# Carole King > American singer-songwriter and musician (born 1942) **Wikidata**: [Q217787](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q217787) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_King) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/carole-king ## Summary Carole King is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer born in 1942. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential female songwriters in popular music history, having written or co-written numerous hit songs for herself and other artists throughout her career spanning from 1958 to the present. Her 1971 album "Tapestry" became one of the best-selling albums of all time and revolutionized the singer-songwriter genre. ## Biography - **Born**: February 9, 1942 - **Nationality**: United States - **Birth Name**: Carol Joan Klein - **Education**: Queens College (founded 1937, located in New York City, 2,353 employees) - **Known for**: Pioneering female singer-songwriter; writing and performing her own music; creating the landmark album "Tapestry" - **Employer(s)**: Sony Music Entertainment, A&M Records, Epic Records, EMI, Priority Records, RCA Records, Columbia Records - **Field(s)**: Pop music, soft rock, folk rock, blue-eyed soul, easy listening, adult contemporary music - **Work Period Start**: 1958 ## Contributions Carole King's contributions to music span multiple decades and include: - **Songwriting Career (1958–present)**: Began writing songs in the late 1950s, becoming one of the most prolific and successful songwriters in popular music - **"Tapestry" (1971)**: Released her second solo album which became a cultural phenomenon, selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and spending 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 - **Co-writing with Gerry Goffin**: Partnered with then-husband Gerry Goffin to write numerous hit songs in the 1960s, including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "The Loco-Motion," "Up on the Roof," "Take Good Care of My Baby," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" - **Performing Career**: Transitioned from primarily a songwriter to a performing artist in the early 1970s, releasing numerous solo albums - **Acting Roles**: Worked as an actor, television actor, film actor, and voice actor in addition to her music career - **Record Label Associations**: Worked with major labels including A&M Records, Epic Records (founded 1953, owned by Sony Music), Sony Music Entertainment (headquartered in New York City, revenue $7.27 billion, 8,578 employees), EMI (defunct British company 1931-2012), Priority Records, RCA Records (founded 1901), and Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. ## FAQs **What genres of music is Carole King known for?** Carole King is known for performing and writing music in multiple genres including pop music, soft rock, folk rock, blue-eyed soul, easy listening, and adult contemporary music. **What are Carole King's most famous songs?** Some of Carole King's most famous songs include "It's Too Late," "I Feel the Earth Move," "So Far Away," "You've Got a Friend," and "Home Again." As a songwriter with Gerry Goffin, she wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "The Loco-Motion," "Up on the Roof," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." **What awards has Carole King received?** Carole King has received numerous prestigious awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Trustees Award, MusiCares Person of the Year, Kennedy Center Honors, Gershwin Prize, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. **What is Carole King's connection to Queens College?** Carole King was educated at Queens College, a college in New York City founded in 1937 with approximately 2,353 employees. **Which record labels has Carole King worked with?** Carole King has worked with numerous major record labels throughout her career including A&M Records (founded 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss), Epic Records (founded 1953, now part of Sony Music), Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, Priority Records, RCA Records (founded 1901), and Columbia Records. **Who did Carole King write songs for?** Beyond her own performing career, Carole King wrote or co-wrote songs for numerous artists. Notably, she co-wrote many hits with Gerry Goffin for artists including The Shirelles, Little Eva (who recorded "The Loco-Motion"), The Drifters, and many others. ## Why They Matter Carole King matters as a transformative figure in popular music who broke barriers for female artists and songwriters. Her album "Tapestry" redefined what a solo female artist could achieve, blending personal songwriting with intimate performance in a way that influenced countless artists who followed. As one of the first major female singer-songwriters to achieve commercial success on her own terms, she paved the way for women in the music industry who had previously been largely confined to performing songs written by men. Her songwriting partnership with Gerry Goffin produced some of the most enduring songs in pop music history, demonstrating an extraordinary ability to craft songs that connected with listeners across generations. The breadth of her musical output—from early Brill Building pop to folk rock to soft rock—demonstrates her versatility and adaptability as an artist. King's influence extends beyond her music to her role as a cultural icon who demonstrated that women could be successful as both songwriters and performers. Her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receipt of the Kennedy Center Honors, and other lifetime achievement awards recognize her foundational contributions to American popular music. Without Carole King, the trajectory of female artists in popular music would have been fundamentally different, and the singer-songwriter genre that defined the 1970s and beyond might not have emerged in the same way. ## Notable For - Releasing "Tapestry" (1971), one of the best-selling albums in music history - Being one of the first female singer-songwriters to achieve major commercial success as a performer - Writing or co-writing numerous hit songs that have become standards in popular music - Receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award - Receiving the Grammy Trustees Award - Being named MusiCares Person of the Year - Receiving the Kennedy Center Honors - Receiving the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song - Having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Maintaining a recording career spanning over 60 years since 1958 ## Body ### Early Life and Education Carole King was born Carol Joan Klein on February 9, 1942, in the United States. She attended Queens College in New York City, an institution founded in 1937 that employs approximately 2,353 people. Her education at Queens College provided her with the foundation that would support her eventual career as one of the most influential songwriters in popular music history. ### Songwriting Beginnings and the Brill Building Era Carole King's professional music career began in 1958 when she started writing songs in the famed Brill Building era of New York City. This period, named after the Brill Building at 1619 Broadway where many songwriters worked, saw King and her then-husband Gerry Goffin creating some of the most memorable pop songs of the 1960s. Their songwriting partnership produced an impressive catalog of hits including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (recorded by The Shirelles, became a #1 hit), "The Loco-Motion" (recorded by Little Eva, became a #1 hit), "Up on the Roof" (recorded by The Drifters, became a #2 hit), "Take Good Care of My Baby" (recorded by Bobby Vee, became a #1 hit), and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (recorded by Aretha Franklin, became a top 10 hit). These songs demonstrated King's remarkable ability to craft lyrics and melodies that resonated with listeners and became enduring standards. ### Transition to Performing Artist While Carole King had been writing hits for other artists throughout the 1960s, she did not pursue a significant solo performing career until the early 1970s. This transition marked a significant moment in music history, as King demonstrated that female songwriters could succeed as performing artists in their own right—a rarity at the time. ### Tapestry and Commercial Breakthrough The release of "Tapestry" in 1971 represented a watershed moment in Carole King's career and in popular music more broadly. The album, which featured King performing her own songs in a stripped-down, intimate style, spent 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and became one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 10 million copies sold in the United States alone. "Tapestry" featured songs that have become classics including "It's Too Late" (which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year), "I Feel the Earth Move," "So Far Away," "You've Got a Friend" (which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year), and "Home Again." The album's success established King as a major performing artist and helped define the singer-songwriter genre that would dominate popular music throughout the 1970s. ### Record Label Associations Throughout her career, Carole King has been associated with numerous major record labels. She recorded for A&M Records, the American record label founded in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, known for its diverse roster including The Carpenters and Janet Jackson. She also worked with Epic Records, founded in 1953 by CBS and now part of Sony Music Entertainment, which operates as one of the "Big Three" record companies with annual revenue of $7.27 billion and 8,578 employees globally. King's association with Sony Music Entertainment, headquartered in New York City, placed her within one of the most powerful music conglomerates in the world. She also worked with EMI, the British music company that operated from 1931 until its dissolution in 2012, when it was acquired by Universal Music Group. Additional label associations include Priority Records, RCA Records (founded in 1901 by Emile Berliner and Eldridge R. Johnson, making it one of the oldest continuously operating record labels), and Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd., a British record company established in 1917. ### Acting Career Beyond her music career, Carole King has pursued work as an actor, television actor, film actor, and voice actor, demonstrating her versatility across multiple entertainment fields. This aspect of her career, while secondary to her musical achievements, reflects her broader artistic ambitions and capabilities. ### Awards and Recognition Carole King's contributions to music have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and honors. She has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of recording. The Grammy Trustees Award, which recognizes music industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the field of recording, has also been bestowed upon her. She was named MusiCares Person of the Year, an award presented annually by the Recording Academy to artists who have made significant contributions to music and have shown generosity and dedication to charitable causes. The Kennedy Center Honors, an annual American honor in the performing arts, recognized her contributions to American culture. She has also received the Gershwin Prize, a music award established in 2007. Additional recognition includes a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located in Hollywood, California, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the music museum in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 1983. These honors collectively recognize King's foundational contributions to popular music and her lasting cultural impact. ### Musical Style and Influence Carole King's musical style encompasses multiple genres including pop music, soft rock, folk rock, blue-eyed soul, easy listening, and adult contemporary music. This versatility allowed her to appeal to broad audiences while maintaining artistic integrity. Her intimate, piano-driven approach to performance, exemplified in "Tapestry," influenced a generation of artists who followed, particularly female singer-songwriters. ### Legacy and Lasting Impact Carole King's legacy extends far beyond her commercial success. She demonstrated that women could succeed as both songwriters and performers, breaking barriers in an industry that had traditionally been dominated by male artists and songwriters. Her approach to writing and performing personal, introspective songs helped establish the singer-songwriter genre as a legitimate and commercially viable form of popular music. The songs she wrote or co-wrote continue to be performed, covered, and celebrated more than half a century after they were written. Her influence can be seen in the careers of countless female artists who followed, from Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon to Taylor Swift and beyond. Without Carole King's pioneering work, the landscape of popular music—particularly for female artists—would be fundamentally different. ### Personal Life and Continuing Career Carole King's personal life has included her marriage to Gerry Goffin, with whom she had a daughter, and later marriages to other partners. She has continued to record and perform music throughout her career, maintaining an active presence in the music industry for over six decades since beginning her career in 1958. Her official website at caroleking.com and her social media presence on Twitter (@Carole_King) and Instagram (carole_king) demonstrate her continued engagement with fans and the music community. Her career trajectory—from Brill Building songwriter to performing artist to cultural icon—represents one of the most remarkable journeys in American popular music history. ## References 1. BnF authorities 2. Integrated Authority File 3. International Standard Name Identifier 4. MusicBrainz 5. CiNii Research 6. Virtual International Authority File 7. SNAC 8. Internet Broadway Database 9. Encyclopædia Britannica Online 10. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie 11. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 12. Norwegian Authority File: Persons and Corporate Bodies 13. CONOR.SI 14. BBC Things 15. Discogs 16. LIBRIS. 2012 17. BMI Repertoire 18. YouTube API 19. The Movie Database