Your opinion...and thousands, MILLIONS others as well. Karen's voice was unmistakable and unique, the clarity...range, emotion and power it carried were undeniable...easily the greatest voice in music history, man or woman. Incomparable doesnt do it justice
Karen Carpenters voice was like liquid gold, smooth melodic and perfect - and also she was known as "one take Karen" in the studios because she got it right first time every time with no retakes, a very rare thing to get through every song with no mistakes. Some would take days to make an album, its said she took half a day at most with no retakes, what talent. Arguably the best female vocalist of our time.
Karen’s voice was angelic. She also was known for doing a majority of there songs in one take. She was such a talent. We lost a legend no one can compare to her.
Most music tarts today aren't worthy of cleaning up an auditorium after Karen performed. Her music will live on hundreds if not thousands of years from now.
I still remember hearing the news cast about her death and not thinking much about it: par for the course of fame. She had a pleasant voice and remember not changing the channel when I heard her songs on the radio. Her tone is like an "Om" to my soul, a cleansing of my palette as I would change back to some hard rock or new wave channel in the 70s and 80s. Now almost 40 years later- they dont play her songs on the radio and I actually prefer her gentle tone over most of the noise I use to listen to.
It really was. What made her loss more tragic was that after many, many years battling her eating disorder, she had overcome it and ultimately passed from the effect it had on her body. She passed way too soon
Yes beautiful and seemingly effortless. I cant seperate the degree of quality she has with another enormous talent. Shirley Bassey. A different tone , style and voice body but equally unforgetable. The music world lost a lot with Karens early demise.
Bradley Gong: I have often wondered if Karen Carpenter sounded so "pure" and heartfelt because it was how she really felt. This song in particular (Superstar), and a few others, just sound so sad....like it was how she really felt. When folks like this pass on and the details of their lives become more well known you just wish you could have somehow gotten to this person and that person and let them know how loved they were by so many people. As I understand it from 1 of the documentaries of The Carpenters, Karen was feeling more and more alone/isolated with each passing day. Even her brother will admit that his drug use isolated him from seeing how badly Karen was failing.
Howard Kerr: I'm sure singers are more "breathy" (pushing air) for some songs/sections if that's the sound they want, but it was rare to hear Karen sing even a breathy note, much less a whole song. I don't know how her mental health issues would have played in.
She does the same to me. That voice is pure velvet. There's no one who can touch her. Her voice is just full of emotion, pure heartache and yet she can lay down a love that'll make you weep.
Dionne Warwick said Karen Carpenters voice was that of an angel.. How very true that statement was. Such clarity in her voice and knowing this was live, simply amazing!
I remember my father crying when Karen Carpenter died. That's how much her voice touched his soul. I will always cherish this woman's vocals. And the fact her life and death were so heartbreaking I just weep every time I hear this song. An absolute gift she was.
@Donald Duck I saw a movie so I don't know how accurate it was.In the movie an idiot writer said something idiotic along the line of her being chubby.As I remember and bear with me as it is been a long time she was happy and content and after that she could only see herself that way even as she wasted away.Some people really suck.Bless her family as they had no idea what to do.
What I live about her voice is that she a) enunciates every word precisely. You hear every word so clearly. And she gets a lot of dynamics out of holding her notes as oppposed to doing what a lot of singers do nowadays with going up and down with the notes like a lot of the r&b singers do. She builds dynamics by sustianing the the note then building the volume or laying off the volume.
@@Kerppu68 Her mother was the problem...a narcissist...it was always just the son who the mother admired and gave recognition to...Karen was nothing in her eyes and she let her know it.
What's so odd is that I read somewhere that she didn't even think she had a good voice. Can you imagine that!? Here is this woman who was THE single greatest female singing artist in recorded history, and she didn't think she could sing well? I hope that whoever wrote that was wrong.
It wasn't so much that she didn't want to sing in the beginning, she didn't know she had such a good voice. Once she knew, she didn't have any problem with it, and enjoyed singing...she even sang solos in her college choir.
@@elissamarcus : Okay, pardon my phraseology. She had perfect relative pitch. I know what I'm talking about. I've been a musician and vocalist for over 50 years and a vocal coach for 30+. She had perfect relative pitch. I saw her on a talk show back in 73 and during her conversation she was asked to sing a few bars of several songs. Each one she sang, a cappella, was in the recorded key and she did so without a key note. Could she sing any note on command? I don't know. But she had perfect relative pitch when it came to their music.
Oh man, that poor girl. I haven't thought of her in years. I was just a kid when she went. Looking back, she was just a sweet young thing and just...tragic. What a talent. What a soul. RIP Honey Great call, man. Thanks for this one.
You just made my heart 💓 hurt with this one. Talk about someone who didn't know how dang talented she was(she was also a fabulous Drummer! )But my Mama knew how beautiful she was. Played the Carpenter's throughout my childhood. Rest in Peace both she and my Momma 🙏. I'm a new Subscriber.
Dawn, I grew up listening to Karen Carpenter on the radio and I never realized just how beautiful her voice was until today. Truly amazing and your mom had good taste.
Nice tribute Dawn. My sister played this song when I was in 6th grade. Almost too emotional for me to get through. Karen was discovered by the great Herb Alpert. Watch him almost break down when he mentions her: czcams.com/video/coNcvlgz0kI/video.html
I grew up in the 70's, and had such a crush on Karen Carpenter. Whenever she appeared on TV, I'd stop in my tracks and just watch her. And that voice...that was icing on the cake. RIP Karen
Yes, Karen Carpenter had the voice of an Angel and it's so sad that she died so young of anorexia. Her voice was Contralto which is the equivalent of a Male's Bass. Extremely rare yet, Karen had it and brought joy to all of us with it. Her nickname was "One Take Karen" because when she was in recording, she normally nailed her songs in one take.
Her voice ....OMG...she had perfect and i mean PERFECT Pitch AND TONE...also a damn good drummer...alot of kids today never realised that about her...she was a really good drummer. I grew up with the Carpenters...WOW...great memories
I was shocked at how good a drummer she was. I saw a CZcams video and that was the first time I had seen her drum and she sang comfortably at the same time. I'm a drummer and a singer and it can be a difficult task to combine both.
I grew up with The Carpenters, and cried the day Karen sadly, passed away, at the to young age of 32. It is incredible to see an entirely new, younger generation finding, enjoying, and RESPECTING their music. Thank You, Jamal!!
Julie McKinney her husband bullied her and kept telling Karen she was “ fat” and “needed” to “ lose weight.” So she ended up starving herself. I think his name was Joe. He’s a piece of dung! I hope Karma caught him ! Karen was always emotionally fragile! Richard protected her. And then her nasty marriage took her away and killed Karen.
@@fairyqueen56 I'm thinking it was a record producer who made comments that lead to her eating disorder, loved her very much, such a tragic ending @ that time. Years later we've had so many endings of life in my family, still love her clear & precise voice ✌
@@fairyqueen56 where did you hear this story? She wasn't married until about the last year of her life. And it didn't last long. She developed an eating disorder years earlier.
@@TheHorsebox2 That's actually an understatement. She had a natural vocal talent that was almost unreal. I remember hearing Olivia Newton John sing one of her songs once. Olivia has a gorgeous voice of her own, but she couldn't come anywhere near Karen. The song sounded weak and lacked the nuance Karen could create so easily. She was amazing.
Her beautiful voice is part of the fabric of my childhood memories.... Innocence, hope, promise, sadness but always love.... I am 52 years old now, and sometimes listen to Yesterday Once More, and it takes me on a day dream back to those days growing up in the 70s....how many of us in 2020 with all that humanity is facing does not long for yesterday once more.
My favorite Carpenters song. She died when I was a senior in high school. It was truly tragic, but her death increased public awareness of anorexia like nothing else had ever done before.
Victor Bradshaw.. Not really. You need to research Anorexia better. No one has to tell the people that have this that they are fat. They actually SEE themselves as overweight. Doesn't matter if they are 200 pounds or 20 pounds. It affects your perception of yourself to the point that you do not see yourself as others do or as you actually are. I have several friends now, and had some in the past, that have this. And it NEVER goes away. You can learn to live with it and 'cope', but it will always be there and may come back up from time to time.
@@bondoman2k i agree about what u said about the disease but it is true she was upset by comments about her curvy figure,this started the mental spiral which eventually turned into this awful disease ,r i p Karen
I also was told I was fat, and that was my trigger for me . But it can go away for some . I had it from 16 till 36 , and I did stop it 100%. Now I'm 61, and I'm so glad I had made it out alive , and been living a healthy life .
She brings tears to my eyes when I hear her sing. Her voice is so pure and beautiful. And a lesson to singers her diction is superb you can hear every word she sings.
My brother went to high school between 69-73. A few of the first 78s he gave me was "Close to You " by the Carpenter's and The Beatles red and blue albums.
I remember watching the movie of their life when I was about 8 years old - I still cry listening to her because of the pain she lived through. It gave my little sister literal nightmares for a year too - anorexia nervosa is a terrible disease
Definitely can hear her pain. AND see it in her eyes. When she opens her eyes and looks at the camera, it is enough to make me cry. I am of her generation; it was shocking when she died.
Well, not exactly... This is a carbon copy of the recorded version because it is the recorded version. I love the Carpenters, but these TV specials didnt feature all the strings, the french horn,the trumpet, the layered harmonies etc, necessary to actually make it a live performance. Their live concerts were outstanding, but many of those instruments werent there, because it would have cost and arm and a leg to bring all those musicians..
If this song doesn't move you emotionally to tears then you are not a human being. Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett wrote this song in 1969, it is about a woman who falls for a rock star, has a tryst with him, but then in a bout of delusion awaits his return, apparently falling for it when he said he loved her. "Superstar" was recorded by Karen on her first take, singing the lyrics that had been scribbled by Richard onto a napkin. It took a while for Karen to warm up to the song. "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning," she recalled in a 1981 interview. "It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too." When the Carpenters version became a hit, Bette Midler took some shots at Karen Carpenter, often mocking her wholesome image. Karen claimed the jokes didn't bother her; after her death, Midler apologized in Redbook magazine, saying she often thinks of Karen. The alternative rock band Sonic Youth covered this in 1994 for the Carpenters tribute album "If I Were A Carpenter" It is a beautiful and powerful version. Karen was also an awesome Drummer.
When I hear the Carpenters it makes me think of Sister. She was my only sibling. She and Karen had the same hair and narrow face. My sister was in an accident in 1972 and was in a wheelchair until her death at age 16 in 1980. I was 5 yrs younger than her and she was my world. We would listen to the Carpenters and others. I was the dj. Happiest period of my life
I read that John Lennon complimented her on her voice and after he walked away she told a friend "he couldn't have meant it!" She thought her voice was average but it was stunning! A lot of loneliness and pain in her voice.
Just had a mental picture. Requires imagining that John Lennon was wrong about there not being a Heaven...Late morning, February 4, 1983, Karen arrives and bumps into John Lennon up there. John gives Karen a look of mixed amusement and sternness and says, "I did mean it, you know, dear..."
Před 4 lety+3
WHOA...................Lennon actually met Karen Carpenter once? Didn't know they ever crossed paths! Would love to know the back story of that. (Also reminded me that they covered Ticket To Ride on their debut album). Small world!
VirginiaGirl 66 Karen was wonderful, my favourite artists are the Carpenters because of what Richard brought to the table with arrangements, overdubs etc and Karen’s beautiful emotive voice.
I LOVE The CARPENTERS❣ Thank you Jamel for reacting to them and Karen's amazing voice. This duo is my top favorite late 60's-early 70's soft pop rock group. I was a mature 4 yr old little girl that was already so strongly drawn to music. But when I first heard Karen's voice... well I can't even explain how it made me feel. I just know I could listen to her all day. I miss her so much. I still get teary eyed when I hear this song, or whenever I pass by the house her and her brother grew up in, in Downey, Ca. As I've said before, thank God my parent's music taste was very eclectic, so naturally they loved The Carpenters too. The memories from this song,"Rainy Days & Mondays"and "Close to You", bring back the most intense and detailed memories of my early childhood. Like other fans, I'm so glad to be on this musical journey with you. 😊👍✌
Jonathan Wallach That’s not really the point we’re making is it? She may be lip syncing here but in the studio she was a one take performer, which is how that record was made.
@@robertacolarette1594 You are extremely naive. Herb Alpert signed her and he wanted to spread a myth. The truth, and this is well known, is that her voice was a studio creation. The mic was placed almost IN her throat to create any volume at all. She had an extremely limited range and no real strength as a singer, but she had a pleasant sound that was cultivated in the studio. As anyone who has ever heard her live can attest, she was not a good singer. She was a much better drummer, an assessment with which she agreed. The Carpenters' problems with opening acts who outshone them is legendary. They fired everybody, most notably Neil Sedaka.
Growing up in the 70’s The Carpenters were a staple in my home. I literally spent hours sitting in front of our big console stereo singing along with Karen, and all the lyrics were written on the album cover. I miss her.
I wouldn't call her voice silky. It's very beautiful indeed but not silky. Silky is more k.d. lang or Sade. Karen's was more earthy, raw, very low key and very emotional and sad but beautiful. Very unique female voice. Female baritone.
She had a very deep, smooth, and romantic voice. Definitely. And pure, with no technological manipulation of her sound. I believe Burt Bacharach - who wrote a lot of music for Dionne Warwick - also wrote "Long to be Close to You'" for the Carpenters.
oh my goodness....as an old lady who doesn't even watch you tube (except for exercise videos lol) I stumbled upon this video of yours and oh my gosh, what a great concept you have here! I grew up listening to The Carpenters and how refreshing to see a young person like yourself appreciate the talent of an old group. We need more things like this! New meets old, a little humor, lots of appreciation and mutual respect. I am def not stuck in the past but I think it's so important that we don't forget.....thanks for doing this! I'm going to go watch the rest of your videos :-) My heart is lighter for this...can't wait to see your reactions to some of the others
Almost 60 and have loved The Carpenters forever.....this song is my favorite...hauntingly beautiful...Karen will never be duplicated...shes in a class all her own.....May her beautiful soul rest in peace🙏👼❤
I saw a video a guy took of some teenage boys playing tennis at a local park. Someone had Beatles music on somewhere. The boys were mesmerized. They wanted to know who that band was.
Superstar was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell. The Carpenters did this about 11 years before Luther Vandross. Both are great renditions of this great song.
I might have been a 14 year old singing along with this using a hairbrush as a "microphone". Back then, I believed the singers were reflecting their real lives through their lyrics and it just made me cry that she had been hurt like this. Of course, we know that lyrics are often written by others and may have absolutely nothing to do with the real life of the artist. It's a tribute to the artist who is able to imbue a song with so much feeling that the listener believes it's autobiographical, even if it isn't.
When growing up in Detroit in the 1970's we were hearing a cross section of music coming out of the Motorcity. When the Carpenters came out with Close to you we would stop what we were doing just to listen to Karen. This woman had a voice I never heard before. It was so clear and soulful. She was not considered cool then. People would not actually admit listening to her for fear of being laughed at but I had their albums. She was among the greatest singers ever.
The sad irony is that she was in pain, not that it ever showed through in her voice, she was an utterly flawless, classy performer, gorgeous effortless voice.
Karen Carpenter had just about the most beautiful voice of any female singer. Not just her voice, but her easy phrasing and relaxed confident style was just golden. It was such a lose when she died. The female Sinatra!
What I love about this is Richard's arrangement. It starts off all light and airy in the major chords and then after that horn solo the bass comes in with a minor key and changes the entire mood of the song.
Thank you for highlighting dear Karen Carpenter....I was a teenager in the 70's when this song aired on the radio...I cried teenage angst tears. I was a newlywed in the early 80's when she succumbed to anorexia, and I shed buckets and buckets of tears. I can honestly say I still grieve her loss, all these years later.
One of the great female vocalists. Perfect pitch, silky smooth voice with great emotion. She crafted these songs. She sang like an angel. I could listen to her all day. Many havent a clue that this beautiful voice even existed.
Im on my late 60s, so remember KC very well on the radio and TV specials. She began, with her brother Richard, by playing drums. Richard, her brother, was a terrific arranger but KC's voice was discovered by Herb Alpert in 1969 which began their road to fame. Richard convinced her that her best singing voice was contralto, 'the money is in the basement'. I believe KC's, voice, especially contralto, was the best female voice ever. No auto-tune, stripping, gimmicks, or screaming. Her nickname was 'one take', since she always sang a song once in studio without a single re-take. She sang to you with mesmerizing emotion, perfect pitch and enunciation. Her voice made you listen to her. She had no professional voice training. John Lennon told her at an LA restaurant that she had a lovely voice. Every female harmony in all of her songs was hers as well, sang, then dubbed into the song by Richard. They were most successful in early/mid1970s when she received 4 grammys. She was also recognized by 1975 Playboy poll as rock drummer of the year.She never knew true love, nor how good she really was. KC was a one of a kind female vocalist with the voice of an angel. She was never happy with way she looked. She had a few friends, her good friend was Dionne Warwick. She had serious onset of anorexia in 1975 that continued the rest of her life. She died Feb 1983 at 32yo due to complications from anorexia.
I spent a day with Richard Carpenter years ago, what a neat, excruciatingly talented man he is! I asked him about Karen, he said it broke his and his parents' hearts but she just got so frail at the emnd that they had no choice to let her go. Her disease and obsession about it got to where it ruled her life. Richard's car collection was incredible!
@49jubilee very much so in these timeless tunes...and in CZcams with the late 80s & 90s gen, it's wonderful they're getting a taste of tuns that last forever. Not this junk of the last 2 decades.
Probably her most emotional live version...it just tears me to hear it over and over now for 45 plus years! Growing up in the 70s we all had our favorite groups, duos, singers, etc. But, when we heard Karn's voice on the radio, no one would change the station.
I was such a HUGE fan of hers!! I cried when she passed away! Her voice was so pure and effortless! I used to sing in high school, she and I had the same vocal range and she inspired me so much!!
I did too! My first real concert was to go see the Carpenters playing at ECU in Greenville when I was maybe 11-12? and for me, it was a BIG DEAL! I totally was in awe seeing them in person. My dear Oweita, who has passed on, was made to listen to them for hours but I think she came to love them too (did she really have a choice?, LOL) . Hearing this makes me miss Oweita and Karen Carpenter oh so much!
Karen Carpenter’s voice was just so flawless. No one can compare to her. Just my opinion
Leticia De la Cruz 100% agree
Absolutely best female vocalist of my time ❤️
She had a big range.
Leticia De la Cruz Yours and about 50 million other’s opinions. She was one of a kind.
Your opinion...and thousands, MILLIONS others as well. Karen's voice was unmistakable and unique, the clarity...range, emotion and power it carried were undeniable...easily the greatest voice in music history, man or woman. Incomparable doesnt do it justice
Paul McCartney claims she is the greatest female vocalist in his lifetime . I believe his judgement..
Not much anyone can argue with Sir Paul about is there?
@@scottfoxl7431 Mutual thought on this topic; Happy new year 2020 A.D. !
Warren O'Leary
2020 A.D. indeed!
Oh wow--what a compliment.
Just don’t get any wife recommendations from him!
She's the best singer I've ever heard. Her voice is not of this world.
You are so right. Hearing her voice particularly on Superstar, transports me to another place. Just sublime.
@@davidisted8884 You can literally hear the pain in her voice.
There's no auto tune involved in the voice. This is pure, and natural.
When Karen Carpenter sings, I can feel every depth of her loneliness and sadness. I miss her so much......
Yes, you can feel and hear her lonesome heart :(
ya her voice has a lot of soul to it.
I have missed her all these years.😞
@Ian Dixon she was skeletal at the end. Please!😞
Well said! Such an incalculable loss!
Karen Carpenter's voice is like the sun shining through crystal water.
You're right♥️
Nice way to put it Jessica............
What an excellent way to make her voice a visual thing. Wow!
Well said.
Perfectly stated! I still get the chills when I hear that amazing voice!
❤❤❤❤
Karen Carpenters voice was like liquid gold, smooth melodic and perfect - and also she was known as "one take Karen" in the studios because she got it right first time every time with no retakes, a very rare thing to get through every song with no mistakes. Some would take days to make an album, its said she took half a day at most with no retakes, what talent. Arguably the best female vocalist of our time.
Karen’s voice was angelic. She also was known for doing a majority of there songs in one take. She was such a talent. We lost a legend no one can compare to her.
While i agree her voice is perfection incarnate, she was also one hellava drummer.
Someone on CZcams stopped the music and her voice was AMAZING
This woman had the voice of an angel. I couldn't deny her if I wanted to.
The most beautiful female voice in the history of recorded music.
Absolutely
Totally agree!!💯
Most music tarts today aren't worthy of cleaning up an auditorium after Karen performed. Her music will live on hundreds if not thousands of years from now.
She doesn't need approval from anyone
To me, it's her or Patsy
Karen never just sang a song, she made you feel the song.
Right in your heart.
That is so true
Always...
Excellent way to explain her voice.
gone too soon
Like Water....Clear Water. I am a Black woman in my 50's!! I love Karen Carpenter!!! The Best Voice Ever!!!
Karen's voice was so hauntingly beautiful. I never fail to get goosebumps when I hear her sing.
Theres been a lot of deaths in music, but hers was a devastating loss.
I still remember hearing the news cast about her death and not thinking much about it: par for the course of fame. She had a pleasant voice and remember not changing the channel when I heard her songs on the radio. Her tone is like an "Om" to my soul, a cleansing of my palette as I would change back to some hard rock or new wave channel in the 70s and 80s. Now almost 40 years later- they dont play her songs on the radio and I actually prefer her gentle tone over most of the noise I use to listen to.
She died too young for sure
knowing her whole story, definitely makes some her songs hit that much harder
sls slc yeah, she had that tone of a troubled soul in her voice which, imo, makes her voice 1000x more powerful and emotive. Big loss.
It really was. What made her loss more tragic was that after many, many years battling her eating disorder, she had overcome it and ultimately passed from the effect it had on her body. She passed way too soon
Don't forget, she was also the band drummer, but had to stop when everyone complained they couldn't see her. She was a tremendous talent!
Zero Res And she was a remarkable drummer.
The best female vocalist "Ever"
Bruce Lee I agree!
Bill White yes. She. Was.
She was the drummer too? That’s amazing and very impressive. Lead singer for the Eagles was the band drummer too I believe.
THAT VOICE!
Brings me to tears . She sounds so sincere
So real.
And lonely.
Very possibly the greatest female vocalist of all time. Her voice is simply just perfection. Her stay on this planet was too brief.
Thanks, Mrs. Carpenter for criticizing Karen's weight.
Not possibly she was.
Greatest female or male or other.
@@kennethward4985 she was a female. What are you going on about?
Karen Carpenter's is the "purest" singing voice I've ever heard. She never sounds like she's pushing air, just voice.
Rumer isn't far behind
Yes beautiful and seemingly effortless. I cant seperate the degree of quality she has with another enormous talent. Shirley Bassey. A different tone , style and voice body but equally unforgetable. The music world lost a lot with Karens early demise.
Bradley Gong:
I have often wondered if Karen Carpenter sounded so "pure" and heartfelt because it was how she really felt. This song in particular (Superstar), and a few others, just sound so sad....like it was how she really felt.
When folks like this pass on and the details of their lives become more well known you just wish you could have somehow gotten to this person and that person and let them know how loved they were by so many people. As I understand it from 1 of the documentaries of The Carpenters, Karen was feeling more and more alone/isolated with each passing day. Even her brother will admit that his drug use isolated him from seeing how badly Karen was failing.
Howard Kerr: I'm sure singers are more "breathy" (pushing air) for some songs/sections if that's the sound they want, but it was rare to hear Karen sing even a breathy note, much less a whole song. I don't know how her mental health issues would have played in.
Karen Carpenter and Diana Ross are my two fav.'s
I've listened to the Carpenters since I was a kid. I'm 54 now. Her voice still gives me chills down to my soul. IMO, still the greatest female singer.
She does the same to me. That voice is pure velvet. There's no one who can touch her. Her voice is just full of emotion, pure heartache and yet she can lay down a love that'll make you weep.
The true pain u can hear as she's singing this, this is my favorite song of theirs, and all the other versions just don't come close
62 years old here and I loved the Carpenters.
Same. 🙋🏻♀️ born in 1965... KC on the parents’ vinyl!
Me too...I can't even sing along without crying
"Tommy Boy", when Chris Farley and David Spade are driving along and crying while singing this beautifully sad song.
I was waiting for someone to mention that love that movie
Jamal you need to see this film now!!
@@deputyVH don’t torture the man.
That movie was trash.
Dionne Warwick said Karen Carpenters voice was that of an angel.. How very true that statement was. Such clarity in her voice and knowing this was live, simply amazing!
I remember my father crying when Karen Carpenter died. That's how much her voice touched his soul. I will always cherish this woman's vocals. And the fact her life and death were so heartbreaking I just weep every time I hear this song. An absolute gift she was.
Kayjay your father has good taste in music. God bless him. Rest in peace Karen.
@Donald Duck I saw a movie so I don't know how accurate it was.In the movie an idiot writer said something idiotic along the line of her being chubby.As I remember and bear with me as it is been a long time she was happy and content and after that she could only see herself that way even as she wasted away.Some people really suck.Bless her family as they had no idea what to do.
We lost her too early.
@J OneLife And she made many people happy when she sang.The fact that so many are still listening says it all.
@Donald Duck Yep I partially blame inaction from the family....
The smoothness of her voice is sublime, perfect pitch and tone.
Every vocal facet is PERFECTION 💪
Perfection like the Righteous Brothers!
@@robertrodrigues7319 The Righteous Brothers are so fucking good.
One of the most beautiful perfect voices ever known. Clarity and tone unmatched.
What I live about her voice is that she a) enunciates every word precisely. You hear every word so clearly. And she gets a lot of dynamics out of holding her notes as oppposed to doing what a lot of singers do nowadays with going up and down with the notes like a lot of the r&b singers do. She builds dynamics by sustianing the the note then building the volume or laying off the volume.
The amazing thing is she didn't even want to sing, she considered herself a drummer above all (and she was an insanely good one).
@@Kerppu68 Her mother was the problem...a narcissist...it was always just the son who the mother admired and gave recognition to...Karen was nothing in her eyes and she let her know it.
What's so odd is that I read somewhere that she didn't even think she had a good voice. Can you imagine that!? Here is this woman who was THE single greatest female singing artist in recorded history, and she didn't think she could sing well? I hope that whoever wrote that was wrong.
It wasn't so much that she didn't want to sing in the beginning, she didn't know she had such a good voice. Once she knew, she didn't have any problem with it, and enjoyed singing...she even sang solos in her college choir.
...she knew she had a good voice, and loved to sing, but was never arrogant about it,..very modest and humble woman.
@@fool4singing Right. I used the wrong word. Richard said he didn't know if she KNEW she had such a great voice.
Absolute perfect pitch, something NEVER heard in today's performances. And a lower register like warm honey.
well said
GaGa is on a par
Karens voice to me is perfect..Ive never heard any one come close. Not even Celine Dion and shes pretty awesome.
She sings on key, perfect pitch means something different... that if someone says sing an a or a c, you can sing it with no reference
@@elissamarcus : Okay, pardon my phraseology. She had perfect relative pitch. I know what I'm talking about. I've been a musician and vocalist for over 50 years and a vocal coach for 30+. She had perfect relative pitch. I saw her on a talk show back in 73 and during her conversation she was asked to sing a few bars of several songs. Each one she sang, a cappella, was in the recorded key and she did so without a key note. Could she sing any note on command? I don't know. But she had perfect relative pitch when it came to their music.
Angelic is the only way to explain her voice, she is still missed today.
Oh man, that poor girl. I haven't thought of her in years. I was just a kid when she went. Looking back, she was just a sweet young thing and just...tragic. What a talent. What a soul. RIP Honey
Great call, man. Thanks for this one.
You just made my heart 💓 hurt with this one. Talk about someone who didn't know how dang talented she was(she was also a fabulous Drummer! )But my Mama knew how beautiful she was. Played the Carpenter's throughout my childhood. Rest in Peace both she and my Momma 🙏. I'm a new Subscriber.
Oh, Dawn. I'm sorry about your momma's loss. I lost mine less than a year ago. I'm with you.
Dawn Morris - Correct, so talented and she didn't realise how amazing she was. And I'm so sorry you've lost your mum, I know how painful it is. 🙏🇬🇧❤️
Dawn, I grew up listening to Karen Carpenter on the radio and I never realized just how beautiful her voice was until today. Truly amazing and your mom had good taste.
Nice tribute Dawn. My sister played this song when I was in 6th grade. Almost too emotional for me to get through. Karen was discovered by the great Herb Alpert. Watch him almost break down when he mentions her:
czcams.com/video/coNcvlgz0kI/video.html
She was awesome at every song she sang!! Great childhood memory for me...and you too!!😁😁😁😁
I get tears in my eyes when I hear her sing ..her voice is so poignant
me too
Me too. I was in the car when they announced on the radio that she died, I started bawling
LOL! Whenever I hear one of her songs, I know I'll be fighting tears!!!
There's a deep sadness in that beautiful amazing voice
YES!!!
I grew up in the 70's, and had such a crush on Karen Carpenter. Whenever she appeared on TV, I'd stop in my tracks and just watch her. And that voice...that was icing on the cake. RIP Karen
Yes, Karen Carpenter had the voice of an Angel and it's so sad that she died so young of anorexia. Her voice was Contralto which is the equivalent of a Male's Bass. Extremely rare yet, Karen had it and brought joy to all of us with it. Her nickname was "One Take Karen" because when she was in recording, she normally nailed her songs in one take.
Her voice ....OMG...she had perfect and i mean PERFECT Pitch AND TONE...also a damn good drummer...alot of kids today never realised that about her...she was a really good drummer. I grew up with the Carpenters...WOW...great memories
Yes, my junior high school music teacher said she, and Johnny Mathis, have perfect pitch.
I was shocked at how good a drummer she was. I saw a CZcams video and that was the first time I had seen her drum and she sang comfortably at the same time. I'm a drummer and a singer and it can be a difficult task to combine both.
I grew up with The Carpenters, and cried the day Karen sadly, passed away, at the to young age of 32. It is incredible to see an entirely new, younger generation finding, enjoying, and RESPECTING their music. Thank You, Jamal!!
I loved her voice-It was like melted milk chocolate. Her death was a true loss.
That's a lovely way to describe her voice xx
Julie McKinney her husband bullied her and kept telling Karen she was “ fat” and “needed” to “ lose weight.” So she ended up starving herself. I think his name was Joe. He’s a piece of dung! I hope Karma caught him ! Karen was always emotionally fragile! Richard protected her. And then her nasty marriage took her away and killed Karen.
@@fairyqueen56 I'm thinking it was a record producer who made comments that lead to her eating disorder, loved her very much, such a tragic ending @ that time. Years later we've had so many endings of life in my family, still love her clear & precise voice ✌
@@fairyqueen56 where did you hear this story? She wasn't married until about the last year of her life. And it didn't last long. She developed an eating disorder years earlier.
Julie McKinney Man! I’d love to go back in time and deck that bastard who yelled at her in the street that she was ‘fat’!
50 years later..this song still gives me goosebumps
Voice like honey, she sings to the soul, really hits the heart.
100 percent agree. Voice of an angel. Love her
or velvet. Everyone says velvet voice.
I agree, a voice like honey.
Talents off the charts. A beautiful voice. And a sadness. A terrible sadness.
She was on another level.
you can tell from her eyes shes wasnt happy
Poignancy.
Peter Surdo Huge loss.
@@TheHorsebox2 That's actually an understatement. She had a natural vocal talent that was almost unreal. I remember hearing Olivia Newton John sing one of her songs once. Olivia has a gorgeous voice of her own, but she couldn't come anywhere near Karen. The song sounded weak and lacked the nuance Karen could create so easily. She was amazing.
She had such a great voice, so unique. My parents listened to her and her brother. They were a family favorite.
Her beautiful voice is part of the fabric of my childhood memories.... Innocence, hope, promise, sadness but always love.... I am 52 years old now, and sometimes listen to Yesterday Once More, and it takes me on a day dream back to those days growing up in the 70s....how many of us in 2020 with all that humanity is facing does not long for yesterday once more.
The most pure singing voice to ever give us all goosebumps.
YES I will not elaborate. You said it
@@paulhowell5671 me too!
Brings me to tears
Love her. Love him for loving her. Yes tears and goosbumps.
I was just going to comment about the purity of Karen's voice. I completely agree.
My favorite Carpenters song. She died when I was a senior in high school. It was truly tragic, but her death increased public awareness of anorexia like nothing else had ever done before.
It comes from the fact that somebody told her that she look fat that's why you're always supposed to compliment ladies
@@victorbradshaw3205 That's what triggered my mother when she was a young woman. .
Victor Bradshaw.. Not really. You need to research Anorexia better. No one has to tell the people that have this that they are fat. They actually SEE themselves as overweight. Doesn't matter if they are 200 pounds or 20 pounds. It affects your perception of yourself to the point that you do not see yourself as others do or as you actually are. I have several friends now, and had some in the past, that have this. And it NEVER goes away. You can learn to live with it and 'cope', but it will always be there and may come back up from time to time.
@@bondoman2k i agree about what u said about the disease but it is true she was upset by comments about her curvy figure,this started the mental spiral which eventually turned into this awful disease ,r i p Karen
I also was told I was fat, and that was my trigger for me . But it can go away for some . I had it from 16 till 36 , and I did stop it 100%. Now I'm 61, and I'm so glad I had made it out alive , and been living a healthy life .
She brings tears to my eyes when I hear her sing. Her voice is so pure and beautiful. And a lesson to singers her diction is superb you can hear every word she sings.
Karen carpenter's voice is flawless... ❤️
One of the few unmistakable voices, that when she starts to sing, you immediately know who it is. So enchanting
My brother went to high school between 69-73. A few of the first 78s he gave me was "Close to You " by the Carpenter's and The Beatles red and blue albums.
Ms. Carpenter was an injured soul. This showed clearly in her voice. I feel like crying every time I hear her.
miporsche I feel that way about Judy Garland . I cry every time. I hear her sing Over the Rainbow. And Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Her voice is haunting.
I remember watching the movie of their life when I was about 8 years old - I still cry listening to her because of the pain she lived through. It gave my little sister literal nightmares for a year too - anorexia nervosa is a terrible disease
Definitely can hear her pain.
AND see it in her eyes. When she opens her eyes and looks at the camera, it is enough to make me cry.
I am of her generation; it was shocking when she died.
Her mother was pretty much an evil person.
Crystal Clear Voice & She Apparently Never Took One Singing Lesson ! That Magnificent Sound Of Her Voice Just Gives You Shivers Its So Amazing !
She died so young and troubled. I want to cry listening to this.
She makes me freakin cry every time I hear her.
Yeap
Keep listening I sell tissues
She was truly beautiful in so many ways. And she embodied music in such a pure form.
bootling
I'm in tears now.
Leon Russell wrote this song as well s many others
Listen kiddies! Real singing, real music, no autotunes, no distracting dancers. All REAL!!!
Exactly! She was the best!
Well, not exactly... This is a carbon copy of the recorded version because it is the recorded version. I love the Carpenters, but these TV specials didnt feature all the strings, the french horn,the trumpet, the layered harmonies etc, necessary to actually make it a live performance. Their live concerts were outstanding, but many of those instruments werent there, because it would have cost and arm and a leg to bring all those musicians..
@@jackarmstrong1838 Nah dude THIS is her live.
If this song doesn't move you emotionally to tears then you are not a human being.
Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett wrote this song in 1969, it is about a woman who falls for a rock star, has a tryst with him, but then in a bout of delusion awaits his return, apparently falling for it when he said he loved her.
"Superstar" was recorded by Karen on her first take, singing the lyrics that had been scribbled by Richard onto a napkin. It took a while for Karen to warm up to the song. "For some reason that tune didn't hit me in the beginning," she recalled in a 1981 interview. "It's the only one. Richard looked at me like I had three heads. He said: 'Are you out of your mind?' When I heard his arrangement of it I fell over, and now it's one of my favorites too."
When the Carpenters version became a hit, Bette Midler took some shots at Karen Carpenter, often mocking her wholesome image. Karen claimed the jokes didn't bother her; after her death, Midler apologized in Redbook magazine, saying she often thinks of Karen.
The alternative rock band Sonic Youth covered this in 1994 for the Carpenters tribute album
"If I Were A Carpenter" It is a beautiful and powerful version.
Karen was also an awesome Drummer.
When I hear the Carpenters it makes me think of Sister. She was my only sibling. She and Karen had the same hair and narrow face. My sister was in an accident in 1972 and was in a wheelchair until her death at age 16 in 1980. I was 5 yrs younger than her and she was my world. We would listen to the Carpenters and others. I was the dj. Happiest period of my life
I read that John Lennon complimented her on her voice and after he walked away she told a friend "he couldn't have meant it!" She thought her voice was average but it was stunning! A lot of loneliness and pain in her voice.
Just had a mental picture. Requires imagining that John Lennon was wrong about there not being a Heaven...Late morning, February 4, 1983, Karen arrives and bumps into John Lennon up there. John gives Karen a look of mixed amusement and sternness and says, "I did mean it, you know, dear..."
WHOA...................Lennon actually met Karen Carpenter once? Didn't know they ever crossed paths! Would love to know the back story of that. (Also reminded me that they covered Ticket To Ride on their debut album). Small world!
@@stevetournay3731 please i have 300 copyrites im the best there is...PAUL MASTERS
There was such a feeling of sadness in her voice that touches you deeply.
She was just hungry.
She was very sad
I always think so.
She had a lot of sadness in her life and it swallowed her in the end. RIP Karen
larky368 😢
Karen never really considered herself a singer. She always considered herself the band's drummer. Amazing!!
She loved her drum set!
She had one of those rare unique voices that after one note you knew who it was.
I'm so glad I grew up in an era when EVERYONE knew these songs because Radio ruled.
Now I listen to my IPod
She literally brings tears to my eyes! I miss her so much.
Same
VirginiaGirl 66 Karen was wonderful, my favourite artists are the Carpenters because of what Richard brought to the table with arrangements, overdubs etc and Karen’s beautiful emotive voice.
My mom cried and cried when she passed away. So sad.
Same
Me too
I LOVE The CARPENTERS❣ Thank you Jamel for reacting to them and Karen's amazing voice. This duo is my top favorite late 60's-early 70's soft pop rock group. I was a mature 4 yr old little girl that was already so strongly drawn to music. But when I first heard Karen's voice... well I can't even explain how it made me feel. I just know I could listen to her all day. I miss her so much. I still get teary eyed when I hear this song, or whenever I pass by the house her and her brother grew up in, in Downey, Ca. As I've said before, thank God my parent's music taste was very eclectic, so naturally they loved The Carpenters too. The memories from this song,"Rainy Days & Mondays"and "Close to You", bring back the most intense and detailed memories of my early childhood.
Like other fans, I'm so glad to be on this musical journey with you. 😊👍✌
Karen Carpenter is and was simply amazing.Her voice is so pure and clear.It's angelic,simply heavenly.
One of the record producers said she was the only artist that they would tape in one take because her voice was flawless.
Silver Girl
That was Herb Alpert. His A & M records signed the Carpenters. He couldn’t get
over how perfectly she sang.
Roberta Colarette only she’s not singing here.
Jonathan Wallach
That’s not really the point we’re making is it? She may be lip syncing here but in the studio she was a one take performer, which is how that record was made.
@@robertacolarette1594 You are extremely naive. Herb Alpert signed her and he wanted to spread a myth. The truth, and this is well known, is that her voice was a studio creation. The mic was placed almost IN her throat to create any volume at all. She had an extremely limited range and no real strength as a singer, but she had a pleasant sound that was cultivated in the studio. As anyone who has ever heard her live can attest, she was not a good singer. She was a much better drummer, an assessment with which she agreed. The Carpenters' problems with opening acts who outshone them is legendary. They fired everybody, most notably Neil Sedaka.
@@jondavwal13 I hate to tell ya Sparky, but this is live. Compare it to the studio version. Oh, and don't be such a dick.
Luther loved the Carpenters. EVERY notable singer songwriter has reverence for the Carpenters 😊
Not only singers, but instrumental musicians too. Richard Carpenter was an astounding musician. Don't forget that these are his arrangements.
REALLY? Did not know this.
Growing up in the 70’s The Carpenters were a staple in my home. I literally spent hours sitting in front of our big console stereo singing along with Karen, and all the lyrics were written on the album cover. I miss her.
I love the fact that you are a young man who appreciates the music I love. I enjoy watching how expressive and open your face is. Watch you often.
Karen's voice was pure silk and emotion... nearly perfection
A friend of mine was a professional singer. Karen Carpenter came on the car radio. He pointed to it and said, "She's a genius."
Nearly?
😳
I wouldn't call her voice silky. It's very beautiful indeed but not silky. Silky is more k.d. lang or Sade. Karen's was more earthy, raw, very low key and very emotional and sad but beautiful. Very unique female voice. Female baritone.
Karen had that once in a lifetime voice.
She was a superb drummer too
She had a very deep, smooth, and romantic voice. Definitely. And pure, with no technological manipulation of her sound. I believe Burt Bacharach - who wrote a lot of music for Dionne Warwick - also wrote "Long to be Close to You'" for the Carpenters.
One take, every time, her voice was that perfect.
Karen Carpenter: Number one female voice of all time. The range alone puts everyone else to shame, plus she was always pitch-perfect.
Crystal Gayle voice similar. But yes Id give the nod to Karen
MrFishPirate yes and no vibrato.
Linda Ronstadt would be my pick.
Her voice was amazing but that’s a stretch saying she puts everyone else to shame. Give me a break. WHITNEY HOUSTON! CELINE!
@@doodys830 true! Crystal Gayle. Many other great female vocalists.
I listened to her as a child. Her death was tragic and shocking. Her voice as smooth as satin. RIP angel. 🙏🏿
Can't wait for your reaction to her spectacularly sung, "One More Time"
Her voice was simply stunning x
The clearest and clearest most beautiful voice ever. Devastating loss.
Absolutely devastating. I agree.
@@ionthetarget the carpenters and majority of the music I listen too are far before my generation I’m 15, but I got an old soul for music
agreed
Clearest? Listen to Sisel Kyrkjebø, but ye Karen had a great voice
I have no words to describe her vocals, only emotions. So glad this music is being appreciated by a new generation. Her voice is transcendent.
Pure magic in her voice . . and with so little effort! Nobody before or since can come close to this beautiful sound.
This is a totally live performance, no auto tune, just stunning vocals….
oh my goodness....as an old lady who doesn't even watch you tube (except for exercise videos lol) I stumbled upon this video of yours and oh my gosh, what a great concept you have here! I grew up listening to The Carpenters and how refreshing to see a young person like yourself appreciate the talent of an old group. We need more things like this! New meets old, a little humor, lots of appreciation and mutual respect. I am def not stuck in the past but I think it's so important that we don't forget.....thanks for doing this! I'm going to go watch the rest of your videos :-) My heart is lighter for this...can't wait to see your reactions to some of the others
Anita Adams I’m with you Anita!
Well said Anita
Almost 60 and have loved The Carpenters forever.....this song is my favorite...hauntingly beautiful...Karen will never be duplicated...shes in a class all her own.....May her beautiful soul rest in peace🙏👼❤
isn't he wonderful? these videos are so life giving in these weird C19 times
I saw a video a guy took of some teenage boys playing tennis at a local park. Someone had Beatles music on somewhere. The boys were mesmerized. They wanted to know who that band was.
The late John Lennon
spotted Karen in a restaurant and told her how great a voice she had
Andrew Lawson - Agree with John on that! Oh, and John had a pretty great voice himself.
I also heard that. The sad thing is, that Karen didn’t believe him. She thought he was saying that just to be nice. 😢
The late Lennon, doesn’t that make her the late Karen? :P
Superstar was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell. The Carpenters did this about 11 years before Luther Vandross. Both are great renditions of this great song.
I never wished I had the written lyrics when I heard her songs. Every word she sang came through Crystal Clear.
I haven’t heard that song since I was sitting in the back of my mother’s car. What a voice! 🥰
There are thousands and thousands of singers with voices. This one is special for how crystal clear it is. Karen carpenter is in a class by herself
Hairs stand up within about 3 seconds. She was unique.
I might have been a 14 year old singing along with this using a hairbrush as a "microphone". Back then, I believed the singers were reflecting their real lives through their lyrics and it just made me cry that she had been hurt like this. Of course, we know that lyrics are often written by others and may have absolutely nothing to do with the real life of the artist. It's a tribute to the artist who is able to imbue a song with so much feeling that the listener believes it's autobiographical, even if it isn't.
When growing up in Detroit in the 1970's we were hearing a cross section of music coming out of the Motorcity. When the Carpenters came out with Close to you we would stop what we were doing just to listen to Karen. This woman had a voice I never heard before. It was so clear and soulful. She was not considered cool then. People would not actually admit listening to her for fear of being laughed at but I had their albums. She was among the greatest singers ever.
This woman has such a beautiful clear voice. A lot of singers these days sing like they’re in pain
Big facts!!!
They over sing and people think that's good singing.
Lol pain in the throat😀😀😀😀
In pain or whining about it.
The sad irony is that she was in pain, not that it ever showed through in her voice, she was an utterly flawless, classy performer, gorgeous effortless voice.
Karen Carpenter had just about the most beautiful voice of any female singer. Not just her voice, but her easy phrasing and relaxed confident style was just golden. It was such a lose when she died. The female Sinatra!
She can play drums and sing while her eyes closed. What a talent. She makes me cry and smile. In a good way.
A sign of really great music!!
What I love about this is Richard's arrangement. It starts off all light and airy in the major chords and then after that horn solo the bass comes in with a minor key and changes the entire mood of the song.
The tone quality of her voice is just ...not from earth...just gorgeous.
I love hearing a younger guy appreciating Karen's gift - well done!
An angle came down to earth...Performed so angelically. and left us too soon.
Thank you for highlighting dear Karen Carpenter....I was a teenager in the 70's when this song aired on the radio...I cried teenage angst tears. I was a newlywed in the early 80's when she succumbed to anorexia, and I shed buckets and buckets of tears. I can honestly say I still grieve her loss, all these years later.
I've never heard one human say they don't like her voice. ❤
Truth!
One of the great female vocalists. Perfect pitch, silky smooth voice with great emotion. She crafted these songs. She sang like an angel. I could listen to her all day. Many havent a clue that this beautiful voice even existed.
Im on my late 60s, so remember KC very well on the radio and TV specials. She began, with her brother Richard, by playing drums.
Richard, her brother, was a terrific arranger but KC's voice was discovered by Herb Alpert in 1969 which began their road to fame.
Richard convinced her that her best singing voice was contralto, 'the money is in the basement'. I believe KC's, voice, especially contralto,
was the best female voice ever. No auto-tune, stripping, gimmicks, or screaming. Her nickname was 'one take', since she always sang a song
once in studio without a single re-take. She sang to you with mesmerizing emotion, perfect pitch and enunciation. Her voice made you
listen to her. She had no professional voice training. John Lennon told her at an LA restaurant that she had a lovely voice. Every female
harmony in all of her songs was hers as well, sang, then dubbed into the song by Richard. They were most successful in early/mid1970s when she
received 4 grammys. She was also recognized by 1975 Playboy poll as rock drummer of the year.She never knew true love, nor how good she really
was. KC was a one of a kind female vocalist with the voice of an angel. She was never happy with way she looked. She had a few friends, her good friend was Dionne Warwick. She had serious onset of anorexia in 1975 that continued the rest of her life. She died Feb 1983 at 32yo due to complications from anorexia.
I spent a day with Richard Carpenter years ago, what a neat, excruciatingly talented man he is! I asked him about Karen, he said it broke his and his parents' hearts but she just got so frail at the emnd that they had no choice to let her go. Her disease and obsession about it got to where it ruled her life. Richard's car collection was incredible!
Then there’s “One Less Bell to Answer” by The Fifth Dimension, another great female vocalist Marilyn McCoo from same era.
Agreed!!!
She is an American Treasure..Have you seen her drumming? If not, it'll blow your mind...
Oh yes...as a child that song would make me so said, still does but i like it.
@49jubilee very much so in these timeless tunes...and in CZcams with the late 80s & 90s gen, it's wonderful they're getting a taste of tuns that last forever. Not this junk of the last 2 decades.
Totally agree!
She had one of the purest voices. She didn’t need electronics or help of any kind. What you heard was what it was.
I am glad you are keeping great music alive. Thanks. Karen's voice was that of an angel
Probably her most emotional live version...it just tears me to hear it over and over now for 45 plus years! Growing up in the 70s we all had our favorite groups, duos, singers, etc. But, when we heard Karn's voice on the radio, no one would change the station.
I was such a HUGE fan of hers!! I cried when she passed away! Her voice was so pure and effortless! I used to sing in high school, she and I had the same vocal range and she inspired me so much!!
I did too! My first real concert was to go see the Carpenters playing at ECU in Greenville when I was maybe 11-12? and for me, it was a BIG DEAL! I totally was in awe seeing them in person. My dear Oweita, who has passed on, was made to listen to them for hours but I think she came to love them too (did she really have a choice?, LOL) . Hearing this makes me miss Oweita and Karen Carpenter oh so much!
I remember watching the dramatization of her life, and how she was driven to the dangerous lifestyle that led to her demise