Carole King (born Carol Klein in 1942) is an American singer and songwriter. I was still a kid when her songs started topping the charts. I didn’t really discover her music until I was in college, and when I did, I was thrilled to find her best selling album Tapestry in my Dad’s collection. I listened to it over and over, I wrote down the lyrics, I memorized the words. At times, it seemed like Carole King was speaking to me. If you read the quotes below, you’ll see that this was one of her goals. In fact, it is the goal of many artists, myself included.  Sometimes King wrote songs by herself, sometimes she collaborated. She has been called the most successful female songwriter of all times, because of the over 100 songs she wrote that landed on the Billboard charts. So, here are a few words from one of the greatest songwriters of all times. Enjoy. Then go listen to Tapestry.

Carole King Quotes:

• I just do what I do and assume it’s going to be well received if I’m good at it.
• I’m really in a place where I’m not trying to be anything other than what I am.
• It’s about connections. I want to connect with people; I want to make people think “Yeah, that’s how I feel.” And if I can do that , that’s an accomplishment.
• Tapestry was the album in which it all came together.
• Making the demo is a natural product of writing a song; after that, I’m happy to hear other people do it in other ways.

I hope Carole King continues making music for years and years!

* The above photo of Carole King was taken by Michael Borkson while she was being interviewed at the JFK Presidential Library-Boston, Mass. (4/12/2012).