Karen Carpenter.docx
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Karen Carpenter.docx
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KarenCarpenter
KarenCarpenter'stragicstory
KarenCarpenter'svelvetvoicecharmedmillionsinthe70s…butbehindthewholesomeimageshewasinturmoil.Desperatetolookslimonstage–andabovealldesperatetopleasethedomineeringmotherwhopreferredherbrother–shebecamethefirstcelebrityvictimofanorexia.Inarevealingnewbiography,extractedbelow,RandySchmidttellsthefullstory…
∙RandySchmidt
∙TheObserver,Sunday24October2010
KarenCarpenter,Paris,1971.Photograph:
ShepardSherbell/CORBISSABA
TheCarpenterswereoneofthebiggest-sellingAmericanmusicalactsofalltime.Between1970and1984brotherandsisterRichardandKarenCarpenterhad17top20hits,including"GoodbyetoLove","YesterdayOnceMore","ClosetoYou"and"RainyDaysandMondays".Theynotchedup10goldsingles,ninegoldalbums,onemulti-platinumalbumandthreeGrammyawards.Karen'svelvetyvoiceandRichard'sairymelodiesandmeticulouslycraftedarrangementsstoodindirectcontrasttothelouder,wilderrockdominatingtherestofthechartsatthetime,yettheybecameimmenselypopular,sellingmorethan100m records.
1.LittleGirlBlue:
TheLifeofKarenCarpenter
2.byRandyL.Schmidt
3.
4.BuyitfromtheGuardianbookshop
窗体顶端
窗体底端
RichardwasthemusicaldrivingforcebutitwasKaren'seffortlessvoicethatlaybehindtheCarpenters'hits.Promotedfrombehindthedrumstostarvocalist,shebecameoneofthedecade'smostinstantlyrecognisablefemalesingers.
Buttherewasatragicdiscrepancybetweenherpublicandprivateselves.Offstage,awayfromthespotlight,shefeltdesperatelyunlovedbyhermother,Agnes,whofavouredRichard,andstruggledwithlowself-esteem,eventuallydevelopinganorexianervosafromwhichsheneverrecovered.Shediedattheageof32.
In1996journalistRobHoerburgerpowerfullysummedupKarenCarpenter'stribulationsinaNewYorkTimesMagazinefeature:
"Ifanorexiahasclassicallybeendefinedasayoungwoman'sstruggleforcontrol,thenKarenwasaprimecandidate,forthetwothingsshevaluedmostintheworld–hervoiceandhermother'slove–wereexclusivelythepropertyofherbrotherRichard.Atleastshewouldcontrolthesizeofherownbody."Andcontrolitshedid.BySeptember1975herweightfellto6st7lb(41kg).
Karen'squesttobethinseemstohavebeguninnocentlyenoughjustafterhighschoolgraduationwhenshestartedtheStillmanwaterdiet.Althoughshewasneverobese,shewaswhatmostwouldconsiderachubby17-year-oldat10st 5lb.(Shewas5ft4intall.)Shelevelledoffataround8st8lbandmaintainedherweightbyeatingsensiblybutnotstarvingherself.Evenso,eatingwhileontourwasproblematicforKaren,asshedescribedin1973:
"Whenyou'reontheroadit'shardtoeat.Period.Ontopofthat,it'sroughtoeatwell.Wedon'tliketoeatbeforeashowbecauseIcan'tstandsingingwithafullstomach…Younevergettodinneruntil,like,midnight,andifyoueatheavyyou'renotgoingtosleep,andyou'regoingtobeaballoon."
KarenwasshockedwhenshesawphotosfromanAugust1973LakeTahoeconcertwhereanunflatteringoutfitaccentuatedherpaunch.Shehiredapersonaltrainer,whomadevisitstoherhomeandrecommendedadietlowincaloriesbuthighincarbohydrates.Insteadofslimmingdownasshehadhoped,Karenstartedtoputonmuscleandbulkup.WatchingtheCarpentersonaBobHopetelevisionspecialthatautumn,sheremarkedthatshehadputonsomeextraweight.Richardagreedshelookedabitheavier.Shewasdiscouragedandvowedshewasgoingto"dosomethingaboutit".Shefiredhertrainer,andimmediatelysetoutonamissiontoshedtheunwantedpoundsonherown.Shepurchasedahipcycle,whichsheusedeachmorningonherbed,andbecauseitwasportabletheequipmentwaspackedandtakenwithherontour.
"Shelostaround20lbandshelookedfabulous,"recallsCaroleCurb,thesisterofKaren'sthenboyfriend,recordexecutiveMikeCurb."Sheweighed110lb[7st12lb]orso,andlookedamazing…Ifshe'dbeenabletostoptherethenlifewouldhavebeenbeautiful.Alotofusgirlsinthaterawentthroughmomentsofthat.EverybodywantedtobeTwiggy.Karengotcarriedaway.Shejustcouldn'tstop."
HavingwitnessedKaren'smeticulousroutineofcountingcaloriesandplanningfoodintakeforeverymeal,RichardcomplimentedherinitialweightlossduringabreakfromrecordingasthetwodinedattheAuPetitCafé,afavouriteFrenchbistroonVineStreetneartheA&Mstudios."Youlookgreat,"hetoldher.
"Well,I'mjustgoingtogetdowntoaround105."
"Ahundredandfive?
Youlookgreatnow."
Karen'sresponseworriedRichard.Infact,thiswasthefirsttimehepausedtoconsidershemightbetakingthediettoofar.FriendsandfamilybegantonoticeextremechangesinKaren'seatinghabits,despiteherattemptsatsubtlety.Sherearrangedandpushedherfoodaroundtheplatewithaforkasshetalked,whichgavetheappearanceofeating.Anotherofherstrategiesinvolvedofferingsamplesofherfoodtoothersaroundthetable.Shewouldraveonaboutherdeliciousmealandtheninsistthateveryonetryitforthemselves."Here,youhavesome,"shewouldsayassheenthusiasticallyscoopedheapsontoothers'plates."Wouldyouliketotastethis?
"Bythetimedinnerwasover,Karen'splatewascleanbutshehaddispersedherentiremealtoeveryoneelse.Hermother,Agnes,caughtontothisployandbegantodothesameinreturn."Well,thisisgood,too,"shewouldsayassheputmorefoodontoherdaughter'splate.ThisinfuriatedKaren,whorealisedshewouldhavetofindotherwaystoavoideating.
BythetimeKaren'sweightdroppedto6st6lb,shelookedforwaystodisguisetheweightloss,especiallyaroundthosesheknewwouldmakecommentsorpesterhertoeatmore.Shebegantolayerherclothing,astrategyheragentSherwinBashnoticedintheearlypartof1975."Shewouldstartwithalong-sleevedshirtandthenputablouseoverthat,"heexplains,"andasweateroverthatandajacketoverthat…Withallofityouhadnoideaofwhatshehadbecome."
ButfamilyfriendEvelynWallacewasshockedwhenshecaughtaglimpseofKaren'sgauntfigureasshesunbathedtoplessinthebackgardenoftheCarpenters'homeinDowney,California,oneafternoon."Theyputthisscreenaroundhersonobodyelsecouldseeher,"Wallaceexplains."Shelovedtogolayoutinthesunshine.Idon'tknowwhetheritwastogetatanorgetawayfromhermother.Anyhow,IhappenedtogoouttothekitchenforsomethingandIsawheroutthere.Shejusthadonherlittlebathingsuitshorts.Youcouldn'ttellwhetheritwasagirloraboy.Shehadabsolutelynobreasts."
Karen'snewslimfigurerequiredthatshepurchaseanewstagewardrobe,andsheoptedforanumberoflow-cutsilkygowns,somestraplessorevenbackless.Bashwashorrifiedtoseeherbonyshouldersandribs.Evenherhipboneswerevisiblethroughthethinlayersoffabric.HeaskedKarentorethinkthewardrobechoicesbeforegoingonstage."Italkedherintoputtingajacketonoverthebarebackandbarearms,"hesaid,"buttheaudiencesawit."
TherewasoftenacollectivegaspfromtheaudiencewhenKarenwouldtakethestage.Infact,afterafewshows,Bashwasapproachedbyconcernedfanswhoknewsomethingwasterriblywrongbutassumedshehadcancerorsomeotherdisease.Evencriticstooknoteofhergauntappearance.AreviewforVarietypraisedKaren'semergencefrombehindthedrumstocentrestagebutcommentedonherdeterioratingappearance."Sheisterriblythin,almostawraith,andshouldbegownedmorebecomingly."
NoonereallyunderstoodwhyKarenwasn'teating.Tothosearoundherthesolutionseemedsimple:
eat."AnorexianervosawassonewthatIdidn'tevenknowhowtopronounceituntil1980,"bandmemberJohnBettissaid."Fromtheoutsidethesolutionlookssosimple.Allapersonhastodoiseat.SowewereconstantlytryingtoshovefoodatKaren…Myopinionaboutanorexiaisit'sanattempttohavecontrol–somethinginyourlifeyoucandosomethingabout,thatyoucanregiment.Thatjustgotoutofcontrolwithher."
Bandmemberswitnessedherexhaustion.Shewaslyingdownbetweenshows,somethingshehadrarely,ifever,donebefore.Theywereshockedtoseehowshecouldbeflatonherbackoneminuteandonstagesingingthenext.Evenwhendoingback-to-backshows,Karendisplayed"atremendousamountofnervousenergy",saidBash.Unlikeherparents,BashhadnoqualmsaboutconfrontingKarenontheissueofanorexia."Thefactthatshewasanorexicwasdiscussedinnumerabletimes…Therewaseveryattempttogethertoseekprofessionalhelp,butIbelieveherfamilywasthekindoffamilywherethemotherwouldsay,'Wecantakecareofourselves.Wedon'tneedtohavesomeonehelp.Thisisafamilymatter.'"
WhenKarendieted,or"overdieted",Bashexplains,therewasarushofattentionfromthefamily,especiallyAgnes."KarenhadneverhadattentionfromAgnesbefore–hermotherdotedexclusivelyonRichard–soshelikedit.Theexpertssaythatoneofthethingsthatseemstodriveyounggirlstooverdietisthattheywereoftentimesthekidsthatnevergotattention.It'sawayofgettingthelovefromtheirfamilythattheynevergotbefore."
Bytheautumnof1975Karen'sfailinghealthcouldnolongerbeignored.Inadditiontoherskeletalappearance,shewasmentallyandphysicallyexhausted.AlthoughshemadeitthroughaseriesofshowsinLasVegaswithoutamajorincident,uponreturningtoLosAngelesshecheckedintoCedars-SinaiMedicalCentre,whereshespentfivedayswhiledoctorsrantests."Sheissufferingaseverecaseofphysicalandnervousexhaustion,"saidDrRobertKoblinin
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