Born 80 Years Ago in Connecticut, the Songwriter and Producer Who Was Half of One of the Biggest Sibling Pop Duos of the 70s

On this day (October 15) in 1946, Richard Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He and his sister Karen formed the Carpenters in the late 1960s and quickly rose to fame with a string of hit singles. He was more than just another voice in the group, though. Carpenter played multiple instruments, wrote and arranged songs, and produced many of their sessions.

Carpenter showed his passion for music early in life. By the time he was eight, he was learning to play the accordion but soon switched to piano. At 15, Carpenter was studying music at Yale and performing regularly with a trio. In 1963, the family relocated from Connecticut to Downey, California, near Los Angeles.

According to an online biography, Carpenter joined the Downey High School concert band as a pianist. The band director was so impressed that he invited Carpenter to join his band, which played in the area. Around this time, Karen Carpenter began showing interest in music and began playing drums.

They formed the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965. Richard played piano, Karen was on drums, and Wes Jacobs played tuba and bass. They were largely an instrumental group, but when a song called for vocals, they looked to Karen. After a year of playing together, they won the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands. Over the next few years, the Carpenter siblings would play in multiple bands, including Spectrum and Summerchimes. However, neither caught on despite regularly playing clubs in the Los Angeles area.

Richard and Karen Carpenter Sign a Record Deal

After a false start with RCA Records, Richard and Karen Carpenter signed with A&M Records in 1969. When their first album, Offering, wasn’t a hit, the label largely lost faith in them. Then, producer Herb Alpert urged them to record “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Richard’s arrangement and Karen’s voice came together perfectly, and the song skyrocketed to No. 1 in 1970.

[RELATED: 4 Songs by The Carpenters That Still Sound Magical Today]

The four-week No. 1 was just the beginning for the Carpenters. They dominated the pop charts throughout the early 1970s. Most of their singles landed comfortably within the top 10 in the first half of the decade. The few that didn’t climb that high still reached the top 40.

The Carpenters notched their final Hot 100 top 10 hit, “Only Yesterday,” in 1975. It peaked at No. 4. However, they continued to score hits in Canada until the early 1980s.

Featured Image by Harry Langdon/Getty Images

The post Born 80 Years Ago in Connecticut, the Songwriter and Producer Who Was Half of One of the Biggest Sibling Pop Duos of the 70s appeared first on American Songwriter.