With their lush harmonies, the brother-sister duo the Carpenters became one of the biggest musical acts of the 1970s, selling more than 100 million albums with hit songs such as “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “Yesterday Once More,” and “Please Mr. Postman.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of lead singer Karen Carpenter’s death, at the age of 32, due to complications from anorexia. Ever since, she has been portrayed as a fragile victim, dominated by her family and a ruthless music industry.
For a female artist in the 1970s to be at the top of her game, I knew there had to be more to the story. When I began working on a biography of her, in 2021, I wanted to re-examine her life, legacy, and motivation to be an artist. She was self-effacing about her talent, and this, coupled with the sexism of the time, meant that her words and contributions to the music industry were downplayed, almost buried. As I dug into radio archives and interviewed friends and musicians who had worked with her, a new picture emerged of a pioneering woman with her own agency and vision.
