Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Karen Carpenter moved with her family to Downy, California, in 1963. Karen's older brother, Richard Carpenter, decided to put together an instrumental trio with him on the piano, Karen on the drums and their friend Wes Jacobs on the bass and tuba. In a battle of the bands at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, the group won first place and landed a contract with RCA Records. After cutting two albums that were never released the trio broke up, but Karen and Richard formed another band with four other students from California State University that played several gigs before disbanding. In 1970 Karen and Richard made several demo music tapes and shopped them around to different record companies; they were eventually offered a contract with A&M Records. Their first hit was a reworking of The Beatles hit "Ticket to Ride", followed by a rerecorded version of Burt Bacharach's "Close to You", which sold a million copies.

Soon Richard and Karen became one of the most successful groups of the early 1970s, with Karen on the drums and lead vocals and Richard on the piano with backup vocals. They won three Grammy Awards, embarked on a world tour, and landed their own TV variety series in 1971, titled Make Your Own Kind of Music!. However, nobody knew that Karen was at the time suffering from anorexia nervosa, a mental illness characterized by obsessive dieting to a point of starvation.

In 1975 the story came out when The Carpenters were forced to cancel a European tour because the gaunt Karen was too weak to perform. In 1976 she moved out of her parents' house to an apartment of her own. A few years later she married real estate developer Thomas J. Burris. Shortly afterwards, she and brother Richard were back in the recording studio, where they recorded their hit single "Touch Me When We're Dancing". However, Karen was unable to shake her depression as well as her eating disorder, and after collapsing after a recording, she spent most of 1982 in a New York City hospital undergoing treatment. Her marriage was falling apart, and she and Burris were divorced by the end of the year. By 1983 Karen was starting to take control of her life and planning to return to the recording studio and began making public appearances again. On February 4, 1983, she went to her parents' house to sort through some clothes she kept there when she collapsed in a walk-in closet from cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead on the spot. She was only 32. Doctors revealed that her long battle with anorexia nervosa had stressed her heart to the breaking point.



In her mid 20s, she was still living with her parents. Was married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in the Crystal Room Ranked #29 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll Sang "Bless the Beasts and the Children" with her brother Richard Carpenter at The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972) (TV). "A Star on Earth - A Star in Heaven" is written in her mausoleum. While being treated for anorexia, she crocheted a sign above her hospital bed that read "You Win, I gain!". Dedicated her solo album to her brother Richard Carpenter. On Wednesday, October 12, 1983 she posthumously received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, along with her brother Richard Carpenter. The star is located at 6931 Hollywood Blvd. The song "Now", recorded in April 1982, was the last song she ever recorded. in 1976, she bought a Century City condominium. she gutted two separate apartments and turned it into one. the address was 2222 Avenue of the Stars. As a housewarming-gift her mother Agnes Carpenter gave her a collection of leather-bound classic works of literature. Songwriter Paul Williams wrote "Rainy Days And Mondays" for her. Her funeral took place on February 8, 1983 at the United Methodist Church in Downey, California. Performed and sang for Richard Nixon at the White House in 1972. Was close to her brother Richard Carpenter. Her favorite Carpenters song was "I Need To Be In Love". Loved to play softball/baseball. Had to have surgery on her ear, during the late 1970s, for impaired hearing. Her cover version of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield in 1964, shortly before Dionne Warwick recorded it that same year. Dusty's was scheduled for release as a single, and potential follow-up to her no. 3 hit "I Just Don't Know What To Do with Myself". However, it wasn't until three years later, in 1967, that it finally was released on her Where Am I Going? album, with the beginning intro cut from its release. Has four nieces and one nephew: Richard Carpenter's five children. Her ex-husband Tom Burris was a real-estate developer. At the time they met, Tom was a 39-year-old divorce with an 18-year-old son. Karen was 30 years old. The rock band Sonic Youth, wrote a song about Karen, called "Tunic (Song For Karen)". They also contributed to a 1994 tribute album for the Carpenters. She was portrayed by a Barbie Doll in Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) in 1998 the RIAA certified that "The Singles 1969 - 1973" had sold 7 million units since its release in 1973. This makes "The Singles 1969 - 1973" the Carpenters' best-selling album ever (as of 2005). In 1975, "Please Mr. Postman" became the Carpenters' 10th & last certified Gold single She befriended Cherry Boone while getting treated for Anorexia. Boone herself was a recovered anorectic Her childhood home was 55 Hall Street (in New Haven, Connecticut). She went to school at Nathan Hale Elementary School in Connecticut. Died a married woman. She was planning to officially sign divorce papers on the day she died. Her cousin Mark Rudolph appears in the Carpenters album "Now & Then" By June 1981, the Carpenters had sold over 55 million albums By 1977, the Carpenters received 11 gold records from Japan The Carpenters catalog leads all A&M Records artists for the most number of compilation albums created from original material. It is also the catalog most often reissued. After the Carpenters became successful during the early 1970s, she & her brother bought two apartment buildings in Downey, California and called them "Close To You" and "Only Just Begun". Today, the "Close To You Apartments" can still be located at - 8356 East 5th, Downey, California. She was a fan of Matt Monro and Spike Jones and His City Slickers She was managed by Sherwin Bash from 1970 - 1975 She was managed by Jerry Weintraub from 1976 - 1983 Argueably, her best performance is a song which was never even released. It was a song opted not to be used on her infamous aborted solo album. It is a song penned by Paul Jabara ["Last Dance"] and Jay Asher, and is called "Something's Missing (In My Life)." Many who have heard the work-lead feel it truly relates to Karen's personal struggles and depth of her feelings. The song remains unmixed and without strings. The song some people regard as her best Carpenters song is a song which was her personal favorite called "I Need to Be in Love." Portrayed by Cynthia Gibb in The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) (TV).