Karen Carpenter | Life & Death | Mental Health & Personality
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2020
- This video answers the questions: Can I discuss the mental health and personality factors that may be at work in the life and death of Karen Carpenter?
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Eric Lott. (2009). Perfect is Dead: Karen Carpenter, Theodor Adorno, and the Radio; or, If Hooks Could Kill. Criticism, 50(2), 219-234. doi:10.1353/crt.0.0064
McKay, George (2018) Skinny blues: Karen Carpenter and popular music. Popular Music, 37 (1). pp. 1-21. ISSN 0261-1430
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Dionne Warwick described her voice best - like a piece of silk.
But it wasn't just the voice . It was the warmth behind the voice .
Absolutely.... i have not heard another voice quite like hers...
She was correct, her singing range was off the hook.
I prefer " like butter"
“Merry Christmas Darling” is my favorite Christmas song and it’s by Karen Carpenter. Beautiful voice!!!
With a mother like that, she didn't need enemies. I grew up listening to her. Her voice was perfect for that era. She was the talent in her family.
Sometimes it really is the mother to blame. Cliches become cliches because there's often some grain of truth in them.
Meowzie Karen’s brother was just as talented as she was.
@@shawnaweesner3759 , no way..
Her voice was beautiful-there is none like it.
Yes! Agnes ordered her daughter to go through with a wedding ceremony when her daughter wanted out of the relationship because Agnes cared about the $$$ she had spent and how it looked for her - Agnes was all about Agnes.
I believe Karen had the most beautiful female singing voice of all time.
Her voice had a unique quality that no one else's had.
“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”
― Lao Tzu
Sad but true.
The opposite of not caring at all what others think can be harmful too. The art is developing enough self esteem to be able to distinguish who you should listen to.
Good point One has to wonder where Dr Grande comes from. All of a sudden there are a hundred videos of him analyzing everything from Bugs Bunny to Vlad the Impaler. It doesn't seem possible to produce so much material, which would require some research and investigation into details and facts, so quickly. Did he give up his full time job to do this?? So who is signing his cheque I'm wondering God's Speed All
Her Mum never supported her or acknowledged that she was a fantastic artist😢
@@tonyfinn5183 he's well informed though...maybe through covid-19 he has spare time
Not gonna lie, feeling pretty pissed off at Agnes.
Yes.
a mothers conditional love......
@@pea6619 ?
@@lisadiconti not to be valued by your mother
Right?! her family really held her back.
Not only did Karen Carpenter have the voice of an angel, she was one helluva drummer! For real. Homegirl could lay it DOWN!
A bright light extinguished far too soon.
In fact, she was one of Buddy Rich's favorite drummers.
She beat John Bohnam in a drum off
and she could drum and sing t the same time, something I find impossible
Saw them in Vegas 1978. I never really believed that voice could actually be that good until I heard it live about 20 feet in front of me. I will never forget that moment. She was absolutely incredible and remains my favourite Singer of all time.
“I want to tell you love, I think you have a fabulous voice.” John Lennon to Karen Carpenter
I'm so glad John told her that. I'm sure that must have meant something to her.
I'm glad, too.
It's good to see that John could be as kind as he was cutting. The Carpenters, after all, were hardly considered "hip;" quite the contrary, they were regarded as mainstream and rather "boojy." As I recall, Bonnie Raitt, playing a very different kind of music, said appreciative things about Karen's voice, too. And the pros really know what talent is.
I truly believe that this side of Lennon, a side glimpsed when he dropped his defensive armor donned to protect his psyche from his chaotic childhood (mom and dad both had significant issues w/showing John love and he was abandoned by both of them), would have developed as he matured.
His words to Karen were lovely, and given his status as a Beatle I’m sure it meant a great deal to her - she did have a gorgeous and rich alto voice!
@@4Mr.Crowley2 His mother didn’t abandon him. Aunt Mimi took him from her. He at one point was told he had to choose between his dad and mom. He chose his dad, but only for a little while. Julia was a free spirit, and Mimi said John needed stability. He visited his mother and she visited him.
@California Dreaming "just sayin' " is an expression used to indicate a statement is an indisputable fact-and that ain't one. Just sayin'.
She had the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.
I complety agree. It sounded like ringing of the finest cut crystal bells.
Loved her voice
She had the most beautiful voice. I especially like the way she sang Masquarade with Ella Fitzgerald.
She is my favorite singer of all time. Always will be
Well, I'd have to include Mama Cass in there too. She also met an untimely demise.
She was denied her deepest desires at every turn. No wonder she denied herself as well.
So tragic.
Exactly. If you deny yourself, at least you get to control when the denial ends.
It is not surprising that she would marry an abusive man. People who have abusive childhood tend to seek abusive relationships as adults due to the familiarity of abusive emotions.
Very intuitive!
Molly J I concur. Control is the key word. Unexpressed anger, too. Which she had every right to feel- but was probably seen as unbecoming for her to express. So it got turned inward.
Being raised by a Narc mom and having a golden child brother, named Richard, I always identified with KC. Being raised as the scapegoat is impossible to overcome! No matter what talent or achievement you attain- your mom telling you you are not good enough haunts you for a lifetime!
My mother has spent yrs telling me,only me, that every thing I did was doomed to fail,even though I told her every time it made me wish I was dead
because why try if its all doomed to fail. Then dismissed it" I don't believe I have that much influence "( so shut up then!), then played the victim " how do you think I feel knowing I made you miserable "( happy I would assume). Of course it was done to stop me moving away from her .I didn't realise until it was too late. When I finally stopped telling her things she complained I was secretive... mothers and narcissists, awful .
Not impossible, only very difficult. You have to kick those ppl out of your life, the very ppl who keep you captive, manipulate you. It’s difficult to recognize what they are doing to you, and without that, there’s no way you would WANT to get out at all…
Karen Carpenter did not die in vain. She left a lot of loving fans...who will remember her forever!
As one of the people who suggested this topic, THANK YOU!!! Her story is quite a sad one and there’s still a lot we can learn from it today. Her voice was the most beautiful instrument I’ve ever heard. Thank you, Dr. Grande!!:)
Thank you for requesting this one!
I just listened to Karen's rendition of the song "Rainbow Connection." Absolutely fantastic. Of course, Karen could have sung the New York City telephone book and it would have been a hit. Be well.
katy meta Yes. So beautiful.
Take me three or four times to finish this video I love Karen Carpenter and her music so much it was stabbed in the heart for me after that I went to heavy metal
I agree, her voice had a fullness and richness that is so very rare. She was an alto - high tenor range, again very rare for a woman to have this combination. When she sang Merry Christmas Darling and holds a note at the low range of her voice it's simply perfect! Rainbow Connection also highlights her talent. I remember sitting in my car back in May 1983 having lunch and reading about her death in Time Magazine. Ruined my mood for the day. I missed her death announcement a couple of months earlier as I was busy with my wife in establishing our family, loved her voice.
She had such a soft smooth honey voice. Poor lady 😢
Her voice was so pure, truly beautiful.
Yeah she did! If velvet had a sound it would be the sound of Karen’s voice! I like the honey one too!
I know someone who knew her professionally. She was a perfectionist; this person described her as extremely diligent and detail-oriented. To give one example, this person told me that when she sang in the studio, the recording engineer didn't have to adjust the faders at all (faders are those channel-volume controls that typically look like vertical sliders on the engineer's mix board) as she did her track. She could put the V-U (volume) meters at exactly the optimum point on every syllable, hitting the mike's sweet spot every time. This was because the her parents built a recording studio for Karen and Richard in their garage in Downey California, and Karen took a keen interest in the recording process and wanted to perfect her miking from an early age. This was just one example of her remarkable attention to detail and desire to excel.
You compared her to Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks, which I agree with. But you might also compare her to Mary Lou Retton or Nadia Comăneci; two other extreme perfectionists of that time.
Besides having a fantastic voice that was both strong and gentle, blending warmth, precision, and emotion, she was also like an Olympic gold medal athlete in her desire to "stick the landing" every time.
This uncompromising perfectionism may also have played a part in affecting her ability to cope with her life difficulties.
She was probably trying to seek approval from a mother who never gave it to her.
The perfect storm without using a safety net, both Richard & Karen's lives were set up to be knocked down. Selfish ambition without enough care for the spirit inside is to blame.
@@coconutcrab4martin Yes but... Richard had (has) an awareness of Karen's issues with food / body image / pleasing their dragon mother that no one else did. He did very little to help. How much was (is) professional jealousy the reason behind his intentionally denying the root cause of his sister's illness?
I know a man that was an executive at the Valley Forge Music Fair where the Carpenters performed in 1975(I think). He met the band, and Richard and Karen, afterwards. He said the band was great, but Karen was remote and maybe depressed. This was around the beginning of her bout with anorexia, I am not surprised she was down.
@@annajacob7981 Disagree. RC was an selfish narc due to his god like attitude which was created by his dragon of a mom. KC was a leftover piece of meat AGNES used to help Richard. The whole drama begins and ends with their mother! RC had his own issues and became addicted to ludes in the 1970’s. He couldn’t help himself, much less his sister!
Her mother was cold as ice. She was a really strange woman.
Karen died on my 11th birthday. I remember it well. Even then, at such a young age, I knew she had died young. My dad loved her voice. Thanks Dr.G. ...takes me back.
My Dad ALSO had a crush on her!
Man body dysmorphia is a real demon. I had a friend in middle school who thought she was huge. The girl was rail thin. Sad.
@#LoSLakersFan 28 Do you get help for it? I would like you to. No one should have to feel like that.💜
@#LoSLakersFan 28 Hang in there. I know it's not the same thing, but I'm a sex abuse survivor. Another self esteem killer. When I was 5 my family used to make fun of me and call me dirty, even though it wasn't my fault. It happened again when I was 8, my mother's boyfriend. I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid I would be teased again. There's strength in numbers. Maybe find someone who has been through what you're going through to talk to. It might help to know you're not alone. I was shy at first, but this type of therapy really helped. Wishing you the best...💜
@#LoSLakersFan 28 Like you, I'm working on it. That which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger😉. I take my experience and try to be a better mother to my children than what I had. And look at you, opening up to someone like me who you don't know. We all have struggles and think nobody understands. I think people have more in common that we give credit. You'll get there.💜
I think that because of Agnes she specifically neglected Karen. As Dr Grande said, her mother never wanted to show or express love to Karen at all. I think this was made all the worse because she became famous. So she has the accepting of fans, and friends, but her mother especially no. It is just my opinion but I believe Agnes had some mental issues as well.
My father once said that she had the most "human" voice he had ever heard.
She reminds me of Adele: a once in a generation voice NO ONE sounds like either of them.
I like that comment, human voice, very true!
She was my father's favorite singer.
@@monilaninetynine3811 long long after Freddie
I loved Karen Carpenter. She didn’t get to explore didn’t genres of music because of Richard. He was stuck in that music and refused to branch out. He was in control of all the song choices, the recording sessions, and Karen’s career. I watched a video he did where he still seems angry for not getting the credit he felt he deserved for the duos success never accepting it was Karen’s voice, it was KAREN not him that people wanted to see. If another talented person had been playing the piano, Karen would have still been a success. No member of Karen’s family ever acknowledge this. Her death was incredible sad.
Well in fairness he was a great arranger of music. Other musicians have said he was unsurpassed.
@@8ofwands300 Yes. People downplay Richard, not realizing that it was he who knew exactly how to perfectly showcase her voice.
Karen's voice was so very beautiful and totally unique. Her voice deserves to be studied much like Freddy Mercury's voice was studied to try to explain what qualities (wavelengths, timbre, etc.) was so pleasing to the human ear. It is a voice that could not be duplicated with years of training. It was hers and hers alone. Dr. Grande, maybe you could do a video on Freddy Mercury. Another great singer we lost way too soon!
Yes, I agree, Dr. Grande should do an analysis of Freddie Mercury. I and many of my friends grew up listening to Classic Rock and Heavy Metal but whether we listened to the Allman Brothers to Led Zeppelin or AC⚡DC to Venom we had all admired and were at awe of Freddie Mercury's voice. Like Karen's voice, his was completely and utterly unique.
There’s a CZcams channel called wings of pegusus who does a great job of breaking down every note and tone, and going through every detail of every artist performance. It’s actually how I started listening to the carpenters
Not to be reductive or anything, but I feel as if a big part of the allure is the nostalgia factor. Her sound has a certain quality about it that's quintessentially 70s IMO
I guess back in the 70’s an innocent, young woman was a “Karen” and a hateful, demanding older woman was an “Agnes.”
Yeah. When they talk about haughty, entitled, racist Karens, I always think "but not Karen Carpenter".
On T.V there were a lot
of middle aged female
villians named "Mildred."
A girl on T.V.named Karen
would probably be
young and sweet.
Not all Karens are bad,
one Karen gave me one
of best cats.
It’s interesting the people that are called Karen’s are very seldom named Karen
😂
Now the over 50s are 'Karens'. No disrespect to any ladies called Karen. My children think I am a ' Karen'
Never felt good enough...sad for a brilliant woman..her voice was unique..analogy: Ferrari on a go cart track 👍😂
As a musician, I can safely say that Karen Carpenter's voice was perfect. It didn't matter what she sang, her voice was just that good! She is my favorite singer of all time. I say this because the quality of her voice was unsurpassed; she had excellent timing, excellent dynamics; she had a decent vocal range too. Karen was able to place great emotion into her voice, and few singers can surpass this quality.
As for Richard Carpenter being jealous, that to me is total BS. He fought hard for her to come up from behind the drums to be the focus of the group. Richard had and has plenty of musical talent, mostly as an arranger and composer. He used his talents to highlight Karen's wonderful voice. I just wish that she could have recovered from her illness.
Thanks for your covering Karen's life and death.
The golden child usually grows up confused. They usually sight with the parent who calls them golden/talented ect..But he was smarter than most and was not going to leave Karen in the dust despite his mother's opinion. That takes guts in that dynamic. He probably tried his best to bring her out of anorexia as well.
@@dancelifeforsure Good perspective. You're probably right about him trying to help her.
ok but what about him telling the record company not to release her solo album? seems he thought he would not have a caerer if she was successful
@@dancelifeforsure I think he had his own self-interest in mind
Her voice cries out for a Jazz band backup. She would have been fantastic as a Jazz singer.
Richard once played the prelude in C Minor of the Bach Well Tempered Klavier, Book 1 while she sang a Cole Porter song over it. They did this on the Tonight Show.
They made it sound very very convincing! Their performance, Dr. Grande, pointed to a future of very rich contributions to music.
We lost more than we knew when she died.
I watched this video and went to listen to "Close to You" because I was curious about her voice. I'm holding back tears right now, she deserved so much better.
I so love to hear Crescent Noon
Top Of The World's other great one.
It's very difficult to sing and play drums at the same time. She must have been extraordinarily talented to do that.
You should listen to “Superstar”… you’ll be in hysterics… 😢 like me.
their mom fed Richard generously, but encouraged Karen to remain slim.
nice work, mom.
IKR!
Richard has also admitted to battling drug addiction.
Nice work society.
We really don't know what goes on behind closed doors of anyone.
When someone dies~we all feel the need to blame another..
Please have sympathy for Karen's mother....no one knows the real truth and no one will.
@@lmb4876 Yeah well, Agnes also had a prescription for Quaaludes and was the one who gave it to Richard initially. Not being able, or not wanting, to tell your child you love them is a BIG problem.
Thank you for making this video, Dr. Grande. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and also someone who struggled with Anorexia Nervosa in the early 1980s, it was good to hear your synopsis of Karen's life and death. A couple of thoughts come to mind: 1) Her relationship with her mother. Mothers are our first source of food, even from the womb, and so it would make sense that if her relationship with her mother was disrupted, then her relationship with food would also be disrupted; 2) In the early 1980s, Karen's rapid weight restoration would be considered positive (from 85# to 110#). However, back then we didn't know the dangers of refeeding syndrome. This is when weight is gained too quickly, and the physical body doesn't know how to handle the shock to the physical body. Thankfully, eating disorder treatment centers in the present day are more aware of the dangers of refeeding syndrome, and can be mindful of this when providing treatment to those struggling with Anorexia Nervosa. As for Karen's music, I agree with you about her voice....and...it is difficult for me to hear her sing because I can really sense a lot of pain in her vocal expression. Thanks again.
I’ve been obsessed with Karen Carpenter for as long as I can remember. Such a beautiful voice and an incredibly heart breaking story.
If I ever hear her voice I immediately stop what I'm doing and pay attention. One of my all time favorites.
I wish Dr. Grade was a family member just so he could roast me subtly and tactfully at family parties
Lol boy you got that right! I wanna send him to my ex mother in laws next Sunday Brunch wearing a wire! 😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Killing you softly with his words.
Yeah that might actually make family obligations something I’d want to go to.
For sure!
Wish he did private practice, or Skype calls so I could get his take, on my 20 year long anxiety, and agoraphobia. (Im 40 y/o)
His dry humor, a must though! 🤗
Her struggles in life were so sad. She had such a beautiful voice and her music is timeless.
She had a great voice. I would have loved to hear her sing in person.
I remember being fascinated by Karen Carpenter’s life and death when I was young. Thanks this was interesting.
Karen Carpenter was one of the best vocalist to ever live, too bad her mom was extremely jealous and treated her like a second-class citizen.
And the men around her controlled her career.
You have to understand a lot of women in Agnes’s generation prized male Children over girl children. Karen’s parents had no musical background or training and they thought Richard’s Talent was immense but they never gave the time a day to Karen. They considered her just following along after Richard like a puppy, And could not see nor understand her immense talent.
Her voice was amazing! So unique , you know it’s Karen when you hear her voice ⭐️ “I can take all the madness the world has to give but I won’t last a day without you” 💛
A one of a kind. A legend. We've learned so much about Mental Health since Karen's time. Wish we could have helped her. She taught us so much. Thanks for this Dr. Grande.
Sounds like you were/are a fan Dr. Grande. Her voice was so haunting and at the same time so beautiful. She had so much talent. RIP Karen Carpenter.
She had the voice of an angel and the mother of the devil.
I agree with you, Dr. Grande, on Karen's voice & talent. I think her mother's behavior was a tremendous ongoing problem for her.
My mother loved the Carpenters and was always sad about what happened to Karen. Thank you for the breakdown.
When she sang Merry Christmas Darling...perfection.
It’s my favorite Christmas song ❤️
Oh, that poor young lady. My heart goes out to her; I had no idea about all the issues with her husband and parental pressure. I wish she could have lived her own independent authentic life. She was truly talented. Her mother, on the other hand, was a heartless narcissist.
Karen and Richards' assistants referred to Agnes as The Dragon Lady.
@@KB4QAA I had no idea! I understand why!
Wrong
Exactly!!!
I met a girl in my late 20's in the 1970's who developed Anorexia. We were just friends but I liked her very much. This disease was all consuming so nothing more than just a friendship could develop. I read the book the Golden Cage trying to understand Anorexia at the time thinking maybe I could help her, but I couldn't reach her. We saw less of each other as time went on and she eventually passed away.
oh wow I'm sorry
So sad. Bless you.
Here's another vote for the best voice ever, as well as for the emotional intelligence she displayed in her sublime phrasing. So many singers today are hailed for belting it out as loud as possible, basically controlled screaming. Their ability may be incredibly athletic, but they don't display any emotional range or subtlety. Karen Carpenter's voice was not only beautiful, but she had emotional insight into music and could use a full emotional range with tremendous subtlety and finesse.
I love Karen Carpenter so much. She was so hard on herself and it’s so sad how she died 🎶 🎼 🎵 🥺
She had such a unique singing voice.
it was glorious
She did.
Stunning
Sad case - heartbreaking - she was so talented and successful but she lacked the self confidence that comes from parental attachment/bonding. A warning for parents here - love your kids demonstrably and don't cultivate favourites.
Nice ideal, but it just doesnt happen.
Dr. Grande, I am a musician and a huge Carpenter fan. I collected every album from "Offerings" to "Voice of the Heart", tapes of radio interviews, and a few rare recordings while they were studying at UC Long Beach. Your historical research is nearly perfect. Your re-telling of Karen's life is is succinct yet complete. I might argue your comment that Karen was more talented than Richard. I am critical of his "handling" of his sister, but his talents, rooted in jazz and classical, are undeniable. Your insight of Karen not flourishing in her environment stops short of blaming Agnes and Richard for her illness...I blame them completely, based on what we now know about anorexia nervosa. Each time I saw them in concert, Karen was bubbling and giddy with joy when behind the drums, her initial instrument and her passion. I have been a frontman for bands and understand the psychology of pushing her center stage. A full drumkit, even a clear one, erects a barrier between the performer and audience. I conceptualized many on-stage theatrics which would have allowed Karen to remain behind the drums, yet center stage.....ah, but too late. Your analogy, comparing Karen to a Ferrari up on blocks, is excellent. Dionne Warwick offered some insightful comments regarding her friend's health and amazing talents. Your comment about one being dismissive of Karen's voice due to the restriction of the easy listening framework is right on the money. Thank you for sharing this....I think I'll play the piano for a while.
Karen Carpenter was an incredible musician with an immaculate voice. Such a loss to the music world... 😔
And to the World
The Dr is clearly a fan.
The crystal clarity of her voice brings me to tears. ‘Superstar’ is definitely Karen Carpenter’s song. At the time she left us, people made constant reference to the fact that she just couldn’t see her own talent. So sad.
Thank you so much for this interesting analysis of Karen Carpenter. I grew up listening to The Carpenters and was never ashamed to admit my love for their music, although many people wouldn't. I remember the sadness I felt when she died, realizing that behind the smiles during her performances hid a young woman who never felt worthy and died desperately trying to accept herself.
Karen had such a beautiful voice, it is absolutely haunting.
I agree with you. Her voice was very close to perfect. She richly deserved the happiness that seems to have been denied to her.
I am glad Dr. Grande made this video. In my opinion, Karen Carpenter's story should be taught in school health classes. It not only highlights anorexia nervosa, but also the importance of healthy self-esteem for girls (a point I did not consider before Dr. Grande spoke of Karen Carpenter's mother).
Her voice truly was outstanding. My late husband basically forced me to listen to her sing because I’d been so arrogantly dismissive of the genre. When I dropped my prejudice and just listened to her, I was very impressed.
Dr Grande-I have always described Karen's voice as "the voice of an angel". Her voice was perfect! She was a very talented, beautiful woman that wanted nothing more than to be loved. Because she was so kind and trusting, people took advantage of her. The only aspect of her life she felt she could control was her appearance. Very sad life.
There are a number of mothers who seem to be all about their sons but consider their daughters as nothing. Perhaps you could do an episode on this phenomena (I'll bet it's a syndrome with a name for it but Google wasn't my friend on this ocassion).
---That’s what I got too, plus Richard was just as critical as his mother was to Karen.
This is very true of my parents generation where there was a greater expectation of boys and the daughter’s ambitions weren’t recognised or acknowledged.
Yes, my mother being one of them
A lot of that was just baseline level patriarchy/misogyny that was just beginning to be tackled. It wasn't that long ago, but we've made some progress since then.
@@ilikeyoutube836 me, too.
I loved Karen Carpenter as many did. I remember seeing her on TV toward the end of her life....was so worried about her. All of that because she thought her thighs were “too big”. So very sad.
I think Karen’s voice was so beautiful and pure. Sadly she left us way too soon.....
Thank you Dr. Grande for this excellent analysis. ❤️
She and my older sister could have been twins. They both had beautiful voices and struggled with health issues. And they both left us too soon.
I'm so sorry for your loss :'(
I'm so sorry for your loss
Sorry for your loss
I hope you are doing well. So sad.
I met Karen in Acapulco at a conference where they performed. She died later that year. I still remember the sadness.
I love you more than ever for this one. Karen Carpenter’s voice is my inspiration every time I sing. I hold her in love forever.
Karen was the definition of a true Calliope-beautiful voice...I am a 66 year old male.. I have been a huge fan of The Carpenters and I have always loved Karen's voice for 50 years now.. she was and is still the best I have ever heard.. I believe that Karen is the most beloved-adored female singer Worldwide in recorded music history.. There was no racial or language barrier when Karen sang.. African American's, Hispanics, The Japanese adored her, Brits and Europeans, Korean's, Filipino's, Brazilians, Australians.. you name it loved her smooth as velvet and soothing sweet voice.. She has been gone for 37 and a half years but her songs are still listened to by millions of people from all around the World, and the Carpenters recordings are still selling very, very well to this day.. Her Voice is the "Voice of The Heart" and the voice of love to me.. and all her fans will always grieve for her and love her because she was taken out of this World at only 32 years old .. still a young woman who never got to fulfill her dreams of becoming a mom and having her own family and children. I hope Karen is over that rainbow and has found the rainbow connection.. R.I.P sweetheart Karen Anne Carpenter you and brother Richard have left a 50 year and counting musical legend-legacy here on Earth...
@nomopayn Agee with you, ...and Thank you. After all these years I still have a Crush on Karen Carpenter. I'm not getting through these comments without tears in my eyes.
Her voice is like the best, warmest hug from your favorite person. She is missed.
Her voice was like a fall day in Virginia's lush Shenandoah Valley. Interesting take on the mother.
My man, "Trane."
"Blue Train" is some of the greatest music I've ever heard.
I bet all she wanted was someone to love her as she is.
She sang in such a beautiful simple clear way.The saddest part is she worked hard to overcome her illness but it was just too late.
I recall reading comments from a supporting musician in the Carpenters' band. He made it clear that neither Richard nor Karen tolerated mistakes. The story did not surprise me given the manner in which Karen Carpenter died: crazy perfectionism, self-applied. The Carpenters began as a jazz band, which is not the easiest material to learn and play. They were gaining an audience as a jazz band. The were successful enough given their ages. Later, Richard Carpenter dismissed this music as weird, considering the easy-listening material as preferable if not better. It would be preferable if one wants to make money and become famous. In all of that Karen Carpenter's preferences were not revealed. What did she want to play? The band and the family did not appear to be very warm, accepting, tolerant. Richard self-medicated; Karen despised her body image. Both were compulsive and self-destructive; both pursued control over their being. Such control is always an illusion.
I was 14 when she died. I vividly remember that being the first time I consciously questioned the peer pressure of the time to starve yourself thin. I certainly was impacted on by that peer pressure but not for too long, thank god. I also raised my own children to be connected to their emotions, to value the emotions of people as the most precious part of a persons character. Not their appearance. I did so because I feel like the pressure to be thin is stronger now than ever. Excellent video.
The phrase "starved to perfection" comes to mind (I first heard it in Tom Wolfe's novel "Bonfire of the Vanities"). It seems people who develop anorexia nervosa (women and, now, men, too) have a problem with perfectionism, a neurotic desire to be perfect in some way, usually in the hope of gaining someone's love.
John Paul Well my children are male, young men now, and they are certainly very aware of their body image. They were raised on a healthy diet, grew up in a town where, still, the only take away is subway. Of course they’ve had rubbish food but they are a normal bmi and still diet occasionally. Neuroticism is rampant in the multi billion $ diet industry.
Penny Fleming:
I like what you said in your comment:
" ... to value the emotions of people as the most precious part of a person's character."
You sound like you have the best kind of understanding: the understanding of the heart.
Your sons are fortunate they have you.
John Paul Cheers hon! That’s something i had to learn though, i certainly did not grow up learning that. But im very privileged. Im australian and have had access to affordable mental health care and higher education. Im very conscious of how many people in this world do not have such privileges.
@@pennyfleming3006
Good for you.
Australia seems like an interesting place, and Aussies seem like interesting people.
Thanks for all the excellent actresses and actors, some of the very best I've ever seen.
I saw Karen Carpenter in concert and she was very thin. She had such a beautiful voice and so much talent. I did not know about her family. I still think about her and wish she was still singing. Thank you Dr. Grande for your informative videos.
Beautiful eulogy. So on point. Thank you for saying what needed to be said regarding Karen. Her voice was indeed as close to perfect as a voice could be.
I sure miss Karen Carpenter....I get sad when I hear her singing...her brother and her were sure great together.
Awww, she was lovely. So that's where she started the drums, THX!! She was a dynamite drummer! What a shame she had such a jerk for hubby 😔 this brings back wonderful memories of a beautiful voice and woman. 🐦
Don't forget to blame the jerk she had for a mother, who forced her into a marriage she wanted to pull out of. She forced her into marriage because she didn't want to lose the money she had already invested in the wedding! That's almost unbelievably and perversely selfish.
@@JohnPaul-le4pf There are no words I could comfortably type here regarding thart kind of miserable existence of a person. Don't worry, it was noted my friend
As a very shy and chubby young girl I once saw The Carpenters perform on television. Karen behind the drums, but also in front singing. I remember looking at her in awe as she was then, with wide hips, and marvelling that someone that looked like me could be so enormously talented and beautiful and dared to be in the limelights like that!
She gave me so much self confidence by just being her wonderful self.
So, so very sad that unknown to me at the time she turned out to be haunted by people (media) saying she was too fat. That was what started her dieting and profound ongoing weight loss, turning into an eating disorder she didn't have any control over anymore, and which killed her at the moment she was actually getting a little bit better, conquering it. Or so it seemed.
I didn't know about her mother and other family problems. That makes her sad story come even closer to home for me.
My heart still hurts for her. How evel must someone be to be so hard and hateful to someone so very kind and beautiful, inside and out.
She was never chubby. This is the problem with society right here.
Karen, my all time favorite. Breaks my heart what she went through and her cold mother. RIP.
Such a tragic loss, I grew up listening to Carpenters records...her voice was so beautiful, I’m sorry she suffered so much.
I 100% agree that Karen Catpenter had a perfect voice! Her voice is incredible it gives me goosebumps every time I hear her voice ❤️ it's a truly tragic that she went through all that and died so young 😔
I truly appreciate the Karen Carpenter love at the end. I always marveled at how striking her voice was.
That was an excellent speculation on a beautiful singer who passed to quickly. Thank you for your kindness in describing her life.
Just music,nothing else, no profanity, no nudity needed to get noticed
Who does that??
@@darlalathan6143 don't ask that question you'll be surprised how many
Yes, Yes! Karen's voice, persona and themes were as close to perfect as we've EVER heard! The tenderness, pure spirit, deep love and reassuring affection were distinctively hers, from their beginning, mystically maternally compelling and appealing, hit song after even going against the tide against old-fashioned nonelectric, not psychadelic or rebellious, but sweet, solid, sincere American-woman-next-door romance.
This was a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time. Thank you, Dr Grande.
She had a rich voice w/so much depth, the best alto voice I have ever heard and I loved the music as well.
I agree with you 100 percent, Dr. Grande! Karen Carpenter had one of the clearest voices in the history of vocal chords and she had perfect pitch. madonna can't hold a tune in a bucket. Karen Carpenter.... oooooh, when I hear her songs, I just WISH I could sing like her!
So sad, she had such a beautiful voice.
My dad was stationed in the Philippines and we lived there for 3 years. The Carpenters were in my record collection and stayed in rotation. Hearing her voice as a young girl mesmerized me.
Gone too soon.
Her voice was and is beautiful. It sounds so effortless when she sings, clear and sweet.
As a child of the 70's and 80's, I loved her music so much. The songs were touching, catchy, and fun to sing along with. Still hear them everywhere today. Loved the Carpenters.
I think I am an alto because of her 😉....
Thank you for this analysis, Dr. Grande. Karen Carpenter had the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Such a tragic loss.
Very interesting view indeed. Agree with Dr Grande that her voice was the closest to perfection regardless of the music type. Karen's was the first voice that I fell in love with, she sounded so pure and clean and had such an amazing tone to it, almost angelic...
I might have been Karen's biggest fan. I was about 14 when Close To You came on the radio. I was hooked and begged my momma to get me that album. Also. Most of us had never heard of Anorexia Nervosa until this tragedy. She really brought this terrible mental health issue to awareness. Karen had a voice like no other. Even now, there is absolutely no one that even reminds us of her voice. It was truely one of a kind singing voice.
Such an awesome drummer. If only producers let her sit behind her kit, she might've had a different life.
Right!!!!! (Of course, no drum emojis available to add, damn lead guitarists lol) Poor kid 😕
Unfortunately, that was just one of the many symptoms of the bigger problem.
Seriously, you can feel her joy when she drums, and it rubs off on you.
It makes sense that her family/mom would blame her for her problems instead of considering to help her. No one understood this stuff in those days.
Help your cat to drive. I agree but her mom was hateful and hurtful towards her in general. I believe the mother would of treated Karen the same if she did not suffer from anorexia .
"The Karen Carpenter Story" is an awesome movie about her life. So sad that she didn't have her family's support like she should have; especially her mother's. 😥
Yass! I was hoping you'd do an analysis on her case. It's such a harsh story, probably one of the more obvious cases of anorexia.. ever. The interviews are really hard to watch.. Karen, in her late 20s looking like she was in her early 60s.
Close to me, Top of the world... man, that lady really knew how to sing... I always find it so heart-crushing when someone tries their best to recover and their progress is cut short because of how damn destructive in the long-run their issues really became.
There are some videos where she was dressed to make her look LARGER. You could tell she was skeletal underneath.
such a loss. she was my favorite singer growing up in the 1970s
Trivia - Sonic Youth did a song titled “Tunic (for Karen)” about Karen Carpenter. The lady in the group, Kim Gordon, is a big fan. Sonic Youth also did a cover of their song “Superstar”.
It sucked
When you hear her story and how her family treated her, it breaks your heart. I cried my eyes out listening to her story. She was so young and talented ♥
She had an unique voice no doubt. This was a devastating outcome from this devastating illness.
You made some excellent points while at the same time providing great information on Anorexia Nervosa which continues to be a poorly understood condition by many.
Thank you Dr. Grande.❤️