"Carpenters: The Musical Legacy" - An Evening with Richard Carpenter (720p)

On Saturday, April 27, 2024, I was joined by friend and mentor, Richard Carpenter, to discuss our recently published book (coauthored with Mike Cidoni Lennox, who was unable to attend the discussion) as part of the closing festivities for the Carpenters 55th Anniversary Celebration held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Downey, CA. This was followed by a formal proclamation and presentation to Richard by the mayor of the city of Downey, Mario Trujillo, as well as a plaque dedication, presented by Carpenters fan Erin Gatlin on behalf of fans from around the globe. Incidentally, Richard's appearance was kept a surprise until we walked out on stage, making this a most memorable evening.
Videography by Chip Cogswell. Collage video introduction by Chris May. © 2024

[@barneshomestead1240]

I lost my sister 1/8/2022 & in one of her many photo albums was a picture of Karen taken backstage at an amateur talent show hosted by an AM radio station in Birmingham Alabama. It was right before they hit the big time. It's now a cherished treasure. April 21st 1969 I was four. So I literally grew up with Karen & Richard. To me they were like musical brother & sister.

[@renarga6886]

😢

[@ChrisEmerson-is1gx]

How great to see and hear Richard in fine form! I was lucky enough to have a song I wrote published by Richard, to meet them both, and to experience Richard's generosity, Karen's humor, charm, and one of a kind vocal prowess. The finest pop singer of her generation, hands down!

[@nespressoman]

I met Richard in 1983 when he was in the UK to promote Voice Of The Heart. A real gentleman. He signed my Made In America album that is still on my wall now.

[@renarga6886]

Wow, I'm jealous!

[@nespressoman]

@@renarga6886 A lovely memory but sad that he was here by himself.

[@renarga6886]

This guy is a musical genius who never had the recognition he deserves. Thank you Richard and Karen for all your wonderful songs! ❤😊❤

[@abbett]

Watching this, I was smiling, crying, and clapping along with all of you who were present this day! Thank you so much for capturing and sharing this special event with all of us! ❤

[@marchon2027]

I share the same sentiments. I bought every single album the Richard described! Karen sang like an angel but Richard was the musical genius behind it all.

[@carlascrivens1855]

Same here..love this

[@unclewilbur8976]

I can’t express how much I loved seeing Richard and hearing his stories! Now I have to listen to some Carpenters music. …Horizon!!! 😊 ❤I love you Karen.

[@michaelhungate7506]

I've always liked the Carpenters. Richard is a brilliant writer and arranger.

[@dorawooten4298]

❤❤ I LOVED THE CARPENTERS❤❤

[@renarga6886]

I STILL DO.😊

[@unclewilbur8976]

Your taste in music is impeccable. I love the Carpenters too! Perfection!!!

[@tracymcauley1328]

Remember my mum playing the Carpenters many years ago and I’m now 52yrs old and now I still listen to your songs. Amazing talent you both had and together your music was beautifully made. Karen’s voice was perfect just a shame she got so sick.😢 So glad Richard is keeping well, there legacy will reman in our hearts always 💕 I just brought your book can’t wait to start reading.

[@IllyaLeonovMorganFreepony]

I will always love "Passage." It was such an opus, a tapestry of musical styles and exploration. I have it on all formats and I still play the reel to reel often.

[@LouellaReynolds]

God Bless Richard and Karen Carpenters 🙏 ❤️ 🙌 ♥️

[@cindytracy4908]

Wow! What an evening! It must have been so moving to have been there to experience that night. Richard is so loved and Karen is so missed. So lucky to find this on You Tube. Thank you Chris May.

[@LouellaReynolds]

Love this. It is interesting. Richard Carpenters you are a Gentleman and you are so admirable when you spoke about your loving wonderful sister Karen Carpenters. You truly miss her and love her even when you have grown so old. You are generous loving snd and kind. You are a musical genius your band was good and your sister who was always beside you sang the songs to perfection.God Bless you'll both. Pray 🙏 It was marvelous 🙏 ✨️ Thanks for sharing this video 👍 People all around the world 🌎 are able to see you and all the memories preserved and live till today.

[@brucetowell3432]

The book is well worth the price if you are a Carpenters fan, it's just gorgeous full of relevant info on Karen and Richard!!!

[@SteveWeaverIvyfield]

OH, MAN. What an absolute joy to watch. Some great questions answered (in honest detail) by Richard and I fell of my seat laughing when I heard him say sh*t in one of his descriptions - priceless! 😂 I’m seeing him on the last night of his UK tour in September ‘24. I was 15 when Carpenters hit the big time - I’m 68 now and my love for their music has never diminished. ❤ The best.

[@carlascrivens1855]

Love the Carpenters to the day I die..this is 2024

[@iemarcom]

Wonderful interview and video! Thank you very much for posting this. Best regards, Irene Economou

[@shawnbooth4990]

What a treasure this would have been to attend!! My goodness I wish I could have come!!! I love The Carpenters!!

[@usernametaken5619]

Really great to see Richard Carpenter again. He and Karen were so amazing. I loved to hear him talk about their early career and big hit songs.

[@jamesbond4633]

I love the Carpenter's version of Ticket To Ride. Also Nowhere Man. SO much the Carpenters could have did had Karen lived longer as RIchard said. It was very interesting listening to him. Thanks for posting!!!!

[@frederickc591]

Thanks Chris for sharing this. I regret not attending the 55th! Richard is so candid. All very refreshing.

[@MaryS-mg9ij]

Karen Carpenter is THE #1 Singer 👍💕

[@LouellaReynolds]

Everything is so wonderful marvelous and Perfect and remarkable . ✨️ You are gentle loving and kind so is your sister Karen. You sound so soft. Your music will be remembered and is live. You are a down to earth person. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@DavidGlover-s7x]

Love the Carpenters. Their contribution to America cannot be measured.

[@larrylangdon6943]

Thank you so much, what a treasure. I am amazed at Richard's memory of things and thankfully his keeping all of the material from their career. Great information

[@TC-TC-TC]

Thank you for posting this! So great to hear from Richard!

[@johnadam5179]

Thanks Chris!!!

[@eduardobenaglia9090]

Thank you for posting this video, Chris. I love the Carpenters and love your work about them.

[@pierfreire]

Obrigado Richard e Karen por tudo que vocês fizeram pela música e por tanto que vocês nos deram.

[@larryhardee1914]

Thank You For The Music.

[@barneshomestead1240]

The soundtrack of my life...thanks for sharing this.

[@keithunderwood8244]

Amazing! I grew up listening to their music. I was a child when they were just beginning. They were a "TEAM" ❤️ ❤

[@mdezii]

Thoroughly enjoyable video. Love Richards talent and his sense of humor. :) He's a riot.

[@kimbozw1808]

rich turns 78 in 5 months' time. great to see him again.

[@greenharvestproductions6743]

God bless the Carpenters. God bless Richard. I know he misses his sister very much and how much she loved her. His memory is so vivid being so close to her siblings like me and my sister Linda. We love each other's to pieces. I feel the sadness in his voice. God bless, Richard in loving memory of Karen Carpenter

[@jbs256]

Thanks for leaving comments open, Chris. I first want to say thank you to you for engineering the surprise of all of our lives! Second, a marvelous job as interviewer. 👏🏻 Third thank you to Chip for grace under fire. What stress this had to be! You want to watch but you have to work. Thanks Chip! What a night, the Wizard did not disappoint just screwed with my timeline in the most wonderful way! Now we know who the subject of Something To Believe In, is. 😉 It all makes sense now.

[@zekelucente9702]

When I was a kid in the 60’s I had a classmate named Tucker and his dad played bass in the Carpenters band. I remember he wore a Nehru jacket in the class photo.

[@WabbitWay]

we are truly blessed

[@leriksen54]

I love this! So great to hear Richard's experiences. So interesting to hear that Close to You was playing on 2 different radio stations at the same time. I ordered that book..Even though I grew up in the 60s & 70s & heard them on the radio a lot, it is just now that I am getting into their music & learning about the expertise that went into everything. I love watching the performances of the songs on utube. And also reactions to the Carpenter's music by young people hearing it for the 1st time! They always are astounded!

[@martinalvidrez7820]

Gracias por su Musica Richard y Karen Carpenter

[@LouellaReynolds]

Rich you are so sober adorable. Yes i do really love you. You are always in my mind and in my heart.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Yours truly affectionate loving Sister Karen Carpenters 💖 ❤❤❤

[@artistbrindle]

I absolutely loved their group Spectrum

[@Perfect_Blend]

I love Richard's descriptions....about the song "Get Together"(it sucked) and the Now And Then album cover(yeah, he LOOKED pissed.

[@jsavage7241]

I just want to say that Richard looks great since high school he’s always playing the upright piano in the band room with his black rim glasses. It brings fine memories of him playing the piano. I’ve always known the carpenters for many many years since high school I went to high school with both them people before they became famous and it’s been an honor and a pleasure to know both of them Karen and Richard Karen was outgoing teaching me how to play the drums, the snare preferably and she took the time to teach me how to do it. I am praising Richard Carpenter for the things that he’s done and the music he presented to the world. I’m sorry wasn’t it next to the high school that that we both went down Senior high school on Firestone Boulevard in Downey. If I would’ve known this, I would’ve been there to be present to see him again Richard and I have been friends for many many years and I respect the music and the industry that he’s in for both of them they pronounce the most beautiful music that is entitled to be into the world and I’m glad they’re gifted to know. They gave a gift to all of us so that we can share, my name is JAMES SAVAGE. I live in Garden Grove still trying to get a hold of Richard so we can talk before we go to the grape beyond I’m getting his age he’s 77 and I’m 75 so him and I are close to the age been retired for a long time And I wanna say God bless Richard Carpenter and his family and I just want to say I just hope that someone will contact me. You can get a hold of me if you wish I like to know where Richard lives in Thousand Oaks. I don’t have his address, but I need to get some things done before my life is over, I just want to say this is my address JRS [e-mail]. I’m glad to share my story with you guys and the great things that the carpenters have done over the years. It’s been a pleasure knowing them both and I respect them always JAMES SAVAGE.

[@carlascrivens1855]

All my life thank you for the great music..you and your sister

[@tongmovies]

Richard is such a musical and technical geek. Lol. So awesome.

[@chrismay7094]

That makes two of us!!

[@leghornlife]

Thank you for this!

[@alegramonticelli6038]

It's funny ... now that he said that: Richard looks kind of pissed on many of the album covers 😄😂

[@marcialuquillas5337]

I would like you to translate it into Spanish, or the subtitles because I don't speak English and I was always a fan of the duo Los Carpenters. Greetings from Venezuela.

[@justme6767]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@leriksen54]

I also had no idea that Richard and Karen had done so much music, or that Karen could play the drums, or how popular they were and still are internationally.

[@artistbrindle]

I think of all the beautiful music Karen could’ve made, but more importantly the family she might’ve had if she’d survived. Not to mention the incredible voice she could’ve been in the fight against eating disorders.

[@kenblair6622]

I hope he's doing okay. Looks like he's in some back pain.

[@bluebear107]

Karen has more talent in her pinky finger…than all the Madonna’s J-Lo’s Beyonce Swifties put together.

[@garyburke3935]

Why doesn’t his daughter sing Carpenters songs with him?

[@georgebur]

The lead vocals from Richard did provide contrast on the right songs. In that respect I would disagree with Richard.

[@jeremyfisher8782]

What a good dude! I think it is really cool to see Richard like this -- getting to talk about the music. I am sure he enjoys these types of discussions more than anything else -- because it is about the music and not his sisters illness. It is obvious that he has a very high opinion of Karen --- and a ton of respect for her talent. He has obviously received some cheap shots/hard questions about how things shook down. They were both really young when Karen died ... the earth has turned quite a few times since then. He is pretty freaking funny! Happy for him to get to talk to a group like this.