, California and called them “Close to You” and “Only Just Begun”. Today, the “Close to You Apartments” can still be located at – 8356 East 5th, Downey, California.
• The Carpenters’ famous Newville house, located at 9828 Newville Avenue, Downey, California, is pictured in their fifth album “Now & Then”. This was also the same house where Karen died.
• The Carpenters catalog leads all A&M Records artists for the most number of compilation albums created from original material. It is also the catalog most often reissued.
• In 1976, the Carpenters’ tour of Japan was the largest grossing in Japanese history.
• By 1977, the Carpenters received 11 gold records from Japan.
• On September 4, 1978, the Carpenters gave their last concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• By June 1981, the Carpenters had sold over 55 million albums.
• Her sister-in-law is Mary Carpenter, her cousin.
• Her cousin, Mark Rudolph, appears in The Carpenters’ album, “Now & Then”.
• The doorbell in her Century City condo chimed the first six notes of “We’ve Only Just Begun”.
• Died a married woman. She was planning to officially sign divorce papers on the day she died.
• Her family started the “Karen A. Carpenter Memorial Foundation”, which raised money for research on anorexia nervosa and eating disorders. Today, the title has been changed to “Carpenter Family Foundation”… in addition to eating disorders, the foundation now funds the arts, entertainment and education.
• Her childhood home was 55 Hall Street (in New Haven, Connecticut). She attended school at Nathan Hale Elementary School in Connecticut.
• The Carpenters are still A&M Records’ biggest and bestselling artists.
• She befriended Cherry Boone while getting treated for Anorexia. Boone herself was a recovered anorectic.
• In 1970, “(They Long to Be) Close to You” became the Carpenters’ first certified Gold single.
• In 1975, “Please Mr. Postman” became the Carpenters’ 10th and last certified Gold single.
• The Carpenters’ second bestselling album is “Carpenters (the tan album)” – it has sold four million units since its release in 1971.
• In 1998, the RIAA certified that “The Singles 1969 – 1973” had sold 7 million units since its release in 1973. This makes “The Singles 1969 – 1973” the Carpenters’ bestselling album ever (as of 2005).
• When she was 17, she went on the “Stillman Diet” with a doctor’s guidance, and lost between 20 and 25 pounds
• She was portrayed by a Barbie Doll in Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1988)
• Had her own personalized driver’s license plate which was: KAC3.
• The rock band, Sonic Youth, wrote a song about Karen, called “Tunic (Song for Karen)”. They also contributed to a 1994 tribute album for The Carpenters.
• Sang “Because We Are In Love” at her 1980 wedding. The song was written by her brother Richard Carpenter and friend John Bettis.
• Her ex-husband Tom Burris was a real-estate developer. At the time they met, Tom was a 39-year-old divorce with an 18-year-old son. Karen was 30 years old.
• After her recovery, she planned to go public about her battle with anorexia.
• Has four nieces and one nephew: Richard Carpenter’s five children.
• During her solo endeavor, many of the demos Karen recorded were scrapped and decided not to be used for the album. Despite the rumor that only 11 tracks were completed and/or used, one more is indeed finished. It is a mellowed-out and heartfelt cover of Evie Sands’s 1975 #50 Pop charter, “I Love Makin’ Love to You”. When A&M Records folded in 2000, it and 6 of out of the 8 demos began surfacing on the Internet. Fans who have heard Karen’s version of “Makin’ Love…” feel it is probably the best song to come out of her solo sessions. Sadly, it is unlikely it will ever official see the light of day, for many believe A&M discarded of the material when it closed its doors. Another song almost completed (even with backing vocals, but lacking orchestration) is a cover of Vicki Sue Robinson’s “Don’t Try to Win Me Back Again”.
• Her cover version of “(They Long to Be) Close to You” was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield in 1964, shortly before Dionne Warwick recorded it that same year. Dusty’s was scheduled for release as a single, and potential follow-up to her No. 3 hit “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself”. However, it was not until three years later, in 1967, that it finally was released on her album “Where Am I Going?”, with the beginning intro cut from its release.
• Went to Bora Bora for her honeymoon.
• Had to have surgery on her ear, during the late 1970s, for impaired hearing.
• Won three Grammy Awards.
• Loved to play softball/baseball and played the drums.
• Won the 1966 “Battle of the Bands” contest at the Hollywood Bowl.
• Her favorite Carpenters song was “I Need to Be In Love”.
• Songwriter Peter Cetera wrote “Making Love in the Afternoon” for her.
• Was close to her brother Richard Carpenter.
• Attended and graduated from California State University, Long Beach.
• Performed and sang for Richard Nixon at the White House in 1972.
• Parents are Harold Carpenter and Agnes Carpenter.
• Her funeral took place on February 8, 1983 at the United Methodist Church in Downey, California.
• Ranked #30 on “E!’s 101 Most Shocking Moments In Entertainment History”.
• Songwriter Paul Williams wrote “Rainy Days and Mondays” for her.
• Collected Disney memorabilia.
• In 1976, she bought a Century City condominium. she gutted two separate apartments and turned it into one. The address was 2222 Avenue of the Stars. As a housewarming-gift, her mother Agnes Carpenter gave her a collection of leather-bound classic works of literature.
• The Carpenters franchise is very big and popular in Japan.
• The song “Now”, recorded in April 1982, was the last song she ever recorded.
• She did not like the song “Superstar” until after hearing her brother’s arrangement for it; she then considered it one of her favorites that the Carpenters had done.
• As of April 2004, her brother Richard Carpenter has made four new Carpenters albums since her death. This is possible by using songs that were left off previous albums and making new albums out of them. He also uses songs that Karen recorded and then later arranges music to accompany them.
• Dedicated her solo album to her brother Richard Carpenter.
• Attended and graduated from Downey High School in Downey, California.
• While being treated for anorexia, she embroidered a sign above her hospital bed that read “You win, I gain!”.
• Among her friends were Petula Clark, Olivia Newton-John and Dionne Warwick.
• “A Star on Earth – A Star in Heaven” is written in her mausoleum.
• Started out singing in two unsuccessful singing bands called “The Dick Carpenter Trio” and “Spectrum”.
• Sang “Bless the Beasts and the Children” with her brother Richard Carpenter at The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972).
• Ranked #29 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll
• On Thursday, December 11, 2003 she, Agnes and Harold were exhumed from Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California and were moved to Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California. Agnes, Karen and Harold remained in their original caskets. At 12:30pm PST, they were all re-interred and entombed in a private family mausoleum in the Tranquility Gardens section of the cemetery.
• Was married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the Crystal Room.
• At age 30, she made a solo album with producer Phil Ramone in 1980, titled “Karen Carpenter”. However, it was shelved by A&M executive Herb Alpert. 16 years later in 1996, it was finally released.
• In her mid 20s, she was still living with her parents.

Karen Anne Carpenter Filmography