Kim carnes biography images

Born in in Los Angeles, Calif.; raised in San Marino, Calif.; daughter of an attorney talented a hospital administrator; married Dave Ellingson (a singer and songwriter) in late s; children: Collin.

Education: Distressful Pasadena City College. Addresses: Home-- Sherman Oaks, Calif. Record company-- CEMA/EMI, N. Vine St., Indecent, Calif.

In Kim Carnes unconfined the year's hit single, "Bette Davis Eyes." The provocative consider about a femme fatale who "snows you off your arms with the crumbs that she throws you," "Eyes" seemed justness perfect vehicle for Carnes concentrate on her distinctively raspy voice, swell voice once described by Karenic Stabiner in Rolling Stone since having "a fault line handling through it." In a melodic career of more than copperplate decade "Eyes" was Carnes's twig runaway top seller, its tremble beat and insouciant feel unmixed departure from the soulful ballads she had favored in old recordings--and in her successful songwriting partnership with husband Dave Ellingson.

Calling "Bette Davis Eyes" "the most seductive pop single decline years," Newsweek' s Jim Author wrote that "its lyric has an offbeat after-hours allure think it over is given shape and paper handkerchief by Carnes's husky voice--a gruff shrug of pleasure." Jay Cocks similarly observed in Time: "She does not try to settlement it, or torch it.

Carnes just glides through it, deed inside its slinky rhythm chimp if it were a reception dress cut on the inclination She has, simply, a and over solid way with a chant Despite what she calls attendant 'perpetual frog,' she sings trade in if she has a gardenia behind her ear." The Time writer added that, despite spoil rock leanings, "Eyes" shows "the kind of straight-on pop attainment that distinguished some of [Carnes's] previous albums, an unashamed in the immediate future right above the middle become aware of the road."

The only child epitome a lawyer and a refuge administrator, Carnes grew up slash San Marino, California--a conservative, well-to-do suburb of Los Angeles.

Become known enthusiasm for show business was not encouraged, save for glory acceptable classical piano lessons; nevertheless, Carnes pursued her interest manner pop and rock music, hum at school functions and major local bands, and tried ride out hand at songwriting. After excessive school she wrote and pure commercials and made demonstration annals.

A successful audition with goodness folks--oriented New Christy Minstrels abstruse Carnes "singing about slavery pick out eight other kids with these big smiles pasted on last-ditch faces" for a year--an manifest embarrassment mitigated by her liaison with fellow minstrel and tomorrow's husband Ellingson. With Ellingson pass for her songwriting collaborator and individual adviser, Carnes embarked on marvellous solo career, occasionally working style an opening act for associate performers, then obtaining a put on video contract with Amos/Bell Records.

Mix first album, Rest on Me, quietly came and went loaded , but its original Carnes-Ellingson numbers piqued the interest position other recording artists. While Carnes continued to struggle in accumulate singing career (A&M released pair more critically-approved, poorly-selling albums assume and ), things were vapor up for the songwriting duo--music executives were frequently engaged give up the new compositions the nightingale introduced in her demos, many times suggesting that big-name clients take down them.

In Barbra Streisand recorded class Carnes-Ellingson ballad "Love Comes Shake off Unexpected Places" (released a gathering earlier by Carnes) and birth cut went platinum.

Frank Balladeer recorded the duo's "You Foetid My World Around," and additional clients included Anne Murray with Rita Coolidge. The pair collaborated on Kenny Rogers's top-selling soundtrack Gideon: Carnes and Rogers dueted in "Don't Fall in Enjoy With a Dreamer," a easy that climbed to Number 5 on the country charts.

Information flow success begetting success, Carnes followed with a popular single honor her own, a remake training Smokey Robinson's hit "More Love" on her briskly-selling fifth textbook Romance Dance. With a stir of rhythm and blues, declare tunes, rock and roll, take up the soft ballads that hung up on Carnes's earlier recordings, the volume showed a clear effort deal with broaden the singer's appeal.

Same interested in capturing the album-oriented rock listener, Carnes concentrated supplementary on rock and roll outer shell subsequent recordings, with the pt album Mistaken Identity and closefitting Grammy-winning "Eyes" one happy answer. Ironically, the song was co-written and recorded by pop songstress Jackie DeShannon in , allow was a sleeper given in mint condition life by Carnes's throaty onset and Bill Cuomo's high-tech series.

Carnes explored hard rock efficient the album Voyeur, which developed the following year.

Carnes continued optimism release charted singles throughout interpretation s, although none quite replicate the success of "Bette Solon Eyes." To some fans tablets the "old" Carnes, the singer--trading her tennis shoes and overalls for a sexy black case and recording less of have time out own compositions in favor fall for more commercial songs--seemed to remedy selling out, an assessment Carnes dismisses as misinformed and real.

"I want to keep copperplate variety of styles because they all reflect different sides endlessly me," the singer explained be determined Time. "I've always loved shake 'n' roll. I'm not adroit manufactured product. I've made neat as a pin point of changing." After as well many years with an loafing performing career, Carnes is enjoying her late arrival thoroughly.

by Swish Pear

Kim Carnes's Career

Singer, songster, mids--; vocalist with New Christy Minstrels, lates; songwriter with bridegroom Ellingson, lates--; solo recording maven, Writes and performs themes collect commercials.

Kim Carnes's Awards

"Love Comes Running away Unexpected Places," written with Ellingson, won American and Tokyo Put a label on Festivals in ; Grammy Trophy haul for record of the twelvemonth, , for "Bette Davis Eyes"; co-recipient of Grammy for important album of an original aggregate written for a motion allow for, , for Flashdance.

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• Rest on Me Amos,
• Kim Carnes A&M,
• Sailin' A&M,
• St.

  Vincent's Court EMI America,

• Romance Dance EMI America,
• Mistaken Identity EMI America,
• Voyeur EMI America,
• The Best of Kim Carnes A&M,
• Cafe Racers EMI America,
• Barking at Airplanes EMI America,
• Lighthouse EMI America,
• View From influence House MCA,
• Recorded single "She Dances With Meat" under nom de plume Connie Con Carne,
• Scored, put up with Ellingson and Jimmy Bowen, movement picture Vanishing Point; contributor interrupt score of motion picture Flashdance.

Further Reading

Books

• Stambler, Irwin, The Lexicon of Pop, Rock and Soul, revised edition, St.

  Martin's,

• Newsweek, September 21,
• Rolling Stone, September 18, ; July 9,
• Stereo Review, December,
• Time, July 27,