February 4, 1983

[kc1950]

I was reading the Ray Coleman book today "Carpenters" and i came across the part about Karen's passing. Here are some of my memories of that day nearly 26 years ago.

First - i am shocked that She was only 32 - my god, so young.

I rememcber it was a Friday and i had just got home from school - and somebody said turn on the news - Karen Carpenter has died - and what surprised me - was that it was a heart attack - and the immediately put the Anorexia cause immediately - I remember being shocked - and repeatedly hearing "rainy days and mondays" and being haunted by the sadness of her voice.

Well - nearly 30 years later - its still sad. Everyone has moved on but like Richard Carpenter - i still feel the loss just from a music stand-point- Obviously - she deserved to be loved and respected - but - i am talking about the music - the great songs - I mean she could have done the Natalie Cole thing long before - I mean listen to "I can dream can't i" - Sad part is and RC admits this - they wasted some of her talent on "A kind of hush", "Beachwood",etc...

The sadness i felt that day at 13 was that Karen was one of us. And i mean - this - a middle class kid with suburban values - Somebody who liked shopping, disney, eating at big bobs, Tacos, baseball. She wasn't an Aussie, A Beatle, A Brit, an Abba - i loved the fact that she loved I love Lucy and dug getting a tv tray and enjoying dallas and Saturday Night Live -

For the rest of my life- i am still haunted by the pictures of Karen on that People magazine in the yellow jump-suit - It still sickens me and i really can't forget that day when i was 13

[Rick Henry]

With February 4 just around the corner I decided to stick this thread at the top of the forum. Thank you kc1950 for initiating this conversation.

To everyone on this forum please share your thoughts and condolences here.

[kc1950]

Sadly - i always think of her around February 4th and i felt the collective sadness when she passed

I would be interested in sharing other people's thoughts that terrible Friday in February 1983 -

It was the same way i felt when Lennon was shot - Just a punch in the stomach - But Karen was always more real than Lennon - She was one of us - A suburban Kid who never lost her values -

If you watch Budokan 1974 - she has raggedy ann on her blue jeans/ bell bottoms -

She liked to watch Dallas and other Soaps -

She watched Magnum PI the night before she died

[YesterdayOnceMore]

I remember the day vividly; sadly recalling when I heard it on the radio, and how shocked I was. It was, truly, hard to believe. Then I heard the Song For You reprise where Karen's voice comes in very ethereally. It was as if she was talking just to me....

"...and when my life is over, remember when we were together....we were alone, and I was singin' this song for you..."

KAC....I remember!

[ps11932]

I can recall that night clearly. I was home alone that night because I had to work the next day and wanted to get plenty of rest, and it came as a big shock and like Chris said, a punch in the stomach, that sort of took the life out of me briefly. It wouldn't be until years later that I would realize the impact The Carpenters had on me but the date will always be in memory, to the extent that some very close friends know to ask me how I'm doing come Feb. 4, without anything else needed to be said.

[kc1950]

one thing that holds true for me is that she never lost her voice - its power and its greatness -

even in the 1982 final song "now" - she still has it -

I think it actually got stronger as time went on -

Check out the new posting on Karen's death on you tube - Its a current affair report from 1993 on the tenth anniversary of her passing. Her therapist claims she was cured - Sadly, he's just covering his behind. Sad, sad, sad - this guy was a quack- i think part of her issues with her weight is that she was a control freak and she thought taking 89 laxatives at a time would solve her problems - no doubt this destroyed her internal organs-

therapist was quite angry when he said "her family never once talked to me during the sessions" - I guess they didn't like him but that does seems a tad bit extreme

I am convinced she was purging at the end - since they found that poison in her system during the autopsy - quite sad - we'll never know-

Phil Ramone said she constantly compared herself to Olivia Newton-John and thought she looked fat compared to her -

THe thing one gets from these interviews is the collective sadness from people like Ramone, Hal Blaine, and her friends in New Haven

[carpentersgermany]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and impressions related to that special day..
On that day I was only 10 months and had no idea about Karen Carpenter of course. But today I just think it's great that I have spend 10 month "together" with someone like her on this earth..

[Dave]

I was all of 27, working at a place called Instrument Services. It was an ordinary, gray winter Friday, when the radio station I had on (1250 AM, WTAE) broke in with the news.
It was shortly before lunchtime, no one was in the shop, and I sat down and cried. It was like I'd lost a friend, a feeling that would take 21 years for me to determine why.

[Rick Henry]

Oftentimes in Southern California we get a short reprieve from the cold weather and February 4, 1983 was no exception. I had recently turned 23 and I was out and about with my friends enjoying the beautiful sunshiny weather. When I got home that early evening (about 4:30 p.m.) we (one of my roommates and I) turned on the TV and the first thing I remember seeing was a news flash saying "pop star dead at age 32, more on the 5 o'clock news" and a picture of Karen. My roommate commented, "that's Karen Carpenter." My comment back was "no way, what a trip." I really couldn't believe it was true, but it was true.

At that particular period in time I really hadn't been listening much to Carpenters at all. I was more into the whole KROQ new wave scene and also Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. Carpenters had pretty much been relegated to a part of my past. Karen's death did spur a short period of listening to some of the old music... primarily "Passage" and "Live In Japan". My roommates at the time (who did not like Carpenters at all) did comment that they thought "B'wana She No Home" was a hot number and one of them really enjoyed the live version of "Leader of the Pack".

For many years I had felt a sadness (even bitterness) pertaining to her early death and it is sad. But recently I have come to believing that I am not sad about Karen Carpenter but will celebrate the short life she lived. Karen Carpenter has left behind a wonderful legacy of music, a great personality and has filled many people's hearts with joy.

[kc1950]

thanks for sharing the thoughts - Its interesting that there are really two days when the music died

Feb 3rd when Big Bopper and Buddy Holly died
Feb 4th when Karen C Died

I loved their music in 1983 although i was into the Police and the Beatles and were growing out of the Carpenters by then - As i get older - i appreciated them a lot more -

I can't say how i felt back then because i don't think i appreciated them as much as they do now - but i felt a collective sadness that somebody could be so focused on starving themselves to death

I am glad i remember her when she was alive -

Very nice tributes on this thread -

[beaner]

I remember the day as clear as the nose on my face. I was 23 years old and had a part time job while living in Ithaca, NY. My work day was over at noon and then I would come home and watch my soap operas each day.

I believe it was between 2:00 and 3:00 pm when the tv stations usually break in with minute news and all of a sudden the news break came on with "breaking news" and it was the most devastating news I could've ever received.

Within minutes, my Mom (who was working at her 3-11 pm job) called me to see how I was doing because she had just heard also. My Mom knew exactly what the Carpenters meant to me. In fact, she was the one who took me and my cousin to see them in concert 10 years earlier.

Karen is sadly missed so much and by me more than anyone can fathom, for it was just 8 months later I lost my Mom to a stroke that very same year. So 1983, in particular, will ALWAYS be in my memory. I loved them both so very much!!! Peace with you Mom and Karen.

Beaner

[BethMosior]

can't beleive another year has gone by sure do miss Karen sure is a star on earth and in heaven

[enigma]

Like another music tragedy that happened in 1980 I remember Karens passing also like that December morn in 1980 it was a shock I did not want to believe it especially when it happened a short time after losing an artist that was a big part of my life for so long. Karen was a pretty big part of my life musically as well so within two or three years the music would stop for two significant artists to me but their spirits, Karens spirit has lived on I continue to enjoy all Karen had to offer me in her brief life I long for what could have been I miss her. I still can't get to the end of any documentary without sheding a tear when they get to the part of Karens story when she passed away just brings that day back as if it just happened. On this day I both morn and celebrate Karens life as she wouild have wanted through her music. I love and miss Karen.

[kc1950]

great comments and memories - i too remember both December 8th 1980 and February 4th, 1983 - days of extreme sadness for sure.

Their memories carry on

Somebody said the day she died they remember hearing the "Song for U" part where she sings

"And when my life is over"...
"I remember when we're together
and we were alone and i was singing this song for u "

How appropriate - She was the greatest singer of my generation and a middle class kid from Downey - we will always remember