Born Carol Klein in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York to a Jewish household, King started out playing the piano then moved on to singing, forming a vocal quartet called the Co-Sines at James Madison High School.

She attended Queens College, where she was a classmate of Neil Sedaka and inspired Sedaka`s first big hit, "Oh! Carol." She wrote "Oh! Neil" in return. While attending Queens College, King befriended Paul Simon and Gerry Goffin.

Goffin and King soon formed a songwriting partnership, eventually marrying and having two daughters, Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor, who also became singers. Working for Aldon Music in the Brill Building, where chart-topping hits were churned out during the 1960s, the Goffin-King partnership first hit it big with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Recorded by The Shirelles, the song topped the charts in 1961; it was later covered by Dusty Springfield, Laura Branigan, Little Eva, Roberta Flack, the Four Seasons and King herself.

In 1965, Goffin and King wrote a special theme to Sidney Sheldon`s new television series, I Dream of Jeannie, but the song was not used, instead an instrumental theme by Hugo Montenegro was used.

Their 1965 song "Pleasant Valley Sunday", a #3 hit for The Monkees, was inspired by their move to suburban West Orange, New Jersey.[1] Goffin and King also wrote several songs for Head, the feature film debut from The Monkees.

In 1966 artist Peter Max arranged for a two-day visit from later-to-be legendary Woodstock guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda. The charismatic and pragmatic teacher was part of Carole King`s "unfoldment" and was a family friend in her California homes. Swami Satchidananda`s portrait, showing him seated under a tree at King`s California home, was used on the cover of his biography, Apostle of Peace.

In 1968, she was hired to co-write two songs for Strawberry Alarm Clock with Toni Stern, "Lady of the Lake" and "Blues for a Young Girl Gone," which appeared on the album, The World in a Seashell.