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'''Richard Carpenter''' may refer to:
{{Other people|Richard Carpenter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Richard Carpenter
| image = Richard Carpenter - NARA - 194770.tif
| caption = Richard Carpenter in 1972
| background = solo_singer
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1946|10|15|}}<ref name="birthdate">{{cite web|url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/biography-1.htm |website=Richardandp KarenCarpenter.com |title=Carpenters biography |date=2005}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[New Haven, Connecticut]], United States
| birth_name = Richard Lynn Carpenter
| origin = [[Downey, California]]
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]]
| instrument = [[Singing|Vocals]], [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]]<!--- If you think an instrument should be listed, a discussion to reach consensus is needed first per: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_musical_artist#instrument--->
| years_active = 1965–present
| occupation = Musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, conductor
| label = [[A&M Records|A&M]]
| associated_acts = {{unbulleted list|[[The Carpenters]]|[[Karen Carpenter]]}}
| website = {{url|http://richardandkarencarpenter.com/}}
}}


'''Richard Lynn Carpenter''' (born October 15, 1946) is an American [[pop music|pop]] musician, best known as one half of the sibling duo [[The Carpenters]], along with his sister [[Karen Carpenter]]. He is a record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, occasional lyricist, and composer, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.
* [[Richard Carpenter (theologian)]] (1575–1627), English clergyman and theological writer

* Richard Carpenter (ca. 1700–1750), original owner of the [[Belvale]] property in Virginia
==Childhood==
* [[Richard Cromwell Carpenter]] (1812–1855), British 19th century architect
Richard Lynn Carpenter was born at [[Grace-New Haven Hospital]] (now called Yale-New Haven Hospital) in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], the same hospital where his sister Karen was later born.<ref>{{cite book | author = Schmidt, Randy L. | contributor = Dionne Warwick | contribution = Forward | contributor-link = Dionne Warwick | year = 2010 | title = Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter | publisher = Chicago Review Press, Inc. | location = Chicago | isbn = 978-1-55652-976-4}}</ref> His parents were Agnes Reuwer Tatum (a housewife<ref name="Gavin, James">{{cite news|work=The New York Times Book Review|title=Sorrow in Her Voice|author=Gavin, James|date=August 6, 2010}}</ref>) (March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988). His father was born in [[China]], where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in [[England]],<ref name="Schmidt, Randy L. 2010">{{cite book|author=Schmidt, Randy L.|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter|publisher=Chicago Review Press|date=2010|isbn=9781556529764}}</ref> before working in the printing business.<ref name="Gavin, James"/> Carpenter was named after his father's younger brother, Richard Lynn Carpenter. Carpenter and his uncle both married women named Mary.<ref>{{cite book| author=Coleman, Ray| title= The Carpenters: The Untold Story|date=1994| page= 30}}</ref> Richard and his sister were baptized into the [[United Methodist Church]] and as children were part of the Methodist Youth Ministry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyI4_Phue4IC&pg=RA2-PT146&dq=karen+carpenter+methodist&hl=pl&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9gJ3u1sjXAhWDWRoKHTwjDCAQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=karen+carpenter+methodist&f=falseYesterday|title=Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader|first=Randy L.|last=Schmidt|date=12 April 2018|publisher=Chicago Review Press|via=Google Books}}</ref>
* [[Richard Carpenter (architect)]] (1841–1893), British Victorian architect

* [[Richard Carpenter (screenwriter)]] (1929–2012), British screenwriter and actor
Carpenter frequently played the piano while his younger sister, [[Karen Carpenter|Karen]], played baseball outside.<ref name=cty>Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters</ref> He and Karen also liked to listen to the children's records their father bought for them when they were young.<ref name=cty/> Richard was introduced to [[Perry Como]] and [[Ella Fitzgerald]], among many others through his father's record collection,<ref name=Billboard>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA13&dq=the+carpenters&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20carpenters&f=false|title=A Talented Brother and Sister Act Which Represents Clean, Wholesome Entertainment|author=Lieberman, Frank H.|work=Billboard|page=C-6|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|date=November 17, 1973|issn= 0006-2510|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref> and by age 12, he knew he wanted to be in the music industry. His first public appearance as a musician was at age 16 in New Haven. Along with two older friends, a group was formed and they played at a local pizza parlor. Richard joined the venture to earn money to buy a car.<ref name=Billboard/> The Carpenter family moved from New Haven to [[Downey, California]], in June 1963. They wanted Richard to further his music career, and the family was tired of the cold [[New England]] winters.<ref>{{cite book|author=Coleman, Ray|title= The Carpenters: The Untold Story|date= 1994|page= 48}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|
* Richard Carpenter, composer of Miles Davis' "[[Walkin']]"
url=https://www.npr.org/2013/02/04/171080334/remembering-karen-carpenter-30-years-later|title=Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later|author=Samberg, Joel|date=February 4, 2013|publisher=[[NPR]]|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Richard Carpenter (musician)]] (born 1946), American musician and composer, one half of The Carpenters

* [[Richard Carpenter (footballer)]] (born 1972), English football player
Carpenter studied music at the [[California State University]] at [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]. There, he met [[Frank Pooler]], a conductor and composer who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic "[[Merry Christmas Darling]]" in 1968. Richard also met good friend, [[John Bettis]], who co-wrote songs with Richard.<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2017-03-18 |url=http://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry_id=1678 |title=John Bettis|publisher=Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame}}</ref>
{{hndis|Carpenter, Richard}}

==The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum==
Carpenter created the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 with sister Karen and friend Wes Jacobs. Richard played the piano, Karen played the drums, and Wes played the tuba and bass.

In 1966 the Richard Carpenter Trio played "Iced Tea" and "[[The Girl from Ipanema]]" at the [[Hollywood Bowl]] [[Battle of the Bands]]. They won the competition, and shortly afterward recorded three songs at [[RCA Records|RCA Studios]]: "[[Every Little Thing (song)|Every Little Thing]]", "[[Strangers in the Night]]", and the Carpenter original, "Iced Tea". "Iced Tea" is the only recording that was officially released to the public.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

Around 1967 Richard and Karen joined four other student musicians from [[California State University, Long Beach|Long Beach State]] to form a sextet, '''Spectrum''', consisting of:
*Richard Carpenter
*Karen Carpenter
*[[John Bettis]]
*Leslie Johnston
*Gary Sims
*Danny Woodhams

Although Spectrum played frequently at LA-area nightclubs such as [[Whisky a Go Go]], they met with an unenthusiastic response—their broad harmonies and avoidance of [[Rock and roll|rock 'n' roll]] limited the band's commercial potential. Yet Spectrum was fruitful in another way, providing the raw material of future success: Bettis went on to become a lyricist for Richard's original compositions, and all the other members, except Leslie Johnston, went on to become members of the Carpenters.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

==Career==
Richard and Karen signed with [[A&M Records]] on April 22, 1969. "Let's hope we have some hits," [[Herb Alpert]] told the two. According to Richard, Alpert gave them ''carte blanche'' in the recording studios, but after ''[[Ticket to Ride (album)|Offering]]'', their first album, was released and wasn't a big seller, it was rumored that some of A&M's people were asking Alpert to release the Carpenters, but he believed in their talent and insisted on giving them another chance.

Alpert suggested that the Carpenters record a [[Burt Bacharach]] and [[Hal David]] song called "[[(They Long to Be) Close to You]]" written in 1963. Though Richard worked up an arrangement only after Alpert's insistence, his arranging talents clearly shone in the finished product. His arranging and musical talents, as well as Karen's vocals, helped the song climb to #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], where it stayed for a month. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" gained public recognition seemingly overnight. According to Richard, even though the song became popular overnight, the Carpenters themselves did not.

Sitting at home one night, Richard was watching TV and saw a commercial for [[Crocker National Bank]]. He recognized the voices of [[Paul Williams (songwriter)|Paul Williams]] and [[Roger Nichols (songwriter)|Roger Nichols]], two A&M songwriters on the commercial's theme song "[[We've Only Just Begun]]." Richard made some calls to confirm their involvement, and asked if there was a full version of the song, which Williams affirmed. Carpenter managed to turn the bank commercial jingle into an [[RIAA certification|RIAA-certified]] [[Music recording sales certification|Gold record]]. It peaked at #2 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and has become a popular wedding song. The song also successfully launched the careers of Nichols and Williams, who went on to write multiple hits for the Carpenters and many other artists.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

Richard composed many of the Carpenters' hits as well, with John Bettis as lyricist, such as:
*"[[Goodbye to Love]]" (1972; #7; one of the first pop ballads to have a [[fuzz guitar]] solo—influenced the development of the [[power ballad]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Popular Musicians| authors=Hochman, Steve Hochman & Adams, Mcrea |date= 1999 |page =168 }}</ref>)
*"[[Top of the World (The Carpenters song)|Top of the World]]" (1972; #1. Though the Carpenters originally opted to not release this song as a single, a version recorded by [[Lynn Anderson]] reached #2 on the ''Billboard'' Country chart; following the success of Anderson's version, the Carpenters decided to release their version as a single, and it reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.)
*"[[Yesterday Once More (song)|Yesterday Once More]]" (1973; #2)
*"[[Only Yesterday (song)|Only Yesterday]]" (1975; #4)

==Quaalude addiction and treatment==
While Karen was suffering from the [[anorexia nervosa]] that would ultimately lead to her death in 1983, in the late 1970s, Richard suffered from insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and an addiction to [[Methaqualone|Quaalude]], a sedative and hypnotic medication. Author James Gavin noted in his ''New York Times'' review of Randy L. Schmidt's biography ''Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter'' (2010):<ref name="Schmidt, Randy L. 2010"/> "His mother is said to have given him his first pill,"<ref name="Gavin, James"/> an observation that was previously portrayed in the [[CBS|CBS-TV]] television film ''[[The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' (1989) and commented on in several of that [[Television film|made-for-TV]] movie's reviews, which also noted that Agnes (their mother) had been taking them under prescription and thus thought they were safe.<ref>{{cite news|author=Weiskind, Ron|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19881231&id=RbBRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=920DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6856,8508274|title=Why: Missing From Carpenter Story|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=December 31, 1988}}</ref><ref name="Sanello, Frank">{{cite news|author=Sanello, Frank|date=January 1, 1989|title=`A Puzzle For The Ages`: Film Chronicles Carpenter`s Fall But Can`t Answer Why|work=The Chicago Tribune|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-01-01/features/8902220490_1_karen-carpenter-story-mrs-carpenter-anorexia-nervosa}}</ref> At the time he sought help, Carpenter had a doctor's prescription for Quaalude as sleep aid, but his use had gotten out of hand.

A reviewer of the [[BBC]] biopic ''[[Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story]]'' (2007) notes: "As their fame grew, cracks began to show in their wholesome facade. An insane touring schedule began to take its toll and Richard took refuge in heroic doses of quaaludes. Meanwhile, Karen started worrying about her weight. The worrying became obsession. The cracks became faultlines. The centre could not hold."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://aerialtelly.co.uk/only-yesterday.php| work=Aerial Telly| date=April 11, 2007| author=jamdog| title=Only Yesterday – The Carpenters Story}}</ref>

Dr. Gabe Mirkin wrote in "The sad story of Karen Carpenter" (February 15, 2014), "In those years, you could tell that something was wrong because the Carpenters frequently cancelled appearances. She appeared unhealthfully thin, weighing only 90 pounds when she was 25. Richard appeared to be forgetful, and it was later found that he was addicted to Quaaludes. In 1978, the Carpenters stopped touring and in 1979 Richard went into treatment to cure his dependency on this drug."<ref>{{cite news|author=Mirkin, Dr. Gabe|work=Village-News|url=http://www.villages-news.com/sad-story-karen-carpenter/|date=February 15, 2014|title=The sad story of Karen Carpenter}}</ref>

Nick Talevski similarly observes in ''Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door'' (2010): "Constantly on the road since 1970 with their [[Las Vegas|Vegas]]-style act, both Karen and Richard Carpenter were in ill health by late 1975. With Karen's weight down to 80 pounds, a tour had to be cancelled. Richard, meanwhile, had become addicted to a prescription drug, Quaalude."<ref>{{cite book|author=Talevski, Nick|title=Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door|publisher=Omnibus Press|date=2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=richard+carpenter+has+prescription+for+quaaludes&source=bl&ots=6yrWMHwrZT&sig=oE_iljf_xrmuMFB2AapIwPz8UuI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ctECVJXOIo3NggTi_4GgAg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=richard%20carpenter%20has%20prescription%20for%20quaaludes&f=false}}</ref>

By late 1978, Richard was receiving "much encouragement (and browbeating) from family and friends, to ‘face the music.’"<ref name="Biography">{{cite web| url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/biography-9.htm| page=9| title=Biography| website=RichardAndKarenCarpenter.com| accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref> Finally, in January 1979, semicomatose on Quaaludes, Richard fell down a flight of stairs backstage and finally confronted his addiction."<ref name="Sanello, Frank"/> He checked into a six-week [[Drug rehabilitation|treatment]] program<ref name="Biography"/> at the [[Menninger Foundation|Menninger Clinic]] in [[Topeka, Kansas]], and kicked his habit.<ref name="Sanello, Frank"/> "For any number of reasons, the first three weeks were 'hell on earth,' Richard says, 'but after that, things really started to change, and of course, all for the better.' Still, all of this had been a monumental change for Richard and he decided it was wise not to delve right back into work, and to pretty much take the rest of 1979 off, all the better to get accustomed to his changed fortunes."<ref name="Biography"/>

==Post-Carpenters==
[[File:Carpenters - Walk of Fame.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The Carpenters' star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame]]

On October 12, 1983, eight months after Karen's death, the Carpenter family celebrated the unveiling of The Carpenters' new star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]. Richard said in his speech, "This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and [me]. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts."<ref name=cty/><ref>Schmidt 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VeNVvoZdJ94C&pg=PA292&lpg=PA292 p. 292.]</ref>

On June 26, 1985, he started recording the solo album ''[[Time (Richard Carpenter album)|Time]]'' and finished it on July 5, 1987.<ref>''Time,'' Richard Carpenter. "Recording for this album commenced on June 26, 1985, with the final session in mix-down occurring on July 5, 1987."</ref> The album features [[Dusty Springfield]] singing "Something in Your Eyes," [[Dionne Warwick]] singing "In Love Alone," and a song Richard created – dedicated to Karen – called "When Time Was All We Had," which starts off ''[[a cappella]],'' but then Richard's piano fades in as well as Herb Alpert's [[flugelhorn]]. Lyrics include:

:Our hearts were filled with music and laughter,
:Your voice will be the sweetest sound I'll ever hear and yet,
:We knew somehow the song would never end,
:When time was all we had to spend.

In 1996, at the suggestion of music writer [[Daniel Levitin]], Carpenter recorded and released ''Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor'', which included reworkings of many Carpenters favorites, including hits and album tracks, and ends with "Karen's Theme," which Carpenter composed for the television movie, ''The Karen Carpenter Story'' (1989).

He released the DVDs ''[[Gold: Greatest Hits (video)|Gold: Greatest Hits]]'' (2002), a repackaging of the [[VHS]]/[[Betamax]] ''Yesterday Once More'' (released in 1985, two years after Karen's death in 1983) that contains all the videos from ''Yesterday Once More,'' and ''[[Interpretations (The Carpenters DVD)|Interpretations]]'' (2003), which updates the original, VHS/cassette tape released in 1995 and includes footage from the Carpenters' five TV specials and TV series from 1971–1980. The DVD follows the compilation album of the same name, which had been released earlier the same year, and includes eleven Carpenters' tracks never before available on DVD (including "From This Moment On," an outtake from the Carpenters' fifth television special), all of them digitally enhanced and feature remastered in stereo audio.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=A&M|authors=Carpenter, Richard & Carpenter, Karen|date= July 29, 2003|asin= B0000A9D2F|url=https://www.amazon.com/Carpenters-Interpretations/dp/B0000A9D2F/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409460224&sr=8-2&keywords=interpretations%2Cthe+carpenters|title=Capenters – Interpretations}}</ref>

On his 62nd birthday in October 2008, at a luncheon for The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Carpenter announced plans for "his career comeback – dubbed 'Richard Carpenter Strikes Back'"—which included "the re-release of a Carpenters Christmas album and a tribute album featuring cover versions of Carpenters songs."<ref>{{cite news|work=Daily Mail|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077848/Yesterday-Richard-Carpenter-announces-singing-comeback-pays-emotional-tribute-late-sister-Karen.html#ixzz3BwgMZBLt |title=Yesterday once more: Richard Carpenter announces singing comeback as he pays emotional tribute to late sister Karen| author= Daily Mail Reporter |date= 15 October 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=October 2008| website=Smooth Radio| title=Take a Look At Carpenters In Pictures: Richard Carpenter – a comeback?| url =http://www.smoothradio.com/artists/carpenters/carpenters-pictures/richard-carpenter-a-comeback/| author=AP Photo}}</ref>

===Documentaries===
The 43-minute film ''[[Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story]]'' (1987) was directed by [[Todd Haynes]] and was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a [[copyright infringement]] lawsuit filed by Richard.<ref name="holden">{{cite news|author=[[Holden]], Stephen |date=November 8, 1998|title=FILM; Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> The film's title is derived from [[The Carpenters]]' 1971 hit song, "[[Superstar (Delaney and Bonnie song)#Carpenters version|Superstar]]." Over the years, it has developed into a [[cult film]] and is included in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''s 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dirks, Tim|url=http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilmsew2.html|title=Top 50 Cult Movies|work= ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''/[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC]]|accessdate= January 1, 2013}}</ref>

Richard helped in the productions of the documentaries ''[[Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters]]'' (1997) and ''[[Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story]]'' (2007).

===Scholarship/talent show===
He funds an annual scholarship/talent show for people with artistic abilities that is held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

===Gear===
Richard used a wide range of keyboard instruments including [[grand piano]], [[Hammond organ]], [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[ARP Odyssey]], [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]], [[harpsichord]], [[celesta]], [[synthesizer]] and [[tack piano]]. His favourite grand piano was [[Baldwin Piano Company|Baldwin]] and initially in the 1970s, he endorsed and used Wurlitzer electric pianos before switching to the [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes electric piano]] around the 1970s. He says that at [[A&M Studios]], he regularly used a [[Steinway]] piano on the Carpenters' records with the exception of the ''[[A Song for You (The Carpenters album)|A Song for You]]'' album. On stage, he initially had both a Wurlitzer electric piano and grand piano, but after switching to the Fender Rhodes, he would typically alternate between the three for different songs on stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/fans_ask_Archive-All.htm|title=Carpenters Fans Ask-Richard Answers Archive|website=www.richardandkarencarpenter.com}}</ref> He has described the sound of the Wurlitzer electric piano as "warm" and "beautiful" and via [[overdubbing]] in the studio, he would regularly supplement his grand piano with a Wurlitzer electric piano to thicken the sound, thus creating a distinctive keyboard sound. On the song "Happy" on ''[[Horizon (The Carpenters album)|Horizon]],'' he made his earliest experiments with the [[ARP Odyssey]] synthesizer.<ref>John Tobler. ''The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters'' (1997); Omnibus Press, London; {{ISBN|0-7119-6312-6}}; p.67</ref>

==Personal life==
{{BLP sources section|date=August 2014}}
In 1984, Carpenter married his adopted cousin, Mary Rudolph.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoerburger|first1=Rob|title=Karen Carpenter's Second Life|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/06/magazine/karen-carpenter-s-second-life.html?pagewanted=3|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=4 August 2015|quote=[I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.}}</ref> Her brother, Mark Rudolph, was the Carpenters' [[road manager]] as well as the radio call-in "contestant" in the [Oldies] "Medley" on the album ''[[Now & Then (The Carpenters album)|Now & Then]]'' (1973). The couple had been dating since the late 1970s. A young Mary made a cameo appearance in the Carpenters' promotional video for the song "[[I Need to Be in Love]]" (1976).

Richard and Mary have five children: Kristi Lynn (the name Karen intended for a daughter had she had one) was born on August 17, 1987, Traci Tatum on July 25, 1989, Mindi Karen (named after her late paternal aunt) on July 7, 1992, and Colin Paul and Taylor Mary.{{sfn|Schmidt|2010|pp=297–298}} The children and Richard sometimes perform music together at various Carpenter-related events. The family today resides in [[Thousand Oaks, California]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VeNVvoZdJ94C&lpg=PA297&ots=D2rbSclvdJ&pg=PA297#v=onepage|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter|first1=Randy|last1=Schmidt|first2=Dionne|last2=Warwick|publisher=Chicago Review Press|date=May 17, 2010|pages=297–298|access-date=January 8, 2016}}</ref>

Richard is a [[MOPAR]] automobile enthusiast, and original owner of a 1970 [[Plymouth Barracuda]] with the unusual 440-6 engine and automatic transmission package.<ref>{{cite web|title=Richard Carpenter's 1970 Chrysler Barracuda|url=http://www.nbc.com/jay-lenos-garage/video/richard-carpenters-1970-chrysler-barracuda/310108|website=Jay Leno's Garage|accessdate=21 September 2016|date=19 September 2016}}</ref>

==Discography==

===The Carpenters===
{{Main|The Carpenters discography|List of songs by The Carpenters}}

===Albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="33"| Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
|align="center"|1987
|align="left"|'''''[[Time (Richard Carpenter album)|Time]]'''''
|
* Released in October 1987
* Richard Carpenter's debut solo album
* Included guest singers [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Dionne Warwick]], and actor [[Scott Grimes]]
* Out of print
* Label: [[A&M Records]]
* Formats: [[LP album]], [[Compact Cassette|cassette tape]], [[Compact Disc|compact disc]], digital download
|-
|align="center"|1998
|align="left"|'''''[[Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor|Pianist • Arranger • <br>Composer • Conductor]]'''''
|
* Released on January 27, 1998
* Richard's second and latest solo album
* Includes instrumentals of popular songs of Carpenters
* Dedicated to Richard's deceased mother, Agnes Carpenter<ref name="officialsite">{{cite web |url= http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/|title= Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official website|accessdate=2008-01-17 |author= Carpenter, Richard}}</ref>
* Label: A&M Records
* Formats: Cassette tape (out of print), compact disc (out of print), digital download
|-
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Song
!colspan="6"|Chart positions
!rowspan="2"|B-side
!rowspan="2"|<sup>[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]<br>cert.</sup><ref name="riaas">{{cite web |url= https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Carpenters&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50|title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for singles by the Carpenters|accessdate=2008-07-03}}</ref>
!rowspan="2"|Album
|-
!width="35"|<sup>[[Billboard Hot 100|U.S. Hot 100]]</sup>
!width="35"|<sup>[[Adult Contemporary (chart)|U.S. AC]]</sup>
!width="35"|<sup>[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]</sup>
!width="35"|<sup>[[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN]]</sup>
!width="35"|<sup>[[Oricon Singles Chart|JPN]]</sup>
!width="35"|<sup>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]</sup>
|-
|rowspan="2"|1987
|"[[Something in Your Eyes (Richard Carpenter song)|Something in Your Eyes]]"<br><small>''(featuring [[Dusty Springfield]])''</small>
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|12
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|84
|<small>"Time"</small>
|align="center"|—
|rowspan="2"|''Time''
|-
|"Calling Your Name Again"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|<small>"When Time Was All We Had"</small>
|align="center"|—
|-
|rowspan="2"|1998
|"Karen's Theme"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|<small>—</small>
|align="center"|—
|rowspan="2"|''Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor''
|-
|"Medley"
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|align="center"|—
|<small>—</small>
|align="center"|—
|-
|}

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist|30em}}

'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Schmidt|first=Randy|title=Little Girl Blue: The Life Of Karen Carpenter|year=2010|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-556-52976-4|ref=harv}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/ Richard and Karen Carpenter] – Official site
* {{IMDb name|0139443|name=Richard Carpenter}}
*[http://www.myokom.info/ Make Your Own Kind of Music] – 1971 Summer Television Series
*{{IMDb name|0139443}}

{{The Carpenters albums}}

{{Portal| Biography }}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Richard}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, Richard}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from New Haven, Connecticut]]
[[Category:A&M Records artists]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American pop pianists]]
[[Category:American pop singers]]
[[Category:American soft rock musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Downey, California]]
[[Category:The Carpenters members]]
[[Category:California State University, Long Beach alumni]]
[[Category:American jazz pianists]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:American music arrangers]]
[[Category:American conductors (music)]]
[[Category:American record producers]]
[[Category:Backing vocalists]]
[[Category:American pop keyboardists]]
[[Category:20th-century American pianists]]

Revision as of 11:22, 6 June 2018

For other people named Richard Carpenter, see Richard Carpenter (disambiguation).
Richard Carpenter
Richard Carpenter in 1972
Richard Carpenter in 1972
Background information
Birth nameRichard Lynn Carpenter
Born (1946-10-15) October 15, 1946 (age 78)[1]
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
OriginDowney, California
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, conductor
Instrument(s)Vocals, keyboards
Years active1965–present
LabelsA&M
Websiterichardandkarencarpenter.com

Richard Lynn Carpenter (born October 15, 1946) is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the sibling duo The Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. He is a record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, occasional lyricist, and composer, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.

Childhood

Richard Lynn Carpenter was born at Grace-New Haven Hospital (now called Yale-New Haven Hospital) in New Haven, Connecticut, the same hospital where his sister Karen was later born.[2] His parents were Agnes Reuwer Tatum (a housewife[3]) (March 5, 1915 – November 10, 1996) and Harold Bertram Carpenter (November 8, 1908 – October 15, 1988). His father was born in China, where his own parents were missionaries, and was educated at boarding schools in England,[4] before working in the printing business.[3] Carpenter was named after his father's younger brother, Richard Lynn Carpenter. Carpenter and his uncle both married women named Mary.[5] Richard and his sister were baptized into the United Methodist Church and as children were part of the Methodist Youth Ministry.[6]

Carpenter frequently played the piano while his younger sister, Karen, played baseball outside.[7] He and Karen also liked to listen to the children's records their father bought for them when they were young.[7] Richard was introduced to Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others through his father's record collection,[8] and by age 12, he knew he wanted to be in the music industry. His first public appearance as a musician was at age 16 in New Haven. Along with two older friends, a group was formed and they played at a local pizza parlor. Richard joined the venture to earn money to buy a car.[8] The Carpenter family moved from New Haven to Downey, California, in June 1963. They wanted Richard to further his music career, and the family was tired of the cold New England winters.[9][10]

Carpenter studied music at the California State University at Long Beach. There, he met Frank Pooler, a conductor and composer who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1968. Richard also met good friend, John Bettis, who co-wrote songs with Richard.[11]

The Richard Carpenter Trio and Spectrum

Carpenter created the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 with sister Karen and friend Wes Jacobs. Richard played the piano, Karen played the drums, and Wes played the tuba and bass.

In 1966 the Richard Carpenter Trio played "Iced Tea" and "The Girl from Ipanema" at the Hollywood Bowl Battle of the Bands. They won the competition, and shortly afterward recorded three songs at RCA Studios: "Every Little Thing", "Strangers in the Night", and the Carpenter original, "Iced Tea". "Iced Tea" is the only recording that was officially released to the public.[citation needed]

Around 1967 Richard and Karen joined four other student musicians from Long Beach State to form a sextet, Spectrum, consisting of:

  • Richard Carpenter
  • Karen Carpenter
  • John Bettis
  • Leslie Johnston
  • Gary Sims
  • Danny Woodhams

Although Spectrum played frequently at LA-area nightclubs such as Whisky a Go Go, they met with an unenthusiastic response—their broad harmonies and avoidance of rock 'n' roll limited the band's commercial potential. Yet Spectrum was fruitful in another way, providing the raw material of future success: Bettis went on to become a lyricist for Richard's original compositions, and all the other members, except Leslie Johnston, went on to become members of the Carpenters.[citation needed]

Career

Richard and Karen signed with A&M Records on April 22, 1969. "Let's hope we have some hits," Herb Alpert told the two. According to Richard, Alpert gave them carte blanche in the recording studios, but after Offering, their first album, was released and wasn't a big seller, it was rumored that some of A&M's people were asking Alpert to release the Carpenters, but he believed in their talent and insisted on giving them another chance.

Alpert suggested that the Carpenters record a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song called "(They Long to Be) Close to You" written in 1963. Though Richard worked up an arrangement only after Alpert's insistence, his arranging talents clearly shone in the finished product. His arranging and musical talents, as well as Karen's vocals, helped the song climb to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for a month. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" gained public recognition seemingly overnight. According to Richard, even though the song became popular overnight, the Carpenters themselves did not.

Sitting at home one night, Richard was watching TV and saw a commercial for Crocker National Bank. He recognized the voices of Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, two A&M songwriters on the commercial's theme song "We've Only Just Begun." Richard made some calls to confirm their involvement, and asked if there was a full version of the song, which Williams affirmed. Carpenter managed to turn the bank commercial jingle into an RIAA-certified Gold record. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has become a popular wedding song. The song also successfully launched the careers of Nichols and Williams, who went on to write multiple hits for the Carpenters and many other artists.[citation needed]

Richard composed many of the Carpenters' hits as well, with John Bettis as lyricist, such as:

  • "Goodbye to Love" (1972; #7; one of the first pop ballads to have a fuzz guitar solo—influenced the development of the power ballad[12])
  • "Top of the World" (1972; #1. Though the Carpenters originally opted to not release this song as a single, a version recorded by Lynn Anderson reached #2 on the Billboard Country chart; following the success of Anderson's version, the Carpenters decided to release their version as a single, and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.)
  • "Yesterday Once More" (1973; #2)
  • "Only Yesterday" (1975; #4)

Quaalude addiction and treatment

While Karen was suffering from the anorexia nervosa that would ultimately lead to her death in 1983, in the late 1970s, Richard suffered from insomnia, panic attacks, depression, and an addiction to Quaalude, a sedative and hypnotic medication. Author James Gavin noted in his New York Times review of Randy L. Schmidt's biography Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter (2010):[4] "His mother is said to have given him his first pill,"[3] an observation that was previously portrayed in the CBS-TV television film The Karen Carpenter Story (1989) and commented on in several of that made-for-TV movie's reviews, which also noted that Agnes (their mother) had been taking them under prescription and thus thought they were safe.[13][14] At the time he sought help, Carpenter had a doctor's prescription for Quaalude as sleep aid, but his use had gotten out of hand.

A reviewer of the BBC biopic Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007) notes: "As their fame grew, cracks began to show in their wholesome facade. An insane touring schedule began to take its toll and Richard took refuge in heroic doses of quaaludes. Meanwhile, Karen started worrying about her weight. The worrying became obsession. The cracks became faultlines. The centre could not hold."[15]

Dr. Gabe Mirkin wrote in "The sad story of Karen Carpenter" (February 15, 2014), "In those years, you could tell that something was wrong because the Carpenters frequently cancelled appearances. She appeared unhealthfully thin, weighing only 90 pounds when she was 25. Richard appeared to be forgetful, and it was later found that he was addicted to Quaaludes. In 1978, the Carpenters stopped touring and in 1979 Richard went into treatment to cure his dependency on this drug."[16]

Nick Talevski similarly observes in Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door (2010): "Constantly on the road since 1970 with their Vegas-style act, both Karen and Richard Carpenter were in ill health by late 1975. With Karen's weight down to 80 pounds, a tour had to be cancelled. Richard, meanwhile, had become addicted to a prescription drug, Quaalude."[17]

By late 1978, Richard was receiving "much encouragement (and browbeating) from family and friends, to ‘face the music.’"[18] Finally, in January 1979, semicomatose on Quaaludes, Richard fell down a flight of stairs backstage and finally confronted his addiction."[14] He checked into a six-week treatment program[18] at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and kicked his habit.[14] "For any number of reasons, the first three weeks were 'hell on earth,' Richard says, 'but after that, things really started to change, and of course, all for the better.' Still, all of this had been a monumental change for Richard and he decided it was wise not to delve right back into work, and to pretty much take the rest of 1979 off, all the better to get accustomed to his changed fortunes."[18]

Post-Carpenters

The Carpenters' star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame

On October 12, 1983, eight months after Karen's death, the Carpenter family celebrated the unveiling of The Carpenters' new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Richard said in his speech, "This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and [me]. My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts."[7][19]

On June 26, 1985, he started recording the solo album Time and finished it on July 5, 1987.[20] The album features Dusty Springfield singing "Something in Your Eyes," Dionne Warwick singing "In Love Alone," and a song Richard created – dedicated to Karen – called "When Time Was All We Had," which starts off a cappella, but then Richard's piano fades in as well as Herb Alpert's flugelhorn. Lyrics include:

Our hearts were filled with music and laughter,
Your voice will be the sweetest sound I'll ever hear and yet,
We knew somehow the song would never end,
When time was all we had to spend.

In 1996, at the suggestion of music writer Daniel Levitin, Carpenter recorded and released Richard Carpenter: Pianist, Arranger, Composer, Conductor, which included reworkings of many Carpenters favorites, including hits and album tracks, and ends with "Karen's Theme," which Carpenter composed for the television movie, The Karen Carpenter Story (1989).

He released the DVDs Gold: Greatest Hits (2002), a repackaging of the VHS/Betamax Yesterday Once More (released in 1985, two years after Karen's death in 1983) that contains all the videos from Yesterday Once More, and Interpretations (2003), which updates the original, VHS/cassette tape released in 1995 and includes footage from the Carpenters' five TV specials and TV series from 1971–1980. The DVD follows the compilation album of the same name, which had been released earlier the same year, and includes eleven Carpenters' tracks never before available on DVD (including "From This Moment On," an outtake from the Carpenters' fifth television special), all of them digitally enhanced and feature remastered in stereo audio.[21]

On his 62nd birthday in October 2008, at a luncheon for The Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Carpenter announced plans for "his career comeback – dubbed 'Richard Carpenter Strikes Back'"—which included "the re-release of a Carpenters Christmas album and a tribute album featuring cover versions of Carpenters songs."[22][23]

Documentaries

The 43-minute film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) was directed by Todd Haynes and was withdrawn from circulation in 1990, after Haynes lost a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Richard.[24] The film's title is derived from The Carpenters' 1971 hit song, "Superstar." Over the years, it has developed into a cult film and is included in Entertainment Weekly's 2003 list of top 50 cult movies.[25]

Richard helped in the productions of the documentaries Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters (1997) and Only Yesterday: The Carpenters Story (2007).

Scholarship/talent show

He funds an annual scholarship/talent show for people with artistic abilities that is held at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center.[citation needed]

Gear

Richard used a wide range of keyboard instruments including grand piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, ARP Odyssey, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, celesta, synthesizer and tack piano. His favourite grand piano was Baldwin and initially in the 1970s, he endorsed and used Wurlitzer electric pianos before switching to the Fender Rhodes electric piano around the 1970s. He says that at A&M Studios, he regularly used a Steinway piano on the Carpenters' records with the exception of the A Song for You album. On stage, he initially had both a Wurlitzer electric piano and grand piano, but after switching to the Fender Rhodes, he would typically alternate between the three for different songs on stage.[26] He has described the sound of the Wurlitzer electric piano as "warm" and "beautiful" and via overdubbing in the studio, he would regularly supplement his grand piano with a Wurlitzer electric piano to thicken the sound, thus creating a distinctive keyboard sound. On the song "Happy" on Horizon, he made his earliest experiments with the ARP Odyssey synthesizer.[27]

Personal life

In 1984, Carpenter married his adopted cousin, Mary Rudolph.[28] Her brother, Mark Rudolph, was the Carpenters' road manager as well as the radio call-in "contestant" in the [Oldies] "Medley" on the album Now & Then (1973). The couple had been dating since the late 1970s. A young Mary made a cameo appearance in the Carpenters' promotional video for the song "I Need to Be in Love" (1976).

Richard and Mary have five children: Kristi Lynn (the name Karen intended for a daughter had she had one) was born on August 17, 1987, Traci Tatum on July 25, 1989, Mindi Karen (named after her late paternal aunt) on July 7, 1992, and Colin Paul and Taylor Mary.[29] The children and Richard sometimes perform music together at various Carpenter-related events. The family today resides in Thousand Oaks, California.[30]

Richard is a MOPAR automobile enthusiast, and original owner of a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with the unusual 440-6 engine and automatic transmission package.[31]

Discography

The Carpenters

Main articles: The Carpenters discography and List of songs by The Carpenters

Albums

Year Title Notes
1987 Time
1998 Pianist • Arranger •
Composer • Conductor
  • Released on January 27, 1998
  • Richard's second and latest solo album
  • Includes instrumentals of popular songs of Carpenters
  • Dedicated to Richard's deceased mother, Agnes Carpenter[32]
  • Label: A&M Records
  • Formats: Cassette tape (out of print), compact disc (out of print), digital download

Singles

Year Song Chart positions B-side RIAA
cert.[33] 		Album
U.S. Hot 100 U.S. AC AUS CAN JPN UK
1987 "Something in Your Eyes"
(featuring Dusty Springfield) 		— 12 — — — 84 "Time" — Time
"Calling Your Name Again" — — — — — — "When Time Was All We Had" —
1998 "Karen's Theme" — — — — — — — — Pianist • Arranger • Composer • Conductor
"Medley" — — — — — — — —

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Carpenters biography". Richardandp KarenCarpenter.com. 2005.
  2. ^ Dionne Warwick (2010). "Forward". Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. By Schmidt, Randy L. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-55652-976-4.
  3. ^ a b c Gavin, James (August 6, 2010). "Sorrow in Her Voice". The New York Times Book Review.
  4. ^ a b Schmidt, Randy L. (2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 9781556529764.
  5. ^ Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. p. 30.
  6. ^ Schmidt, Randy L. (12 April 2018). "Yesterday Once More: The Carpenters Reader". Chicago Review Press – via Google Books.
  7. ^ a b c Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters
  8. ^ a b Lieberman, Frank H. (November 17, 1973). "A Talented Brother and Sister Act Which Represents Clean, Wholesome Entertainment". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media: C-6. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  9. ^ Coleman, Ray (1994). The Carpenters: The Untold Story. p. 48.
  10. ^ Samberg, Joel (February 4, 2013). "Remembering Karen Carpenter, 30 Years Later". NPR. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  11. ^ "John Bettis". Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
  12. ^ Popular Musicians. 1999. p. 168. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Weiskind, Ron (December 31, 1988). "Why: Missing From Carpenter Story". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  14. ^ a b c Sanello, Frank (January 1, 1989). "`A Puzzle For The Ages`: Film Chronicles Carpenter`s Fall But Can`t Answer Why". The Chicago Tribune.
  15. ^ jamdog (April 11, 2007). "Only Yesterday – The Carpenters Story". Aerial Telly.
  16. ^ Mirkin, Dr. Gabe (February 15, 2014). "The sad story of Karen Carpenter". Village-News.
  17. ^ Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries – Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press.
  18. ^ a b c "Biography". RichardAndKarenCarpenter.com. p. 9. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  19. ^ Schmidt 2010, p. 292.
  20. ^ Time, Richard Carpenter. "Recording for this album commenced on June 26, 1985, with the final session in mix-down occurring on July 5, 1987."
  21. ^ Capenters – Interpretations. A&M. July 29, 2003. ASIN B0000A9D2F. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  22. ^ Daily Mail Reporter (15 October 2008). "Yesterday once more: Richard Carpenter announces singing comeback as he pays emotional tribute to late sister Karen". Daily Mail.
  23. ^ AP Photo (October 2008). "Take a Look At Carpenters In Pictures: Richard Carpenter – a comeback?". Smooth Radio.
  24. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "FILM; Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". New York Times.
  25. ^ Dirks, Tim. "Top 50 Cult Movies". Entertainment Weekly/AMC. Retrieved January 1, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  26. ^ "Carpenters Fans Ask-Richard Answers Archive". www.richardandkarencarpenter.com.
  27. ^ John Tobler. The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters (1997); Omnibus Press, London; ISBN 0-7119-6312-6; p.67
  28. ^ Hoerburger, Rob. "Karen Carpenter's Second Life". New York Times. Retrieved 4 August 2015. [I]n 1984, the year after Karen died, he married his cousin Mary Rudolph and is now the father of four.
  29. ^ Schmidt 2010, pp. 297–298.
  30. ^ Schmidt, Randy; Warwick, Dionne (May 17, 2010). Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. Chicago Review Press. pp. 297–298. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  31. ^ "Richard Carpenter's 1970 Chrysler Barracuda". Jay Leno's Garage. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  32. ^ Carpenter, Richard. "Richard and Karen Carpenter – Official website". Retrieved 2008-01-17.
  33. ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for singles by the Carpenters". Retrieved 2008-07-03.

Sources

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