By Sabrina Mason
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Richard Lynn Carpenter (born October 15, 1946) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who formed half of the sibling duo the Carpenters alongside his younger sister Karen. He had numerous roles in the Carpenters, including record producer, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and songwriter, as well as joining with Karen on harmony vocals.
After graduating from Downey High School in 1964, Carpenter studied music at California State College at Long Beach (now known as California State University, Long Beach). There, he met Frank Pooler, a conductor and composer who wrote the lyrics to the Christmas classic “Merry Christmas Darling” in 1968. Richard also met his good friend John Bettis, who co-wrote songs with Richard. At Long Beach, Richard also met Gary Sims, Dan Woodhams, and Doug Strawn, who later became members of the Carpenters’ live band.
Richard and Karen signed with A&M Records on April 22, 1969. “Let’s hope we have some hits,” Herb Alpert told the two. According to Richard, Alpert gave them artistic freedom in the recording studios, but after Offering, their first album, was released and wasn’t a big seller, it was rumored that some of A&M’s people were asking Alpert to release the Carpenters, but he believed in their talent and insisted on giving them another chance.
Alpert suggested that the Carpenters record a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song called “(They Long to Be) Close to You” written in 1963. Though Richard worked up an arrangement only at Alpert’s insistence, the song was an overnight hit. Released on May 14, 1970, it rocketed up the Top 40 charts to No. 1, where it stayed for four weeks during June and July, paving the way for the duo’s future releases.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Out of the several types of melons that are cultivated, these come from two different melon groups of Cucumis melo.
A true cantaloupe is a member of the Cantalupensis Group, named for Cantalupo, a former papal villa near Rome. This group is usually characterized by a rough, warty, hard rind and sweet orange flesh. These melons are mostly grown in Europe and Asia, and seldom grown in North America.
In the United States, what is called a “cantaloupe” is usually a muskmelon, which is a member of the Reticulatus Group and characterized by a netlike ribbed rind and sweet, fragrant orange flesh.
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- Friedrich Nietzsche (philosopher) –
- P. G. Wodehouse (author, humorist) –
- C.P. Snow (novelist) –
- Lee Iacocca (businessman) –
- Linda Lavin (actress) –
- Penny Marshall (actress & director) –
- Jim Palmer (baseball player) –
- Richard Carpenter (musician) –
- Emeril Lagasse (chef) –
- Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) –
- Lauren Betts (basketball player) –
Died
- Clara Kimball Young (actress) –
- Cole Porter (composer) –
- Edie Adams (actress & singer) –
- Dorcus Reilly (home economist) –
- Suzanne Somers (actress) –
Events
- First day of conversion to Gregorian calendar from Julian for several countries (Poland, Spain, Italy, Portugal), due to Pope Gregory XIII’s decree. Great Britain and colonies did not convert until 1752–
- First U.S. Agriculture Bureau scientific publication issued–
- Edison Electric Light Company established–
- American Angler, the first fishing magazine in the U.S., was published in Philadelphia, PA–
- Symphony Hall in Boston was inaugurated as the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra–
- Mata Hari, one of history’s most famous spies, was executed–
- Statue of Liberty designated as a National Monument–
- President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill creating the Department of Transportation–
- An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale shook southern California–
- Veterans Memorial Bridge opened, Port Arthur-Bridge City, Texas–
- Andy Green became the first person to break the sound barrier in a land-based vehicle, at 763.035 mph–
- In New York, the Staten Island ferry plowed into a pier killing 10 people and injuring 42 more–
- China launched its first manned space mission becoming the third country in history to send a person into orbit — four decades after the Soviet Union and the United States–
- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred near Kailua-Kona on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii–
Weather
- Hurricane Hazel hit the Carolinas–
- Hurricane Hazel struck southern Ontario–
- Hazel II storm flooded Toronto–
- 15.88 inches of rain fell in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida–
COURTESY www.almanac.com
