Karen Carpenter died 40 years ago at the age of 32, a life mapped out in a new biography by Lucy O’Brien called Lead Sister. It’s a chilling, cautionary tale of how she and her brother became international stars and the devastating personal repercussions that were the consequence. Our conversation with Lucy covers the waterfront and includes … … the perils of “helicopter parents”.  … why Richard was “The Chosen One”. … a disastrous association with Nixon. … destabilising press comments about weight issues and her “milksop presence”. … what Hal Blaine said about her mother.... the night she met Elvis. … what singers need to survive. … the private bebop language she invented. … “Drummers are like hockey goalies. No-one knows how to talk to them apart from another drummer.”… the howling disaster of her solo album. … and what she discovered about her husband three days before she was due to marry him.  Lead Sister by Lucy O’Brien …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lead-Sister-Story-Karen-Carpenter/dp/1788708245 The Carpenters’ first TV appearance, 1968 …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cz60nGaopMSubscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon for early and ad-free access to every Word Podcast!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.