I had a dad like Agnes; unemotional, stoic and punishing. He also came from the Great Depression era and WWII and were German farmers. His family struggled to stay alive when starvation was the cause of many deaths during those god-awful years. Life was to be taken very seriously. Money was incredibly tight. He also forced his four children form a family band of which my sister - the drummer and lead vocalist - was the 'star' - I was totally ignored and kicked to the curb and thrown from the house at 17. My dad wanted to be a star himself ('lead' singer). Brothers played lead guitar and bass, I was on keyboards. My mother also grew up with 14 other children struggling to stay alive but she was passive and had learned helplessness (she also came from a very musical Ukrainian family). I will tell you something about children who are neglected by their parents - no matter what they may accomplish in their lifetimes, they will NEVER get over being unloved and ignored by their parents "children are to be seen but not heard". This leads to many lives lost prematurely. That plus the music business is BRUTAL. I'm surprised Karen lasted as long as she did. She brought anorexia to the world's attention because she was famous and had that voice that was a gift to humanity from heaven - but I theorize between Agnes, Tom Burris and Richard himself - lead Karen to the point of 'What's the point? I can't find love (especially my mother's) and I can't have the children I always wanted' (Burris had a vasectomy and only telling Karen that right before their wedding). Richard loved his sister but who knows what pressure he put her under - their concert/recording schedule was insane, he was addicted to sleeping pills. Not exactly a healthy lifestyle. My SIL weighed 75 lbs at her death - was anorexic since her teens - this is definitely a psychological disease and which the cure, IMHO, is (mostly) unconditional love by others. "Love you Miss Karen - sweet lady. Gone 39 years now. But we'll always have your timeless voice in our ears and in our hearts."
Soo very true!! It also leads to major addictions( growing up unloved). Children's aid took me from my house at 15. I was relieved! I drank heavily for years after.
If there was any pressure on Karen, which is common in this business, then there was on all of them - Richard as well. This duo was like an instrument complementing each other. It's only because Karen possibly felt things more intensely and Richard could handle it better but he was still no exception and became dependent on pills. Most of the time showbiz sucks up your energy, mind and spirit. You struggle to be who you've always been and to stay sane.
Her heart was damaged long before she died. She was a ticking timebomb. The laxative abuse and vitamin and potassium deficiency signed her death warrant. Such a tragic loss.
I believe the syrup of ipecac did her in, it causes myopathy of the heart. The damage is reversible if stopped for good. However, bc Karen's heart hadn't healed from that yet, combined with the fast weight gain at the end, her heart couldn't handle it. The laxatives and longterm electrolyte imbalances and vitamin and mineral deficiences did not help either but that syrup is what killed her heart. It's off the market altogether now....
She needed to put weight back on v e r y slowly while letting her heart get stronger after completely stopping the ipecac. She probably would have recovered.
@@CrystalM1917 i always wondered about the ipecac if surely it had some kind of warning on it's label? surely where she bought it? had a warning, the person selling it to her warned her and so on? i don't know if it was a prescription? surely it had warnings right? did she just ignore them? i mean common sense would tell you that ANYTHING that makes you violently throw up is not good on a regular basis! especially with everything she had done and gone thru already for years!
tom schmitz of course it has warning, it's to be used in emergency like if certain poison is swallowed. any other use than that is abuse , it must have really screwed her poor body up. at the end. she was eating bc she was throwing it back up😢
Don’t judge the parent’s lack of emotion. I’m sure there was plenty of tears and anguish when alone. Not everyone is comfortable breaking down in public, and especially on tv. You can’t lose a child, and not be destroyed.
You are right of course. If their lack of emotion looked strange to people I wonder what they thought of an interview of Richard that I saw that was very soon after her death. I can't describe how strange it seemed to me. I saw it live on TV and I am pretty sure it was not much at all after her death. I can't even describe how weird it seemed. I am trying to find it on RUclips here but haven't found it yet. I want to see if it still seems as weird to me as it did when I saw it 40 years ago. It was more than just a lack of emotion. It almost looked like he didn't care about her dying which is of course the exact opposite of reality. I realize he loved her very much. I need to find that video to see if it seems different to me now. Maybe how her death affected me caused me to interpret that interview so strangely.
In an effort to hold it together, people can look hard and cold. Now, I would be a puddle. We're all so very different. Because we don't know exactly what goes on in others' hearts and minds, let's not judge. Instead, let's just keep enjoying The Carpenters' music.
Just because we’re not supposed to judge doesn’t mean your assumptions are correct. I prefer to believe the multiple people who were interviewed and knew the family very well. They clearly indicated Richard was the favored child and Karen’s mother was a cold fish who never gave her any approval or love while she was alive. It’s not rocket science that many cases of anorexia stem from psychological problems…..
I've suffered from and survived anorexia for 13 year's getting down to under 5 stone at my worst. Some of the comments are so hurtful. Her parents, brother, ex husband and others in her life are not to blame. There is nothing they could have said or done until she was ready to fight back. I have very loving parents and at the age of 15 caused my mother to nearly have a nervous breakdown due to my behaviour. Nothing my parents did caused this. I have something wrong chemically in my brain which distorts my view of myself, that's nobody's fault. Please be respectful,listen to how her mother described holding her in her arms saying her name and tell me that's a mother who didn't care. Hear how she describes her beautiful voice in the last recordings. That's a proud mother who clearly tried her best. Only Karen was to blame for her illness just like I was, and as soon as I realised that then I began to recover. God bless anyone going through this, you can survive it.
Dawn Burns Well said, Dawn! Thank you so much for sharing this. How anyone can blame her family for this illness is just beyond me. I pray that you will continue to be healthy.
+Dawn Burns Totally disagree with you! Your brain chemicals may have been at the root of your problem (though I suspect you are in severe denial about just how loving your mother really is as was I with my own mother) but there's plenty of evidence of this dysfunctional family's issues and eating disorders are definitely caused by such poor parenting.... the FACT that the mother cared more for the appearance of perfection then for her daughter's feelings, pushing her to marry that scumbag for example, is proof as far as I am concerned AND I have my own history of Bulimic/anorexic behavior as proof. (It's been many years now and even with great treatment I am unable to "see" my body image for what it really is. I consider it just the leftover side effect of this treacherous disease.)
cannabis works, it might have caused her brain to take in food to her body. period. i HAVE SEEN IT WAS OTHER ANOREXIA PEOPLE.. FROM 102 BACK TO 190 IN 2 YEARS... POT CAUSES THE BRAIN ,TO STIMULATE APPETITE , TO ALLOWING FOOD TO BUILD , DIGEST , INTO MASS, NOT UNDIGESTED WASTE
+PapillonOne Correlation does not prove causation. For many years, we all just "knew" that worrying caused ulcers. We blamed people for being a "worry wart" and added further burden to their suffering. Now we know ulcers are caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. For many years, we "knew" that poor parenting made their children gay. The "distant father" and "overbearing mother" were blamed not only for their homosexual children, but many other mental/emotional conditions as well. As far as "controlling mothers" do you know anyone who doesn't have a controlling mother? I know that someday we are going to understand not only these conditions, but many more, and we will see the rich complexity of genetics, hormones, eating habits, cultural norms and expectations, and so much more and we will no longer be able to look to such a simplistic answer as, "It's my mother's fault" or "It's my father's fault. Do you give your parents credit for every good thing you do? That would be just as logical as blaming them for your weaknesses. I wish you the best.
@@sarahdixon6011 There are A LOT of people who grew up with the Carpenters who consider them to be too syrupy sweet and sappy and don't appreciate the quality of her voice or the talent behind the scenes. Just last week I asked a co-worker if she liked the Carpenters at all. She rolled her eyes and said they were way too sappy. Remember, the 70s saw a huge change in the music scene. I remember being embarrassed that my best friend loved the Carpenters. Now, in my 50s, I can truly appreciate the talent these two had together. There is no "obsession" with under-rated. It's a fact.
This is a family who easily could've inquired with the best medical professionals about their daughters condition. Willful ignorance and apathy. It was 1983 not 1883.
Please look into the possibility of sexual abuse. If this happened at a very early age she may not remember consciously but her body will. It's so vile, it's like we just want to purge it from our Soul. Best of luck with your Daughter.
It seems to me they were all about wanting to keep up appearances and sweep problems under the rug. They never saw Karen as an individual member of the family with feelings
@@lindaeasley5606 Almost everyone who joins this business has a troubled life. Drugs, alcohol or any other crap that serves as "consolation". Even more so at the time when this was quite common and if you didn't use it you were seen as "not cool". Blaming family is very easy, but there are several other factors that contribute to a person's decline.
Your Mother is suppose to fall in love with their baby and adore them like there's nothing better on the Planet. Then the Child knows internally that they are worthy. That's the root of self-esteem. The Child must be esteemed first. It's very hard to self-love without that start. Watching the Mother give it to someone else would be excruciating. Karen had needs she didn't get filled and was dying to be loved. What does the Worlds' love matter if you haven't had it when and where it was needed ? She wouldn't have been able to even let it in. Being truly loved after you haven't been can actually be a trigger to alot of pain. Failing (again) with her Husband must've been too much. She was probably heart-broken and resigned to the pain. Tragic loss. Love your Babies or don't have them or give them to those that can't have their own. Being unloved/unwanted really hurts.
@@dorotheainmiddle that's exactly it, the father was passive to the point he was submissive and the mother was a domineering stubborn "clueless" person as well. i mean the way she acts and describes what happens is beyond non emotional and so utterly unfeeling and frank.
Agnes wanted Richard and only Richard to be successful. Then, her daughter eclipsed Richard's fame and was the true star. Agnes HATED this and became insanely jealous of her daughter. All Karen wanted was to please her mother and brother. Never got her mother's love, but Richard was given it. Karen never had a say in anything she did. The only thing she could control was her body and never had a chance. :(
2022. I'm only seeing this video clip for the first time. I have mixed feelings and can speak from experience of having a mother/father who never said "I love you" to me either. This interview with the parents and Richard was only some 8 months after Karen Carpenter died. The way the mother describes the events leading up to finding Karen's lifeless body has all the emotion of a well-rehearsed court deposition. Not a single tear, sniffle, or tissue in hand. You'd think just reliving the events would cause a mother to break down. Someone on the web said their relative worked at Forest Lawn/Cypress. They said Richard was so nice, but Agnes came across cold and unfriendly. Just a sad situation all around. If Karen couldn't find the love she so wanted on earth, I'd like to believe she's now surrounded by it in Heaven.
A good handful of actresses could play whatever you want, yet there would be people to say it would sound fake. Let's assume that she is a very reserved person and does not like to expose emotions to an audience for reasons that are only up to her. I've seen interviews of parents who seemed emotionally controlled while others could barely speak. That doesn't mean they were bad people. And many use this crying trick to move or manipulate, so...
In an effort to hold it together, people can look hard and cold. Now, I would be a puddle. We're all so very different. Because we don't know exactly what goes on in others' hearts and minds, let's not judge. Instead, let's just keep enjoying The Carpenters' music.
If I had a time machine, I'd go back and befriend Karen. I would have loved to be alive when she was around. I wish I could go back and save her with the knowledge we have today.
feel similarly. I was 12 when she died. from all accounts she had so many layers of people surrounding her it that it would have been difficult to get to know her.
I have been watching several documentaries here on RUclips about them lately. It is really something to read your comment...because I have been feeling the exact same way. It almost hurts your heart not to be able to...just so tragic.
It's hard to believe that she's been gone so long. With the recordings of their music so redily available to hear, it's like she's still here. Thank God for those memories.
I have had several people in my life pass away as suddenly as Karen did; it has taught me to never take a loved one for granted and cherish every moment you have with them. Then someday it will be your time to go, so make sure you spend your time with the ones who love you.
People criticize her family so much but I loved how close they all were, for better or worse. Most of the time when musicians become famous they lose contact with their families. Richard and Karen never ever did.
I have thought this for many years, it is a shame that the Mother didn't recognise who the true talent was in the carpenters. Karen could have succeeded on her own with other writers music, could the same be said about Richard.. One of the first celebrities deaths who really affected me in the 80's. I am now 50 and can truthfully say in my humble opinion her voice has not been bettered or equalled in my lifetime.
No one walked in their shoes , Karen's death ultimately centered on the deadly condition that no one had known or understood but we should all be grateful for the beautiful music the Carpenters created and shared with the world
I watched a couple of documentaries about the Carpenters. Their first #1 was in 1970 and five years later, she weighed less than 100 pounds. In later appearances, she almost always wore a vest or jacket. No matter her medical condition, her singing voice was flawless.
Her death shocked everyone back then. Aside from those close to her, her fans really had no clue. In 1983 it was difficult to understand how such a young person could die of heart failure….so this was very confusing….the disease and how it destroyed her health. People didn’t understand this disease back then. Because of Karen this disease gained more attention and those who suffered from it began to receive the proper help, whereas, it was ignored before she died. I had never heard of Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia back in 1983 and I was 20 years old at the time she passed away….never heard of it. In the years after her passing Oprah and other talk shows started talking about it and bringing about awareness to the disease. We have come a long way since then. We now understand what happened to her. Back in 1983 we did not.
it was a NEW illness. Literally. People don't starve themselves to death.. in the land of plenty; happiness and prosperity. That's the default space. People don't starve themselves to death in a well adjusted society.
She ingested dangerous amounts of substances that could only be used in very specific cases, this had a drastic effect on her heart. Autopsy reported that she had compromised organs and when she died she was apparently in a diabetic coma (coincidentally there were needle marks on areas of the body; blood sugar was very high). This disorder is not cured so easily and even after her death people with it have not ceased to die or be severely under phases of this.
@@keetahbrough Yes. And a thin person is not necessarily always because of anorexia or bulimia, thinness like that can have other origins due to other health problems. I know someone who is thin but not anorexic, that person is also an inveterate smoker.
they said the mother was upset that karen was the focal point because richard was a classical pianist i think and then when karen was the big deal of the band she put karen down alot and richard around same time had a drug problem
No. That was just in the beginning. When the mother was signing the contract for Karen in '69, she had always thought that Richard was the only one getting the contract because they knew Richard was a musical genius.
Thanks for sharing this…I was born in ‘75 and this was aired on my 8th Birthday…my dad loved The Carpenters and ‘Top Of The World’ was a song from my childhood…he passed away in 2021 after a fall, bleed on the brain and a stroke from which he never recovered. After his passing shortly after my birthday in November that year, I heard the song we both loved on the radio and cried…just did so again watching the clip at the end of Karen singing it 😓What a beautiful, unique voice she had that touched the World…RIP lovely Karen🤍
even though the mother was the way she was, it must have been heartbreaking to find her daughter near death in her home. i could not imagine. thanks for youtube for keeping her memory and music alive for us to enjoy.
Is it just me, or did anyone feel Agnes talked about her daughter as if she were describing what the weather was doing outside? No emotion. A daughter growing up with a cold mother and one that favors the son is doomed to have issues the rest of her life. R.I.P. Sweet Karen.
shelby1942 Yes. The father is the only one that seemed emotional. Richard and her mother were detached when talking about Karen. I mean, when my sister died after nine months a was still in deep morning.
Yes, you're right. The "mother" shows no signs of loss. Totally without any emotions. And Richard, where do you begin. He and the mother, treated Karen like crap.
My parents wedding song was a Carpenters song: Couldn't We Stay. .My parents were married 39 years when he passed from Cancer. .This man every year would dance with my mom on their anniversary it was beautiful. .It was the last thing they did as a couple as the monitor was dropping in the hospital room. .Their song was on and they were kissing each other and my mom said you have and always be my everything 💓. .I cried like a 32yr old baby that day. .Miss you POP. Mom has never stopped loving you
I’m so sorry for your loss. Our first dance back in 1973 was We’ve Only Just Begun. We were married for 42 years before I lost the love of my life to cancer. My heart aches for your mom.
It's amazing how they could perform such beautiful songs, but have such cold, spiky and hard parents. It must have hurt. A lot. Karen lived with the parents until she was 26 years old; always looking for the love and acceptance from a mother who would never give it to her. She tried to be a woman through marriage and failed.
Well why was she living with them, then? I do not understand at all. Hell, I left home and never looked back because of dysfunction; and I was barely surviving. Karen had all the money she could want. I guess she must have been going thru a breakup and moved back home. But I still don't get it. I went thru lots of breakups and never moved back home.
@@bobdepaola7828 Yes, I guess she just looked up to Richard so much, but his parents were probably telling him what to do,/say & Karen took the advice, thinking it was Richard's.
We can all sit here and pick apart these parents. Yet...the drive, the ambition, and the talent came from both genetics and upbringing. Obviously Richard and Karen were amazingly talented. Both parents nurtured the musical talents of the children and gave them opportunities to succeed. They could of easily squashed their desires and we would never have heard Karen at all.
It's a shame that she lived in her brother's shadow. Her mother prefered him and his talent. She never saw her daughter's talent for what it was....superior to her brothers.
So many decades later and Karen still lives on in so many peoples heart! Of course her family loved her, so it’s not really fair to say they didn’t. But in every interview since her death, whenever they talk about how they got their first break, mother always says, Richard did all the music, and never mentions Karen’s star. When people went to see them, let’s be honest, they were there to see and hear Karen. Richard was jealous Karen became the “star” of the Carpenters. Had they both went solo, I know Karen would have still succeeded. I do believe karen gave 100% to everyone around her. And she wasn’t given the same back. I still believe Richard should have 100% supported her solo album. She always had Richards back. He knew Karen worked so hard, he was upset he didn’t produce it. Anorexia had already surfaced and everyone knew it. If anything, if Richard did think he could improve some of them solos, I’m sure she would have worked with him. She respected him. Hell, both of them could have afforded to produce that record without A&M. And I’m sure mother had a role in it too. After all, it was finally released the same year mother passed. The world lost such a talented, beautiful soul. Karen lives on in all her fans hearts. 💜💜💜💜💜
How could he be jealous if he encouraged his sister to take the lead? Let's be honest, the album wasn't that great. Brother and sister functioned as an ensemble, Karen being the melodious voice and Richard behind all the arrangements and productions that ended up being a hit. That's what it was.
After seeing an early, pre -fame clip when they were known as the Richard Carpenter Trio and Karen was playng drums , I was stunned at what a powerhouse drummer she was; of course we remember her now for her voice, rightly so , but she was talented on drums as Richard was on the piano
You can see the dysfunction in this interview. Richard in particular rubbed me the wrong way in all the interviews following Karens death. He still wanted that perception of perfection.
I just love how he said that it was the sudden weight gain that caused it. He didn’t want to give the real reason on tv. It was taking thyroid medication and overdosing on impecac syrup that caused her heart to give out. She was taking 10 thyroid pills at a time. That’s a huge no-no
The mother and Richard wanted to control her life.Richard didn't want Karen to venture out on her own career wise and tried to sabotage her first solo album.Her mother was domineering and favored Golden boy Richard.No wonder Karen was so messed up emotionally
@@jonhohensee3258 it induces vomiting. It's taken if you swallow poison, you can throw it up. Too many doses can prove fatal. The medical examiner found it in Karen's toxicology report
Emetine cardiotoxicity... from using syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting. I'll never forget where I was- I'd been out of the hospital for less than a month for anorexia when I heard about Ms. Carpenter's death on the radio... it shook me to the core. Sadly, my eating disorder is still an issue, even this many decades later- but I'm getting help again (for the last 2 years).
The mother acts as if she lost a blouse or the mate to a shoe and not a beloved only daughter. They say this woman was a narcissist and narcissists do tend to destroy their children. So sad.
+antij1 Interesting coincidence, my mother was a narcissist and I had anorexia nervosa and bulimia and I am quite certain the two are intertwined. Silly me, IU even had the wrong color eyes, hair and was born the wrong gender when I really wasn't supposed to come along in the first place. With all that woman accomplished she still didn't feel good enough. So sad.
I only discovered their music about I want to say 2 years ago it's very beautiful music it's not something you can just listen to here and there it's like basically on my playlist now everything that they have and when you add to the fact that she isn't she was a drummer there was just so much talent with her and with her brother I just feel like they don't get the recognition that they deserve the music industry really needs to step up not only with them but with other artists and give them the recognition that they deserve I mean it's just so wrong not to because someone didn't like something that someone said to somebody get over it and give them the proper recognition they deserve may she rest in peace always thank you for the video bye
Karen Carpenter had a voice that was smooth as silk. Huge personal and family problems added to this unfortunate death! Love and will always miss you and your extravagant and magnificent talent!
Thanks so much for posting this. It brings back a flood of memories - bittersweet. I actually developed anorexia a year after she died. So little was known then but thankfully it is different now and full recovery is possible. If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, don't lose hope. Help is available
When I Kareoke I sing her songs my gosh a voice that nobody can come close to!!a voice of an angel ...she has been missed..I still listen to their albums
No emotions in that woman's voice. If I had to recollect finding my daughter dead on the floor I would be in tears and barely able to speak. It's all Richard Richard from her. No credit for Karens amazing voice. I hope wherever Karen is now she's found peace
I remember being at work at a printing company and they jad a radio on, piped in. It came over as breaking news. I stopped in disbelef and shock. I started crying. What a great loss. I loved Karens voice and the Carpenters.
This woman is scary. She’s talking about her daughter, and explaining her death, and she has absolutely no emotion in her voice. Normally, any mother would have tears in her eyes as she relieves this experience.
Well yeah, he was her BROTHER, for God's sake. He didn't ask to be his mother's "Golden Boy". Agnes, the mother, treated Karen like she was a RAG DOLL!
By now the family knew what was in the autopsy report but failed to mention the emetine. That would have tainted her image, so they just stuck with the 'gained weight too fast for her heart' story. Not one mention by anyone in any video of an exercise plan with a doctor, trainer, or anyone else, as she was putting weight back on. The heart is a muscle that REQUIRES exercise for efficient functioning.
Part 1 of this was heartbreaking to view, brother Richard speaking on how much he misses his sister. Part 2 here, however, was like the world's most violent and deadly train wreck. I can't even describe the emotions I feel seeing his and Karen's parents, waxing poetic about Karen's condition. Specifically, Agnes, as she was the one who INSTILLED that intense dissatisfaction of self in Karen that LED to her anorexia nervosa. Expert drumming and heavenly singing be damned, NOTHING mattered in the Carpenter household except brother Richard's accomplishments. So swore Agnes! Sigh. Just a sick, sad tragedy all around. Rest In Power, Queen Karen.
I learned in medical school that Anorexia Nervosa is mostly caused by conflicts and disapprovals from a mother. Usually stemming from unrealistic expectations and constant control from a mother. It is known that she had conflicts with both her parents, specifically her mother.
Since the Carpenter's came on the scene. Waay back when I listened always. Loved her voice and the way that only she could deliver each song. I use to always love having my daddy's little transitor radio under my pillow when I was taking my naps and Yesterday Once More and many others. But, this particular song had me thinking she knows what I do. She's singing about me and what I do. But, she did the very same thing. I always had a connection to my sister from other parents. Those songs were exactly how I've always felt, thought. They kind of tied us together in that way. I wish that I had been around her. She would have had an honest to goodness real friend. Only through her songs did one get to know her heart. Because she was in everyone of them. Heart and Soul .
Richard hadn’t even truly began grieving his sisters death yet -or so it seems in this interview; he is obviously distracted & nervous during this segment, I feel for the man...💔😓
I think that Agnes Carpenter gets critized a lot for Karen's problem, but I think that as a parent, Agnes was not any more concerned than any other parent would be. It's obvious that she wanted what was best for her children, as most as parents do, but I don't think that Karen's problem(s) were Agnes's doing. There comes a time in a person's adult life that they need to take responsibility for what is going on. From what I can tell, Karen's problems worsened after her marriage in 1980.
She wanted acceptance from Mom that she didn't get, Richard got the love. Will they share this? No. But, Its ok. Thanks for the talents that she shared in her short time. It will go a long way. Rest well Karen.
None of them are showing emotion. "I called, I screamed" she said like I tied my shoe. There's zero sign of pain. The Dad said "you're quite welcome" like nothing.
@@lorimiller4301 I used to imagine killing myself when I was a kid. I'd imagine slitting my wrists in the bath, mom told me it made the blood run out faster! She also often talked of how selfish suicide was, that it leaves a family with all that pain that surely the family would hate them for doing that to them. I'd lie in the bath staring at the razor, while mom and golden child sister were at the supermarket for the weekly shop, and all I could her was her and my sister doing an interview just like this. No emotion. No understanding of my desperate pain. Just shaking their heads at the stupid girl that has caused them so much more grief. So, I carried on living. It wasn't happy but at least my dead body wasn't being cursed. I'm 40 now and have a kid to live for. He has so much to show me and I'm so excited to see. He is awesome and I tell him regularly AND that I LOVE him. He has NEVER had to ask like I did, and was still never told. I have mentally buried my mom and sister now. I don't see them. I don't communicate with them. Occasionally they try to haunt me but I ignore it and get on with living happily. 😊 And we are so, so happy! 💪😊
I am so sadden to heard of Karen Carpenter's death , & her parents were so unemotional & never told their children that they LOVED them or shoed any emotion of LOVE, I am not saying they don't love them , just don't show it or say it , I always showed & said I LOVE YOU to my family & children all he time , I think you should always let your family & loves ones know how much you LOVE them now before there gone, cause after that , well its too late then to show then any emotions of LOVE ! I think or feel Karen really didn't feel LOVED enough from her family or husband , that's why she always sung great LOVE SONGS , what she wasn't receiving from life in general ! I feel inlove with Karen's voice before I got to see how Beautiful she was on tv or on her album covers, & her brother was very handsome also , twq great looking & talented people ! There my all time favorite singers of all time ! I cried when Karen died & I morned her for a long time & every time I hear her songs I still get tears in my eyes, But, I know she's with Jesus & receiving all the LOVE she can handle with HIM ~ AMEN + ! !
many who lived thru the 20th century were realist, not existing in a global mindset, people were strong in their own way, but yet doing extreme things knowing what lies beneath the surface of each corner.
Rip Karen Carpenter i just recently found out about the Carpenters, On Top Of The World is a great song love old school music so sad the way she passed.
This is the 80's! it's crazy to me that they had no clue how such drastic weight loss and anorexia would affect the heart and body. I'm grateful for the advancement and knowledge of physicians now. But still a long way to go. She died from a weak heart and medications she was on contributed.
I assume that as she was 'recovering' and had become 'normal weight', she was taking ipecac (which was found during the autopsy) to induce vomiting (one clue to a bulimic 'binge', is the unusually large dinner her mom noted she had the night before). Bulimics often have 'normal' or big dinners in front of others as to appear that they are doing well or in recovery from their illness. It's also quite normal for individuals suffering from an eating disorder to move from one diagnosis to another i.e., bulimia, then anorexia, and back and forth. So it's likely that as she was 'recovering' from anorexia, she started to engage in bulimic behaviours. So the idea that she was doing better and recovering, it's just an illusion. Note that bulimics are often, normal weight, yet, at the same time, terribly ill.
I was barely 10 when the world lost one of the best talents!!!!! I remember crying in the car when it came across the radio that she had died!!!! And My Mom looked at me like U didn't even know her!!!!!!!!!! But when Elvis died!!!!!!! My Mom went into Mourning!!!!!!??
I was 10 in 83 too....my mom was an ex ballet dancer...she said she knew in 1975 kc was sick..and she knew what it was then....I'm sorry your mom didn't show you the emotions when kc died...I'm a bass player, if you feel like speaking..
This poor woman was in so much emotional and physical pain and her family contributed to it.Along with her anorexia she was taking an anti depressant . Also a thyroid drug to help with weight loss ,an epicac and laxatives .. They were clueless here because the autopsy and toxicology indicated she was still engaging in anorexic behavior at the time of her death
I don’t know how she lasted as long as she did! It was an absolute miracle with the way that she was abusing her body with weight loss antics, binging and purging and abusing laxatives, thyroid medication’s and the syrup!
Time and family dynamics are a funny thing. Here are the Carpenters' parents reminiscing about their children's career as a Grammy winning group who sold more records during the decade of the 70's than anyone else; with Karen who's name is mentioned in the same breath as Strisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and what do they recall.....the time the "Dick Carpenter Trio" won their High School battle of the bands! In a way, Parents are the same all over....
My wife Linda Whitsitt had an all girl band when she went to Downey High School in around 1964 or 1965 and Karen Carpenter played drums in that band. We had been in the house they got in Downey and her dad took Linda and I on tour of the house. My wife Linda went home to the Lord May 29, 2015. For the last 7 years Linda has had a Christian video channel on RUclips. Her YT name was CarpentersDaughter2. The name refers to Jesus the Carpenter not to Karen but it is interesting she chose that name.
notice how the father barely said a word? you can tell the mother was controlling, i have heard that but now i'm seeing it. Karen needed love.& as a mother i'm meticulous in treating all my kids fairly bc its very harmful not to. RIP Karen❤️you always
The only person showing any concern is Mr Carpenter. Agnes acts like she couldn’t care less. Richard gives a look at his mother like I better keep my mouth quiet.
I had a dad like Agnes; unemotional, stoic and punishing. He also came from the Great Depression era and WWII and were German farmers. His family struggled to stay alive when starvation was the cause of many deaths during those god-awful years. Life was to be taken very seriously. Money was incredibly tight. He also forced his four children form a family band of which my sister - the drummer and lead vocalist - was the 'star' - I was totally ignored and kicked to the curb and thrown from the house at 17. My dad wanted to be a star himself ('lead' singer). Brothers played lead guitar and bass, I was on keyboards. My mother also grew up with 14 other children struggling to stay alive but she was passive and had learned helplessness (she also came from a very musical Ukrainian family).
I will tell you something about children who are neglected by their parents - no matter what they may accomplish in their lifetimes, they will NEVER get over being unloved and ignored by their parents "children are to be seen but not heard". This leads to many lives lost prematurely. That plus the music business is BRUTAL. I'm surprised Karen lasted as long as she did. She brought anorexia to the world's attention because she was famous and had that voice that was a gift to humanity from heaven - but I theorize between Agnes, Tom Burris and Richard himself - lead Karen to the point of 'What's the point? I can't find love (especially my mother's) and I can't have the children I always wanted' (Burris had a vasectomy and only telling Karen that right before their wedding). Richard loved his sister but who knows what pressure he put her under - their concert/recording schedule was insane, he was addicted to sleeping pills. Not exactly a healthy lifestyle. My SIL weighed 75 lbs at her death - was anorexic since her teens - this is definitely a psychological disease and which the cure, IMHO, is (mostly) unconditional love by others. "Love you Miss Karen - sweet lady. Gone 39 years now. But we'll always have your timeless voice in our ears and in our hearts."
Soo very true!! It also leads to major addictions( growing up unloved). Children's aid took me from my house at 15. I was relieved! I drank heavily for years after.
oh get over it sheesh
🎯💎🕊️💛🕊️✔️
If there was any pressure on Karen, which is common in this business, then there was on all of them - Richard as well. This duo was like an instrument complementing each other. It's only because Karen possibly felt things more intensely and Richard could handle it better but he was still no exception and became dependent on pills. Most of the time showbiz sucks up your energy, mind and spirit. You struggle to be who you've always been and to stay sane.
Her heart was damaged long before she died. She was a ticking timebomb. The laxative abuse and vitamin and potassium deficiency signed her death warrant. Such a tragic loss.
I believe the syrup of ipecac did her in, it causes myopathy of the heart. The damage is reversible if stopped for good. However, bc Karen's heart hadn't healed from that yet, combined with the fast weight gain at the end, her heart couldn't handle it. The laxatives and longterm electrolyte imbalances and vitamin and mineral deficiences did not help either but that syrup is what killed her heart. It's off the market altogether now....
She needed to put weight back on v e r y slowly while letting her heart get stronger after completely stopping the ipecac. She probably would have recovered.
@@CrystalM1917 i always wondered about the ipecac if surely it had some kind of warning on it's label? surely where she bought it? had a warning, the person selling it to her warned her and so on? i don't know if it was a prescription? surely it had warnings right? did she just ignore them? i mean common sense would tell you that ANYTHING that makes you violently throw up is not good on a regular basis! especially with everything she had done and gone thru already for years!
tom schmitz of course it has warning, it's to be used in emergency like if certain poison is swallowed. any other use than that is abuse , it must have really screwed her poor body up. at the end. she was eating bc she was throwing it back up😢
@@tomschmitz5745 Do you think a person that is taking 90 laxative pills a night is observing the label? Get a grip!
Don’t judge the parent’s lack of emotion. I’m sure there was plenty of tears and anguish when alone. Not everyone is comfortable breaking down in public, and especially on tv. You can’t lose a child, and not be destroyed.
You are right of course. If their lack of emotion looked strange to people I wonder what they thought of an interview of Richard that I saw that was very soon after her death. I can't describe how strange it seemed to me. I saw it live on TV and I am pretty sure it was not much at all after her death. I can't even describe how weird it seemed. I am trying to find it on RUclips here but haven't found it yet. I want to see if it still seems as weird to me as it did when I saw it 40 years ago. It was more than just a lack of emotion. It almost looked like he didn't care about her dying which is of course the exact opposite of reality. I realize he loved her very much. I need to find that video to see if it seems different to me now. Maybe how her death affected me caused me to interpret that interview so strangely.
Well said.
In an effort to hold it together, people can look hard and cold. Now, I would be a puddle. We're all so very different. Because we don't know exactly what goes on in others' hearts and minds, let's not judge. Instead, let's just keep enjoying The Carpenters' music.
Just because we’re not supposed to judge doesn’t mean your assumptions are correct. I prefer to believe the multiple people who were interviewed and knew the family very well. They clearly indicated Richard was the favored child and Karen’s mother was a cold fish who never gave her any approval or love while she was alive. It’s not rocket science that many cases of anorexia stem from psychological problems…..
Actually, her mom was horrible to her. To the point that it may be the biggest reason Karen’s self esteem was so very low.
Best female singer of all time.I loved her.
I've suffered from and survived anorexia for 13 year's getting down to under 5 stone at my worst. Some of the comments are so hurtful. Her parents, brother, ex husband and others in her life are not to blame. There is nothing they could have said or done until she was ready to fight back. I have very loving parents and at the age of 15 caused my mother to nearly have a nervous breakdown due to my behaviour. Nothing my parents did caused this. I have something wrong chemically in my brain which distorts my view of myself, that's nobody's fault. Please be respectful,listen to how her mother described holding her in her arms saying her name and tell me that's a mother who didn't care. Hear how she describes her beautiful voice in the last recordings. That's a proud mother who clearly tried her best. Only Karen was to blame for her illness just like I was, and as soon as I realised that then I began to recover. God bless anyone going through this, you can survive it.
Dawn Burns Well said, Dawn! Thank you so much for sharing this. How anyone can blame her family for this illness is just beyond me. I pray that you will continue to be healthy.
+Dawn Burns Totally disagree with you! Your brain chemicals may have been at the root of your problem (though I suspect you are in severe denial about just how loving your mother really is as was I with my own mother) but there's plenty of evidence of this dysfunctional family's issues and eating disorders are definitely caused by such poor parenting.... the FACT that the mother cared more for the appearance of perfection then for her daughter's feelings, pushing her to marry that scumbag for example, is proof as far as I am concerned AND I have my own history of Bulimic/anorexic behavior as proof. (It's been many years now and even with great treatment I am unable to "see" my body image for what it really is. I consider it just the leftover side effect of this treacherous disease.)
cannabis works, it might have caused her brain to take in food to her body. period. i HAVE SEEN IT WAS OTHER ANOREXIA PEOPLE.. FROM 102 BACK TO 190 IN 2 YEARS... POT CAUSES THE BRAIN ,TO STIMULATE APPETITE , TO ALLOWING FOOD TO BUILD , DIGEST , INTO MASS, NOT UNDIGESTED WASTE
+PapillonOne Correlation does not prove causation. For many years, we all just "knew" that worrying caused ulcers. We blamed people for being a "worry wart" and added further burden to their suffering. Now we know ulcers are caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. For many years, we "knew" that poor parenting made their children gay. The "distant father" and "overbearing mother" were blamed not only for their homosexual children, but many other mental/emotional conditions as well. As far as "controlling mothers" do you know anyone who doesn't have a controlling mother? I know that someday we are going to understand not only these conditions, but many more, and we will see the rich complexity of genetics, hormones, eating habits, cultural norms and expectations, and so much more and we will no longer be able to look to such a simplistic answer as, "It's my mother's fault" or "It's my father's fault. Do you give your parents credit for every good thing you do? That would be just as logical as blaming them for your weaknesses. I wish you the best.
seasons greetings.. so sad to see a star like karen die at 32- tragic
God what a perfect voice she had. So rich and smooth and perfectly tuned. She's so under rated, even still.
I dont agree that she was underrated. Everything else great.
What is this obsession with saying people are underrated?
Very clearly not underrated at all.
@@sarahdixon6011 There are A LOT of people who grew up with the Carpenters who consider them to be too syrupy sweet and sappy and don't appreciate the quality of her voice or the talent behind the scenes. Just last week I asked a co-worker if she liked the Carpenters at all. She rolled her eyes and said they were way too sappy. Remember, the 70s saw a huge change in the music scene. I remember being embarrassed that my best friend loved the Carpenters. Now, in my 50s, I can truly appreciate the talent these two had together. There is no "obsession" with under-rated. It's a fact.
@@walde1968 If you say so.
I see 'blah' is so underrated daily.
It meaningless as it's entirely subjective.
I think she needed more hugs... More acceptance and less criticism
She really is on top of the world looking down on creation now
Hopefully, she has found her love. :-)
As a parent of a daughter who suffers from this disorder, it is obvious her parents were clueless. So sad.
Sorry you're dealing with it. I think their reaction was just about right for 35 years ago...people have evolved quite a bit since then. Regards.
This is a family who easily could've inquired with the best medical professionals about their daughters condition. Willful ignorance and apathy. It was 1983 not 1883.
Please look into the possibility of sexual abuse. If this happened at a very early age she may not remember consciously but her body will. It's so vile, it's like we just want to purge it from our Soul. Best of luck with your Daughter.
It seems to me they were all about wanting to keep up appearances and sweep problems under the rug. They never saw Karen as an individual member of the family with feelings
@@lindaeasley5606 Almost everyone who joins this business has a troubled life. Drugs, alcohol or any other crap that serves as "consolation". Even more so at the time when this was quite common and if you didn't use it you were seen as "not cool". Blaming family is very easy, but there are several other factors that contribute to a person's decline.
For a mother to walk in and see their child died on the floor is a pain no one should ever feel.
That mother gives me chills every video I see of her. The answer is sitting right there.
Yeah, but what was wrong with the father? He seems very passive.
Your Mother is suppose to fall in love with their baby and adore them like there's nothing better on the Planet. Then the Child knows internally that they are worthy. That's the root of self-esteem. The Child must be esteemed first. It's very hard to self-love without that start. Watching the Mother give it to someone else would be excruciating. Karen had needs she didn't get filled and was dying to be loved. What does the Worlds' love matter if you haven't had it when and where it was needed ? She wouldn't have been able to even let it in. Being truly loved after you haven't been can actually be a trigger to alot of pain. Failing (again) with her Husband must've been too much. She was probably heart-broken and resigned to the pain. Tragic loss. Love your Babies or don't have them or give them to those that can't have their own. Being unloved/unwanted really hurts.
@Max C 👍
@@dorotheainmiddle that's exactly it, the father was passive to the point he was submissive and the mother was a domineering stubborn "clueless" person as well. i mean the way she acts and describes what happens is beyond non emotional and so utterly unfeeling and frank.
Agnes wanted Richard and only Richard to be successful. Then, her daughter eclipsed Richard's fame and was the true star. Agnes HATED this and became insanely jealous of her daughter. All Karen wanted was to please her mother and brother. Never got her mother's love, but Richard was given it. Karen never had a say in anything she did. The only thing she could control was her body and never had a chance. :(
2022. I'm only seeing this video clip for the first time. I have mixed feelings and can speak from experience of having a mother/father who never said "I love you" to me either. This interview with the parents and Richard was only some 8 months after Karen Carpenter died. The way the mother describes the events leading up to finding Karen's lifeless body has all the emotion of a well-rehearsed court deposition. Not a single tear, sniffle, or tissue in hand. You'd think just reliving the events would cause a mother to break down. Someone on the web said their relative worked at Forest Lawn/Cypress. They said Richard was so nice, but Agnes came across cold and unfriendly. Just a sad situation all around. If Karen couldn't find the love she so wanted on earth, I'd like to believe she's now surrounded by it in Heaven.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍
Maybe she's cold I don't know. Remember these parents are from a very different time.
I'm sure it was devastating for the mom, dad and Richard.
A good handful of actresses could play whatever you want, yet there would be people to say it would sound fake. Let's assume that she is a very reserved person and does not like to expose emotions to an audience for reasons that are only up to her. I've seen interviews of parents who seemed emotionally controlled while others could barely speak. That doesn't mean they were bad people. And many use this crying trick to move or manipulate, so...
In an effort to hold it together, people can look hard and cold. Now, I would be a puddle. We're all so very different. Because we don't know exactly what goes on in others' hearts and minds, let's not judge. Instead, let's just keep enjoying The Carpenters' music.
If I had a time machine, I'd go back and befriend Karen. I would have loved to be alive when she was around. I wish I could go back and save her with the knowledge we have today.
That's a very nice sentiment.
Me too but I was 1 when she died
And she would probably still die from that horrible condition.
feel similarly. I was 12 when she died. from all accounts she had so many layers of people surrounding her it that it would have been difficult to get to know her.
I have been watching several documentaries here on RUclips about them lately. It is really something to read your comment...because I have been feeling the exact same way. It almost hurts your heart not to be able to...just so tragic.
It's hard to believe that she's been gone so long. With the recordings of their music so redily available to hear, it's like she's still here. Thank God for those memories.
redily?
@keemochee - You're not lorilynn.
And "redily" is not a word. Go get an education.
@keemochee - 🙄 Meaning wasn't the issue.
@@jonhohensee3258 dick redily consumed mass quantities of ludes
@@mt_gox ?
Richard is not a cold man he handled his grief sa he knew best
I have had several people in my life pass away as suddenly as Karen did; it has taught me to never take a loved one for granted and cherish every moment you have with them. Then someday it will be your time to go, so make sure you spend your time with the ones who love you.
People criticize her family so much but I loved how close they all were, for better or worse. Most of the time when musicians become famous they lose contact with their families. Richard and Karen never ever did.
I have thought this for many years, it is a shame that the Mother didn't recognise who the true talent was in the carpenters. Karen could have succeeded on her own with other writers music, could the same be said about Richard.. One of the first celebrities deaths who really affected me in the 80's. I am now 50 and can truthfully say in my humble opinion her voice has not been bettered or equalled in my lifetime.
No one walked in their shoes , Karen's death ultimately centered on the deadly condition that no one had known or understood but we should all be grateful for the beautiful music the Carpenters created and shared with the world
KC was so very pretty, but her mother was a b**itch
I watched a couple of documentaries about the Carpenters. Their first #1 was in 1970 and five years later, she weighed less than 100 pounds. In later appearances, she almost always wore a vest or jacket. No matter her medical condition, her singing voice was flawless.
This woman is describing her daughter’s death as if her plant died.
Cold bit*h. Resentful that her golden boy wasn't the superstar. Karen was.
Thank you so much for posting this. Her death still makes me feel sad. But then I hear her incredible voice and am soothed.
Her death shocked everyone back then. Aside from those close to her, her fans really had no clue. In 1983 it was difficult to understand how such a young person could die of heart failure….so this was very confusing….the disease and how it destroyed her health. People didn’t understand this disease back then. Because of Karen this disease gained more attention and those who suffered from it began to receive the proper help, whereas, it was ignored before she died. I had never heard of Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia back in 1983 and I was 20 years old at the time she passed away….never heard of it. In the years after her passing Oprah and other talk shows started talking about it and bringing about awareness to the disease. We have come a long way since then. We now understand what happened to her. Back in 1983 we did not.
it was a NEW illness. Literally. People don't starve themselves to death.. in the land of plenty; happiness and prosperity. That's the default space. People don't starve themselves to death in a well adjusted society.
She ingested dangerous amounts of substances that could only be used in very specific cases, this had a drastic effect on her heart. Autopsy reported that she had compromised organs and when she died she was apparently in a diabetic coma (coincidentally there were needle marks on areas of the body; blood sugar was very high). This disorder is not cured so easily and even after her death people with it have not ceased to die or be severely under phases of this.
@@keetahbrough Yes. And a thin person is not necessarily always because of anorexia or bulimia, thinness like that can have other origins due to other health problems. I know someone who is thin but not anorexic, that person is also an inveterate smoker.
I was suffering to some extent with the disease in 1982 and when she died it woke me up😢
they said the mother was upset that karen was the focal point because richard was a classical pianist i think and then when karen was the big deal of the band she put karen down alot and richard around same time had a drug problem
No. That was just in the beginning. When the mother was signing the contract for Karen in '69, she had always thought that Richard was the only one getting the contract because they knew Richard was a musical genius.
Yeah, that happens *a *lot. Two words. A Lot. Alot isn't a word.
Thanks for sharing this…I was born in ‘75 and this was aired on my 8th Birthday…my dad loved The Carpenters and ‘Top Of The World’ was a song from my childhood…he passed away in 2021 after a fall, bleed on the brain and a stroke from which he never recovered. After his passing shortly after my birthday in November that year, I heard the song we both loved on the radio and cried…just did so again watching the clip at the end of Karen singing it 😓What a beautiful, unique voice she had that touched the World…RIP lovely Karen🤍
Incredibly beautiful, too bad she didnt think she was
She is definitely the greatest voice. You inspired me to study English as well as ABBA and other singers from the sixties, seventies and eighties
even though the mother was the way she was, it must have been heartbreaking to find her daughter near death in her home. i could not imagine. thanks for youtube for keeping her memory and music alive for us to enjoy.
The mom had no idea what Karen was going through!! Shame on you Agnes!! It was all about Richard never Karen!!
God, there are so many of us that miss her. I can't begin to think of how it affected Richard and their parents.
Is it just me, or did anyone feel Agnes talked about her daughter as if she were describing what the weather was doing outside? No emotion. A daughter growing up with a cold mother and one that favors the son is doomed to have issues the rest of her life. R.I.P. Sweet Karen.
shelby1942 Yes. The father is the only one that seemed emotional. Richard and her mother were detached when talking about Karen. I mean, when my sister died after nine months a was still in deep morning.
Yes, you're right. The "mother" shows no signs of loss. Totally without any emotions. And Richard, where do you begin. He and the mother, treated Karen like crap.
Agnes liked Karen's money.
some people aren't very expressive but they still care.
Ginny Riis Agnes only cared about the Almighty "$'
it was said the mother favored richard
My parents wedding song was a Carpenters song: Couldn't We Stay. .My parents were married 39 years when he passed from Cancer. .This man every year would dance with my mom on their anniversary it was beautiful. .It was the last thing they did as a couple as the monitor was dropping in the hospital room. .Their song was on and they were kissing each other and my mom said you have and always be my everything 💓. .I cried like a 32yr old baby that day. .Miss you POP. Mom has never stopped loving you
I’m so sorry for your loss. Our first dance back in 1973 was We’ve Only Just Begun. We were married for 42 years before I lost the love of my life to cancer. My heart aches for your mom.
It's amazing how they could perform such beautiful songs, but have such cold, spiky and hard parents.
It must have hurt. A lot.
Karen lived with the parents until she was 26 years old; always looking for the love and acceptance from a mother who would never give it to her. She tried to be a woman through marriage and failed.
Well why was she living with them, then? I do not understand at all. Hell, I left home and never looked back because of dysfunction; and I was barely surviving. Karen had all the money she could want. I guess she must have been going thru a breakup and moved back home. But I still don't get it. I went thru lots of breakups and never moved back home.
@@bobdepaola7828 Yes, I guess she just looked up to Richard so much, but his parents were probably telling him what to do,/say & Karen took the advice, thinking it was Richard's.
She tried to be a woman through marriage and failed? What the hell does that even mean?
Beautiful voice, best female singer ever ❤
We can all sit here and pick apart these parents. Yet...the drive, the ambition, and the talent came from both genetics and upbringing. Obviously Richard and Karen were amazingly talented. Both parents nurtured the musical talents of the children and gave them opportunities to succeed. They could of easily squashed their desires and we would never have heard Karen at all.
Karen is the greatest singer of all time
Was
Agree
absolutely!!!
It's a shame that she lived in her brother's shadow. Her mother prefered him and his talent. She never saw her daughter's talent for what it was....superior to her brothers.
So many decades later and Karen still lives on in so many peoples heart! Of course her family loved her, so it’s not really fair to say they didn’t. But in every interview since her death, whenever they talk about how they got their first break, mother always says, Richard did all the music, and never mentions Karen’s star. When people went to see them, let’s be honest, they were there to see and hear Karen. Richard was jealous Karen became the “star” of the Carpenters. Had they both went solo, I know Karen would have still succeeded. I do believe karen gave 100% to everyone around her. And she wasn’t given the same back. I still believe Richard should have 100% supported her solo album. She always had Richards back. He knew Karen worked so hard, he was upset he didn’t produce it. Anorexia had already surfaced and everyone knew it. If anything, if Richard did think he could improve some of them solos, I’m sure she would have worked with him. She respected him. Hell, both of them could have afforded to produce that record without A&M. And I’m sure mother had a role in it too. After all, it was finally released the same year mother passed. The world lost such a talented, beautiful soul. Karen lives on in all her fans hearts. 💜💜💜💜💜
How could he be jealous if he encouraged his sister to take the lead? Let's be honest, the album wasn't that great. Brother and sister functioned as an ensemble, Karen being the melodious voice and Richard behind all the arrangements and productions that ended up being a hit. That's what it was.
After seeing an early, pre -fame clip when they were known as the Richard Carpenter Trio and Karen was playng drums , I was stunned at what a powerhouse drummer she was; of course we remember her now for her voice, rightly so , but she was talented on
drums as Richard was on the piano
You can see the dysfunction in this interview. Richard in particular rubbed me the wrong way in all the interviews following Karens death. He still wanted that perception of perfection.
I just love how he said that it was the sudden weight gain that caused it. He didn’t want to give the real reason on tv. It was taking thyroid medication and overdosing on impecac syrup that caused her heart to give out. She was taking 10 thyroid pills at a time. That’s a huge no-no
The three of them reek of denial and dysfunction. They're all creepy. She never stood a chance.
The mother and Richard wanted to control her life.Richard didn't want Karen to venture out on her own career wise and tried to sabotage her first solo album.Her mother was domineering and favored Golden boy Richard.No wonder Karen was so messed up emotionally
@@lacymarie78 - impecac?
@@jonhohensee3258 it induces vomiting. It's taken if you swallow poison, you can throw it up. Too many doses can prove fatal. The medical examiner found it in Karen's toxicology report
I believe Agnes needed to say :I love you!!!!.
Emetine cardiotoxicity... from using syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting. I'll never forget where I was- I'd been out of the hospital for less than a month for anorexia when I heard about Ms. Carpenter's death on the radio... it shook me to the core. Sadly, my eating disorder is still an issue, even this many decades later- but I'm getting help again (for the last 2 years).
Same here but I'm younger (born in 82). I hope to God it's over by the time I'm 55-60. Wishing you all the best.
The mother acts as if she lost a blouse or the mate to a shoe and not a beloved only daughter. They say this woman was a narcissist and narcissists do tend to destroy their children. So sad.
+antij1 Interesting coincidence, my mother was a narcissist and I had anorexia nervosa and bulimia and I am quite certain the two are intertwined. Silly me, IU even had the wrong color eyes, hair and was born the wrong gender when I really wasn't supposed to come along in the first place. With all that woman accomplished she still didn't feel good enough. So sad.
Yep, same with me and my mom. She is also bulimic herself.
so true
No! Not a narcissist! A CONTROL FREAK! (My maternal grandmother was VERY similar).
The mothers fault for sure.didnt give a damn about her daughter.
Poor lady , skin & bone. I wish she was alive today
She was simply a gift....
These parents are emotionally detached. I can't stand when people have to protect themseves in this way. They are still in denial.
Even then she says Herb Alpert heard Richard's Music
I noticed that. What a hag.
I only discovered their music about I want to say 2 years ago it's very beautiful music it's not something you can just listen to here and there it's like basically on my playlist now everything that they have and when you add to the fact that she isn't she was a drummer there was just so much talent with her and with her brother I just feel like they don't get the recognition that they deserve the music industry really needs to step up not only with them but with other artists and give them the recognition that they deserve I mean it's just so wrong not to because someone didn't like something that someone said to somebody get over it and give them the proper recognition they deserve may she rest in peace always thank you for the video bye
Karen Carpenter had a voice that was smooth as silk.
Huge personal and family problems added to this unfortunate death!
Love and will always miss you and your extravagant and magnificent talent!
Thanks so much for posting this. It brings back a flood of memories - bittersweet. I actually developed anorexia a year after she died. So little was known then but thankfully it is different now and full recovery is possible. If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, don't lose hope. Help is available
When I Kareoke I sing her songs my gosh a voice that nobody can come close to!!a voice of an angel ...she has been missed..I still listen to their albums
Karen was the best Singer..ever. Richard was a genius..gone too soon... Love u Karen .u r in heaven.
No emotions in that woman's voice. If I had to recollect finding my daughter dead on the floor I would be in tears and barely able to speak. It's all Richard Richard from her. No credit for Karens amazing voice. I hope wherever Karen is now she's found peace
I remember being at work at a printing company and they jad a radio on, piped in. It came over as breaking news. I stopped in disbelef and shock. I started crying. What a great loss. I loved Karens voice and the Carpenters.
This woman is scary. She’s talking about her daughter, and explaining her death, and she has absolutely no emotion in her voice. Normally, any mother would have tears in her eyes as she relieves this experience.
Richards face ! He's so devastated my god
Well yeah, he was her BROTHER, for God's sake. He didn't ask to be his mother's "Golden Boy". Agnes, the mother, treated Karen like she was a RAG DOLL!
@@seanhunter4297 who told you that garbage?
Famous Christmas songs Merry Christmas Darling came out in 1971
That song makes me cry
Man did she have a beautiful voice. Such a shame she died so young. R.I.P. KAREN
By now the family knew what was in the autopsy report but failed to mention the emetine. That would have tainted her image, so they just stuck with the 'gained weight too fast for her heart' story. Not one mention by anyone in any video of an exercise plan with a doctor, trainer, or anyone else, as she was putting weight back on. The heart is a muscle that REQUIRES exercise for efficient functioning.
she's in our hearts
Part 1 of this was heartbreaking to view, brother Richard speaking on how much he misses his sister. Part 2 here, however, was like the world's most violent and deadly train wreck. I can't even describe the emotions I feel seeing his and Karen's parents, waxing poetic about Karen's condition. Specifically, Agnes, as she was the one who INSTILLED that intense dissatisfaction of self in Karen that LED to her anorexia nervosa. Expert drumming and heavenly singing be damned, NOTHING mattered in the Carpenter household except brother Richard's accomplishments. So swore Agnes!
Sigh. Just a sick, sad tragedy all around. Rest In Power, Queen Karen.
come on!! People of that time did not show much emotion in public! You don't know anything about what they felt.
@@sroy9789 That doesn't change the fact that Aggie is the one who instilled a grand sense of insecurity and worthlessness in her daughter.
@@captainfantastic9158 says who? some guy who wrote a book to make some $$?
@@sroy9789 So what do YOU think caused Karen's dissatisfaction with herself?
@@captainfantastic9158 I don't know because she didn't tell me :)
What A Treat Richard Karen Mom And Dad. Richard Carpenter A True Legend
this woman (miss KAREN C.) has the most beautiful voice in the world..
I admire him..
thanks..
I learned in medical school that Anorexia Nervosa is mostly caused by conflicts and disapprovals from a mother. Usually stemming from unrealistic expectations and constant control from a mother. It is known that she had conflicts with both her parents, specifically her mother.
Thank you.
I remember when Ghandi was on his 40 day fast for world peace and his mother said to him "eat a cookie, who'll know?"
Since the Carpenter's came on the scene. Waay back when I listened always. Loved her voice and the way that only she could deliver each song. I use to always love having my daddy's little transitor radio under my pillow when I was taking my naps and Yesterday Once More and many others. But, this particular song had me thinking she knows what I do. She's singing about me and what I do. But, she did the very same thing. I always had a connection to my sister from other parents. Those songs were exactly how I've always felt, thought. They kind of tied us together in that way. I wish that I had been around her. She would have had an honest to goodness real friend. Only through her songs did one get to know her heart. Because she was in everyone of them. Heart and Soul .
So Sad still listening and it's hard not to cry.
Richard hadn’t even truly began grieving his sisters death yet -or so it seems in this interview; he is obviously distracted & nervous during this segment, I feel for the man...💔😓
Damn it, I miss her on earth. I feel for Richard who seems bereft without her.
I think that Agnes Carpenter gets critized a lot for Karen's problem, but I think that as a parent, Agnes was not any more concerned than any other parent would be. It's obvious that she wanted what was best for her children, as most as parents do, but I don't think that Karen's problem(s) were Agnes's doing. There comes a time in a person's adult life that they need to take responsibility for what is going on. From what I can tell, Karen's problems worsened after her marriage in 1980.
She wanted acceptance from Mom that she didn't get, Richard got the love. Will they share this? No. But, Its ok. Thanks for the talents that she shared in her short time. It will go a long way. Rest well Karen.
heard them in the 70's my parents divorcing&all the baggise we took,music was a great help..
God Karen's dad is just devastated
Alain Quartermaine 4:00
None of them are showing emotion. "I called, I screamed" she said like I tied my shoe. There's zero sign of pain. The Dad said "you're quite welcome" like nothing.
@Alain Quartermaine he's being sarcastic
@@anklebr3akr770 shaking his head like its unbelievable this kid of his did this.
@@lorimiller4301 I used to imagine killing myself when I was a kid.
I'd imagine slitting my wrists in the bath, mom told me it made the blood run out faster!
She also often talked of how selfish suicide was, that it leaves a family with all that pain that surely the family would hate them for doing that to them.
I'd lie in the bath staring at the razor, while mom and golden child sister were at the supermarket for the weekly shop, and all I could her was her and my sister doing an interview just like this.
No emotion. No understanding of my desperate pain. Just shaking their heads at the stupid girl that has caused them so much more grief.
So, I carried on living.
It wasn't happy but at least my dead body wasn't being cursed.
I'm 40 now and have a kid to live for.
He has so much to show me and I'm so excited to see.
He is awesome and I tell him regularly AND that I LOVE him.
He has NEVER had to ask like I did, and was still never told.
I have mentally buried my mom and sister now.
I don't see them.
I don't communicate with them.
Occasionally they try to haunt me but I ignore it and get on with living happily. 😊
And we are so, so happy! 💪😊
I am so sadden to heard of Karen Carpenter's death , & her parents were so unemotional & never told their children that they LOVED them or shoed any emotion of LOVE, I am not saying they don't love them , just don't show it or say it , I always showed & said I LOVE YOU to my family & children all he time , I think you should always let your family & loves ones know how much you LOVE them now before there gone, cause after that , well its too late then to show then any emotions of LOVE ! I think or feel Karen really didn't feel LOVED enough from her family or husband , that's why she always sung great LOVE SONGS , what she wasn't receiving from life in general ! I feel inlove with Karen's voice before I got to see how Beautiful she was on tv or on her album covers, & her brother was very handsome also , twq great looking & talented people ! There my all time favorite singers of all time ! I cried when Karen died & I morned her for a long time & every time I hear her songs I still get tears in my eyes, But, I know she's with Jesus & receiving all the LOVE she can handle with HIM ~ AMEN + ! !
many who lived thru the 20th century were realist, not existing in a global mindset, people were strong in their own way, but yet doing extreme things knowing what lies beneath the surface of each corner.
They are all so emotionless when speaking about her, especially when her mom is talking about finding her dead. 😢
thanks for posting there are still many people who remember thank you
Rip Karen Carpenter i just recently found out about the Carpenters, On Top Of The World is a great song love old school music so sad the way she passed.
Poor family.What a trauma they have endured.Rest in peace our lovely gifted Karen.
Her mother was a monster. Couldn't even tell Karen she loved her.
I'd love to open up the Karen Carpenter School for Music. Who's with me?
I'm with that
This is the 80's! it's crazy to me that they had no clue how such drastic weight loss and anorexia would affect the heart and body. I'm grateful for the advancement and knowledge of physicians now. But still a long way to go. She died from a weak heart and medications she was on contributed.
I can't even
😭😭😭😭
Love you Karen 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
I assume that as she was 'recovering' and had become 'normal weight', she was taking ipecac (which was found during the autopsy) to induce vomiting (one clue to a bulimic 'binge', is the unusually large dinner her mom noted she had the night before). Bulimics often have 'normal' or big dinners in front of others as to appear that they are doing well or in recovery from their illness. It's also quite normal for individuals suffering from an eating disorder to move from one diagnosis to another i.e., bulimia, then anorexia, and back and forth. So it's likely that as she was 'recovering' from anorexia, she started to engage in bulimic behaviours. So the idea that she was doing better and recovering, it's just an illusion. Note that bulimics are often, normal weight, yet, at the same time, terribly ill.
Listening 🎧 2023 Wow Good morning America. This was 40 years ago im getting old
What a voice! What a loss! Impossible to see and hear her and not love her!
Agnes just said, Wonderful Brains, ONE of them. Her little boy Richard!
😢
She’s so gorgeous too
not really
She had only been gone a short time and yet her family seems just so matter of fact, especially the mom.
Mother was cold as a rusty old door-nail in the dead of winter.
They both look like their mom.
I was barely 10 when the world lost one of the best talents!!!!! I remember crying in the car when it came across the radio that she had died!!!! And My Mom looked at me like U didn't even know her!!!!!!!!!! But when Elvis died!!!!!!! My Mom went into Mourning!!!!!!??
lol. People are funny.
I was 10 in 83 too....my mom was an ex ballet dancer...she said she knew in 1975 kc was sick..and she knew what it was then....I'm sorry your mom didn't show you the emotions when kc died...I'm a bass player, if you feel like speaking..
This poor woman was in so much emotional and physical pain and her family contributed to it.Along with her anorexia she was taking an anti depressant .
Also a thyroid drug to help with weight loss ,an epicac and laxatives ..
They were clueless here because the autopsy and toxicology indicated she was still engaging in anorexic behavior at the time of her death
Yes, it has to be the family that is at fault. /s
I don’t know how she lasted as long as she did! It was an absolute miracle with the way that she was abusing her body with weight loss antics, binging and purging and abusing laxatives, thyroid medication’s and the syrup!
Time and family dynamics are a funny thing. Here are the Carpenters' parents reminiscing about their children's career as a Grammy winning group who sold more records during the decade of the 70's than anyone else; with Karen who's name is mentioned in the same breath as Strisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and what do they recall.....the time the "Dick Carpenter Trio" won their High School battle of the bands! In a way, Parents are the same all over....
Still miss her music .But I blame a lot of her troubles and problems on her Mother she be alive today if her mother would leave her be
6:18. He looks like he wants to say so much, but he’s afraid. I don’t trust the mother or Richard to ever be completely truthful.
talented wonderful voice
You wrote that so well how beautiful 💕
My wife Linda Whitsitt had an all girl band when she went to Downey High School in around 1964 or 1965 and Karen Carpenter played drums in that band. We had been in the house they got in Downey and her dad took Linda and I on tour of the house. My wife Linda went home to the Lord May 29, 2015. For the last 7 years Linda has had a Christian video channel on RUclips. Her YT name was CarpentersDaughter2. The name refers to Jesus the Carpenter not to Karen but it is interesting she chose that name.
My condolences to you sir. May God bless you.
notice how the father barely said a word? you can tell the mother was controlling, i have heard that but now i'm seeing it. Karen needed love.& as a mother i'm meticulous in treating all my kids fairly bc its very harmful not to. RIP Karen❤️you always
I noticed. He could barely get a word in.
Yeah when he did speak she would almost immediately butt in.
The only person showing any concern is Mr Carpenter. Agnes acts like she couldn’t care less. Richard gives a look at his mother like I better keep my mouth quiet.