Richard Carpenter Discography

Related Artists

Songs By

John Bettis

Member Of

The Carpenters

Similar Artists

Karen Carpenter :: The Carpenters :: Spectrum

Richard Lynn Carpenter (born October 15, 1946) is an American pop musician, best known as one half of the brother/sister duo the Carpenters, along with his sister Karen Carpenter. Richard Lynn Carpenter was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He was named after his father`s younger brother, Richard Lynn Carpenter. Coincidentally, Carpenter and his uncle both married women named Mary. He frequently played the piano while his sister, Karen, played baseball outside. He and Karen also liked to listen to the children`s records his father bought for him when he was young. He was introduced to Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald, among many others, and by the age of twelve, he knew he wanted to be in the music industry. The Carpenter family moved from New Haven to Downey, California in June 1963. They wanted Richard to further his music career, and the family was fed up with the cold New England winters. At the time, Richard was sixteen years old. Richard studied music at the California State University at Long Beach. There, he met Frank Pooler, a conductor and composer. Pooler wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic "Merry Christmas Darling" in 1968. He also met good friend John Bettis, who co-wrote songs with Richard.