The Berklee College of Music commencement ceremony for the class of 2013 is coming up on May 11th. Receiving an honorary doctorate from the college will be the one and only Carole King. King, along with Willie Nelson and Annie Lennox, will be appearing and speaking at the ceremony; the music of all three artists will be featured in the concert played by graduating students on the eve of the commencement. This will certainly be a star-studded event; whether it be through King, Nelson, or Lennox, I believe that every student graduating will have some kind of a connection to one or all of these musicians. I myself grew up hearing the music of these artists: my Grandpa was a massive Johnny Cash fan (and by extension, Willie Nelson fan), and my Mother’s Annie Lennox CD was often on in the house. But it was Carole King who really had an influence on me growing up. Funnily enough, it was the WB show Gilmore Girls –- which had as its theme song King’s “Where You Lead,” and enjoyed a few guest appearances by her in season 3 — that exposed me to King’s music, and from there I was hooked. King has worked with everyone from Joni Mitchell to James Taylor to Mary J. Blige to Celine Dion to Steven Tyler; it’s because of her diversity that her music has touched so many lives over several generations.
King was born in Manhattan, New York and grew up in Brooklyn. She began playing piano at the age of 4 and grew up surrounded by music. She formed a band in high school called the Co-Sines and wrote and recorded music with friend Paul Simon, who lived just down the street. At Queens College she met Gerry Goffin, her writing partner and, later, her husband. At the age of 17, she wrote her first #1 hit: “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” for her husband and the Shirelles. King and Goffin went on to write dozens of chart toppers during this time; John Lennon and Paul McCartney themselves have been quoted as saying all they “ever wanted to be was like Goffin and King.”
In the late ‘60s King’s “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)” went straight to the top when Aretha Franklin recorded it, and in 1970 King released her first solo album, Writer, after moving to California and collaborating with James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. But it wasn’t until she recorded Tapestry in 1971 that she was really recognized, and she broke an industry record by winning Record, Song, and Album of the Year at the Grammy awards. Tapestry was number 1 on the charts for 15 weeks and has sold over 25 million copies to date.
King has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, one Primetime Emmy Award, and one Satellite Award. She has won six Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Grammy Trustees Award. She and her ex-husband Gerry Goffin were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and received a National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988. She was inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and received the 2,486th star of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. King is an environmental activist and an active member of the Democratic Party. She currently resides on a ranch in Idaho.
We are absolutely thrilled to have such an iconic woman representing the class of 2013 this year!
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