Some of the greatest songs the world has heard weren’t necessarily the brainchild of those who voiced them, but of other special, but less recognized, people known as songwriters, of whom Carole King is one. . She is exceptional because she has not only made a name for herself as a songwriter, but also as a singer. For her incredibly successful dual threat career, Carole King has been decorated with numerous awards and accolades, including 4 Grammy Awards. Here’s a brief but detailed rundown of all the important facts you need to know about the living legend that is Carole King.
Carole King Biography, Age
When she was born on February 9, 1942, in Manhattan, New York, Carole King was named Carol Joan Klein by her Jewish parents Sidney N. Klein and Eugenia (née Cammer).
At the age of 3, King developed a passion for music and began learning the piano with his mom who taught him.
She continued to hone her musical skills and in high school at age 15 she formed a vocal quartet, CoSines. While at Queens College King met Gerry Goffin whom she soon married (both teenagers) and began writing songs with Gerry abandoning his plans to become a chemist. He did not regret his decision as the songs they wrote for Aldon Music quickly made them stars.
Their first hit song was the 1961 chart-topping Shirelles song, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Over the next half-decade, Carole and Gerry became the most prolific songwriters of their time. Their other successes included; “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “Take Good Care Of My Baby” by Bobby Vee, “The Loco-Motion” by Little Eva, and “Go Away, Little Girl” by Steve Lawrence.
In the late 60’s, Carole King tried her hand at singing her own music but her first release “Writer” was not a big hit. Undeterred, King hit it big with his next work “Tapestry” which broke chart records, staying at the top for over four months and staying on the charts for 6 years!
None of the more than 20 other albums King would release were as successful as Tapestry.
Net value
Carole King’s success in the music industry has been huge, to say the least. She has at least 25 albums to her name, all of which have sold over 75 million records worldwide. Her songwriting prowess saw her inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. Carole King, in 2013, became the first woman to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress. Over 400 of his written songs have been recorded by at least a thousand singers. All of these feats and more contribute to his $70 million fortune.
Spouse and children of Carole King
Typical of music stars, Carole King has been married and divorced multiple times, in her case, four times. Her first marriage was to fellow American lyricist, Gerry Goffin, who is also the most famous of her husbands.
They married in 1959 and together the duo were very successful as songwriters, writing over two dozen hits. Together they had two children; Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor, Louise has followed in her parents’ footsteps and is an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has at least 10 records to her name, including Grammy-nominated “A Holiday Carole,” which she wrote in collaboration with her mother. Carole’s first child, Louise, in collaboration with the non-profit organization WriteGirl, teaches underprivileged teenagers to write songs.
Sadly, Carole King’s marriage to her first husband Gerry ended in divorce in 1968. She was later married to Charles Larkey, a bassist, their union lasted 8 years before ending in divorce in 1978. With Larkey, King has two children; Molly Larkey and Levi Larkey. Of the two, Molly is the more publicly known as she is a famous artist whose works have been featured in numerous exhibitions.
Carole King then married her manager Rick Eversen in 1977, however, the union would be King’s shortest as the regular physical abuse she suffered led to her leaving him just a year later in 1978. Shortly after their split, Evers lost his life to a cocaine overdose.
Carole King gave marriage a fourth try in 1982 when she married Rick Sorenson. They divorced in 1989. That was the last time King considered marriage. These days, the legendary musician is doing what she knows best from her home in Idaho.