How tall was Karen Carpenter

Sandy Cowell said on 16/Sep/23
I’ve just played ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ and the lyrics are so sad. Included is the sentence, “So much of life ahead…..”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for Karen, who read the cruel and derogatory comment in the papers that she was Richard’s plump little sister. SHE WAS NEVER EVEN REMOTELY PLUMP. She then started crash dieting, going down to 80-84 pounds and needed to be hospitalised. They ‘fattened her up’ far too quickly, and her heart couldn’t take it. She died of a heart attack shortly after she came home, possibly even on the same night if the film about her is accurate.

I remember seeing her on Top of the Pops and was utterly shocked at her weight loss. She was such a pretty girl and had become skeletal. She was one of my favourite female singers growing up.

RIP dear Karen
(2/3/1950 - 4/2/1983) 🕯💐 XXXXX

Incidentally, I’ve recently read that she was 5ft4.5, but come night time, she’ll have been 5ft4.

Sandy Cowell said on 12/Sep/23
Yesterday afternoon, I climbed into a cab playing ‘We’ve Only
Just Begun’, having just watched the Stephen King film ‘148’. The taxi driver permitted me to keep it on, as he likes The Carpenters too. He commented on Karen’s voice, Arch Stanton style, and I added that I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like them. I then played ‘Goodbye to Love’, from 1972, which takes me back to the time I was in love with a boy in my brother’s class, called Christopher Dalton, who was 15. I didn’t think I stood a chance with him, as he was a mature 15-year-old and I an immature, flat-chested 11-year-old!

I know even heavy rockers, like myself and my beautiful Jim, who like them. His favourite is, ‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft’, which I’ve just played, and sent to Nik. It’s about friendly aliens. I can’t imagine The Carpenters singing songs about a horrible race.

There was a film called ‘The Karen Carpenter Story’, which starred the late Louse Fletcher as the mother of the singers. Karen died when she returned from hospital after being ‘treated’ for anorexia. The medical profession didn’t have a clue about the psychological illness back then and they fattened Karen up far too quickly. She died of a heart attack when released from hospital, aged just 32. Nowadays, they concentrate on the causes of the eating disorder and take it from there.

I read in my 70s magazines that Karen was 5ft4, so Rob has it spot-on.

Sandy Cowell said on 12/Sep/23
I just got into the cab playing, ‘We’ve only just begun’, and I was singing along. I asked the taxi driver if he minded and he certainly didn’t. Who would? Karen Carpenter had one of the best voices ever.

I followed it up with ‘Goodbye to love’, which had me in tears when I was 11.

Karen shall never be forgotten. She left a marvellous legacy.

XXXXX 5ft4.

Arch Stanton said on 31/Dec/21
She had the most gorgeous voice, really one of the greatest female singers of all time. Richard was top notch, a great musicians, some of those songs combined with her voice you can't get better than that. Sad what happened to her, her mirror lied to her! She could look a bit taller at times, probably because she was so slim.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 31/Dec/21
I've been watching all sorts of videos this morning and one of them was 'Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft', which is indeed freaky for the Carpenters.

5ft4. 🕯️

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 15/Oct/20
Karen's brother, Richard, who formed one half of the musical duo, turns 74 years of age today. Many Happy Returns to him! 🎂🎁🎈

I found 6ft for him. 😁🎶

The late Karen gets 5ft4. 🕯️🎶

Leesheff1985 said on 28/Sep/20
You cant have a page for karen and not have one for richard. I think a page should be added for him hes probably around average height maybe 5ft 10 if karen is in flats here

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 17/Oct/19
⭐ I should have mentioned that the overplaying of Carpenters' songs is from Season Eight of 'American Horror Story', 'Apocalypse'.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 15/Oct/19
Today is Karen's brother, Richard Carpenter's 73rd Birthday. I wish him a very happy time. 🎂🎈 I wonder what Richard thinks about the overplaying of 'Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft'? Even my boyfriend likes that track, but not ALL THE TIME! 😂😂😂

The people complain, so they change it - to yet another Carpenters' song!

@ Yang - I, too, used to enjoy listening to their music when I was a kid!

The tragic, beautifully-voiced Karen gets 5ft4. I read that in more than one of my teenage magazines in the 70's.

Yang (5ft 8 Chinese men) said on 3/Feb/19
She is an honest lister!!! Plus, I was huge fan of Carpenters Richard and Karen when I was teenager.

Blake said on 15/Sep/17
Are you just basing this listing after the description from the documentary? She is described 5 ft 4.5 in this article Click Here

Blake said on 13/Sep/17
Rob, how tall would you list Richard Carpenter in his prime?

Sandy Cowell said on 18/Feb/17
That is all I've ever heard Karen to be - 5ft4.
So sad how badly they used to deal with anorexia - stuff the patient and be done with it. That 'method' put a massive strain on Karen's heart. They fed her up to 108lbs and she had a fatal heart attack at 32, poor girl.
It's just as well more time and thought goes into the treatment of this disease now.

John said on 18/Nov/16
She was 64 inches tall according to her autopsy.
She was the greatest female singer ever.
Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Elvis thought she was up there as the best.

jonny said on 12/Jul/08
does anyone know how tall richard is?

Rocky said on 15/Aug/06
I think we need to exhume the grave to double check.

J/K!!!