Carole King was born on February 9, 1942 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She learned the piano, then began singing with a vocal quartet in high school. She attended Queens College, where she was a classmate (and girlfriend) of Neil Sedaka and inspired Sedaka's second hit, "Oh! Carol". Her first success was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" recorded by The Shirelles.
King made her first solo album, Writer, in 1970 for Lou Adler's Ode label. King followed Writer in 1971 with Tapestry, featuring new folk-flavored compositions, as well as reinterpretations of two of her songs, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". Tapestry was an instant success. With numerous hit singles including a Billboard No.1 with "It's Too Late" Tapestry held the No.1 spot for 15 consecutive weeks, remained on the charts for nearly six years, sold 10 million copies in the United States, and 25 million worldwide. The album garnered four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Record of the Year ("It's Too Late," lyrics by Toni Stern); and Song of the Year, become the first woman to win the award ("You've Got a Friend"). Some of her other albums include Carole King; Music, Rhymes and Reasons, Fantasy, Wrap Around Joe and Thoroughbred. Carole King's book entitled A Natural Woman: A Memoir made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012.
030