Carole King was one of the most iconic singers of the 1970s. She may be 73 years old, but King has still maintained her relevance as a singer and songwriter. However, despite the fact that King has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Carole King. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Was the First Female Recipient of “Song Of The Year.” In 1972, King won the Grammy Award for “Song Of The Year” for “You’ve Got A Friend,” which she performed with James Taylor.
Number Fourteen: She Wrote More Than 100 Pop Hits. You may know King best as a performer, but in reality, she is a very prolific songwriter as well. She wrote Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” The Drifters’ “Up On The Roof,” and Herman’s Hermits’ “I’m Into Something Good.”
Number Thirteen: She Had Her First Hit When She Was 18. Though it’s quite common today to see artists as young as 18 entering the scene, but at the time, it was nearly unprecedented for a female artist to have a hit so young. King’s first hit was “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” which she co-wrote for The Shirelles.
Number Twelve: She Is Political. King has worked with Alliance for the Wild Rockies to protect the environment, and she has also publicly supported John Kerry and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns.
Number Eleven: She Had a Famous Cat. King had a cat named Telemachus that appeared on her album cover for Tapestry, which she released in 1971. The album sold more than 20 million copies.
Number Ten: She Was Not Always So Talented. King has said that, as a teenager, she was even “lyrically challenged.” Apparently, words did not always come so easily to King.
Number Nine: She Was a Gilmore Girl. In fact, King co-wrote the theme song for the hit television show, and she also made an appearance on the show as a cranky owner of a music store.