Where were you when Karen died?

[cam83]

Hi All,
Just wondering stories of where you were when Karen died on February 4, 1983?


Cameron
[e-mail]

[Rick Henry]

At that point I was room mates with a good friend named Joyce. Joyce and I were like brother and sister. We had a fun friendship. we were upstairs watching TV. I forget what we were watching, but I think it was a rerun of "Three's company". a news flash came on with a picture of Karen's face and the reporter said, "Pop music superstar dead at age 32, more details on the five o'clock news." My heart dropped, as Joyce uttered, "No way", I was speechless.

[cam83]

Rick,
That is soooo sad! I was too young to fully remember(I was10)...but I remember vaguely seeing something about this female singer...dying...and I recognized some of her songs.
Then less than a year later, one of my schoolmates developed anorexia and shrunk to a skeleton(it was horrible and frightening...cuz we knew something was seriously wrong)...and we learned that some Carpenter singer lady died of it...not eating...
And then in 1988 I learned who Karen Carpenter was. Fell in love with her voice. And the tv movie came on January 1, 1989 on the CBS network and was a rating's winner...

Cam
[e-mail]

[Rick Henry]

The movie as we all know was rated #1 in the U.S. for that week and ended up being the #2 most watched program of the year.

[smoothie2]

:'(I was married at the time and lived in a small apt. in Lubbock, TX. I don't recall if my husband was there that night, he may have been at work, anyway, my parents were there for a visit and hadn't been there for long. I think we were planning to go out and eat. Anyway, I guess I hadn't had the radio or tv on that day or what. But my mom said, "Oh, did you know that Karen Carpenter died ( I was 25 and all of us long-time fans)..Well, I had a good friend by the name of Karen Corkerey..and so when she said Karen, I thought she had meant that Karen..and I stopped dead in my tracks..and said"What? Karen Corkerey?" (it struck me odd moments later why mom was so casual in telling me)..and then she said no, Karen Carpenter ..she had some kind of heart trouble."
Of course, I cut the article out of the paper the next morn and learned more in time. And then I was just really sad and shocked for quite some days.
I don't recall seeing the Cbs movie when it came out at the time it did, but I probably did watch it then when it did. I had completely forgotten about that movie, up until about 5 yrs. ago, when it was shown on I think Lifetime channel.
Of course, since, I have seen it a number of times.

[John in Phoenix]

Hey Cam - you always come up with great topics for all of us fans to respond to. Thanks for that guy.

I was living in Spain when Karen died. I actually didn't find out about her death until a fews weeks after the fact when a friend of mine in the states told me in a letter that Karen had died and was wondering how I had taken the news. I was shocked and sad and ANGRY that I had not known about Karen dying until well after the fact ! I was a Mormon missionary at the time and we weren't allowed access to TV/Radio or newspapers. I regret that fact immensely now. It was at that point in my mission that I started to keep abreast of current events through any form of media that I could find. My Mother sent me a lot of clippings and the People magazine featuring Karen's death. Such a sad time in my life. The Carpenter's kept me sane during my 2 years of Hell as a missionary and to find out that my idol would never sing again was just devastating to me, as it was/is to all of the fans of the Carpenters. The other missionaries that I were living with were baffled at why I was crying over the death of a 'pop' singer. That just had no clue as to what the music of Karen and Richard means to me. My other half just kind of shakes his head at me and has come to understand that The Carpenter's will always be a part of my life no matter what.

Anyway - that is my two cents worth. And no - I am no longer a Mormon...obviously. Go me !!!!

[cam83]

Hi John,
Welcome and thanks for your posting! How hard to learn of your favorite singer's death a few weeks afterwards! I think it's bad enough when you find out that she died that day...but a few weeks afterwards. Yes, I can understand about the grief part...of knowing you will never be able to hear her sing today and tomorrow...I mean, you will get recordings and stuff but it's not the same. But I guess we eventually heal to some degree, and when a new recording comes out with Karen's vocals gracing it, it's like a CANADA DAY here (or for the USA...4th of July!)...life springs forth. That was how I felt when THE RAINBOW CONNECTION was released on KAZAA...I was ecstatic! To hear that voice in such a wonderful song! And that is a wonderful song! Beauty doesn't begin to describe it. And I could go on with other gems that were released or rediscovered after her demise...Trying To Get The Feeling Again, Without A Song(full version with K&R doing Ella and John's part), Leave Yesterday Behind, California Dreaming, Nowhere Man etc....

I think she is watching from Heaven with a smile, knowing how she still has a following, and since her death, she has gained so many fans coming out of the Closet...the Carpenter closet. Even celebrities! It's a shame they don't release a great tribute album to them with the likes of...
Shania Twain
Carnie Wilson
kd Lang
Petula Clark
Dionne Warwick
Tina Turner
Luther Vandross
Sandi Patti
Amy Grant
Mandy Moore
Jann Arden
Avril Lavigne
Akiko Kobayashi
Herb Alpert
Olivia Newton-John
Donny and Marie Osmond
Madonna
Celine Dion
Mariah Carey
Gloria Estefan

All these artists, and many, many more are Karen fans. And they could do some wonderful stuff with a touching tribute to Karen...

Cameron

[Federico Cruz]

Rick said:

...we were ... watching TV. ...a news flash came on with a picture of Karen's face and the reporter said, "Pop music superstar dead at age 32, more details on the five o'clock news." My heart dropped, as Joyce uttered, "No way", I was speechless.

That was very similar to me.
I was studying at the university and every evening I crossed to my cousin's house for a moment (he lived in front to the university by then).
We were watching the TV and suddenly a news flash...
I was stupefied.
My cousin(who knew I adored the Carps) rise his eyebrow and told me: "Hey, what about you?"
I said anything....I was without words. My favorite singer was dead...

[Sammy]

I was mopping the floor and when I finished I sat down to relax and turned the radio on. we've Only just Begun was playing, when it ended the DJ announced (I don't remember the exact words) Karen Carpenter dead at 32. This is a big loss to the music industry and to the hearts of millions. I sat there in disbelief. I got on the phone and called one of my friends who also liked Carps and asked if he heard the news. He said he heard an hour earlier. I went into my room and played the Carpenters for over two hours and they were in my car stereo nonstop for the next three or four months.
My mom said that she cried when she heard the news.

[Federico Cruz]

BTW, in 1973 I bought a mexican magazine with a reporting about the Carps entitled "Carpenters o El Alto Vuelo de Los Carpinteros" that was the first time I saw them in photographs (still I didn't own any recording of theirs). I commented to a friend :" Hey, she looks sick!".
It was the photo sessions where Karen and Richard are in their house living room, Richard playing the piano and Karen reclined singing. In other, they are in the backyard of their home and she is using sunglass.
A glazier in front of the camera looks like wet.

[ThomB]

I was sick and stayed home from work. I remember I was half asleep, I had the TV on, eyes closed but still heard every word. The news was on and the mentioned Karen Carpenter had died. that woke me up instantly. I was so saddened and for a while even forgot I was sick.

[Moe]

I was in 10th grade and had just come from a pep rally at school. (for what sport in February, I have no idea!) I lived in Oklahoma at the time and it was a snowy Friday afternoon. My uncle, who was the one who introduced us to the Carpenters' music, picked me and my siblings up from school and told us the news. I was shocked and saddened and just a little numb for quite a while. I went home and listened to "Made in America" over and over. I remember a news flash that night that mentioned anorexia for the first time.

[Alan]

I remember distinctly. Was living in Austin, TX at the time. The guy who cut my hair had a falling out with his salon and was cutting hair out of his residence. He was cutting my hair and told me. I was stunned, but tried to play it cool. But I'm glad it was just the two of us and not in some crowded salon! As morbid as it sounds, I had an early, strong premonition that the C's would die young. However, in that vision both R&C died. Was just a feeling about the death in general and no details, so assumed it would be in a plane crash or something such as they traveled so much.

[smoothie2]

hi Allen ..welcome to the site...I'm guessing that any true fan of the C's recall where they were or what they were doing when they heard the news...it reminds me of the Don McClean song...the day the music dies...he was talking about Buddy Holley, in the song, and that was also a real loss the music world, but to me, since I was such a fan, that was when music died for me for a while. In time, though, we realize a greater appreciation for Karen and Richard.
That must have really given you a strange feeling to have such a premonition. At least Richard didn't die at the same time. Bad enough as it is.
smoothie

[karpart]

I was living in small trailer, listening to tv and ironing my husbands shirts..............havent ironed much any more..

[enigma]

I was also watching TV when the news came over of Karens death I was still getting over the shock of John Lennons death two years before and now Karen that was one of the darkest periods in my life from a musical stand point for two souls whom I so loved through their music were taken away and forever silenced. I still morn and miss both artists so much.

I watched the Karen Carpenter story when it first aired and shed a tear or two it was pretty good in hindsight.

[BethMosior]

I was sitting watching the news, which I normally didn't do, then the thing before they go to a commercial said when we come back famous singer dies, the shocking story next on tv9, my 1st thought was' its Karen', that was the 1st time I ever wanted to be wrong about something, but sad to say I wasn't at 1st I think I was in shock, all I could do was call someone I knew who at least knew of my love for the Carpenters, then I broke down, but what she did to me, I really wished then that I had not called her, she yelled at me to calm down. I really stayed in total mourning for years after that, I was afraid to get yelled at again, and when I would say something about Karens passing, all I would get is words like, she was a rock star and probaly didn't even know that you existed or thats stupid, she was nothing. thats the other reason why I love this forum, you all really care and don't cut me down because of my LOVE for Karen & Richard Thanx

[BethMosior]

P.S. that was the worse day of my life, I too died that day and have never gotten over it, I'm crying now so I better stop. thanx for listening