Where were you?

[goodjeans]

Another anniversary and another cloudy day. How appropriate. I was an intern at wcau the morning that I heard the awful news of Karen's death. The news came over on some paper thing that feeds breaking news. My job was to go into the archives and find a photo of Karen. The latest photo available was a group photo for some Grammy gathering. It was a surreal and terrible day. My other full time job was waitering at some dump. I was in the "lounge" area and "A Song For You" came on. When it had finished there was a long pause, and then the D.J had remarkable and complimentary comments regarding Karen. My manager was an a**hole and it didn't take much that day for me to be fired. I remember that day so well...I miss you Karen.

 

[Captaindave]

The Karen Carpenter Story was on TV last weekend...wonder why I don't see anywhere today...or is it?

 

[Mark-T]

I was working at my Pacific Bell office- and my sister called me to tell me about Karen's death. She was always playing practical trciks on me, so I wrongly assumed this was one of those as well.
Rest in Peace, Karen. Thanks for making our lives so much richer.

 

[no1kandrfan]

I was at work and received a call from my best friend telling me of Karen's passing. I was shocked - as the world was - and it was very hard for me to get through the day. When I arrived home that afternoon I listened to "A Song For You" over and over and over.

Even after all these years it is still so hard to believe that she is gone. But, as Richard said, she left an incredible legacy and that music will be around forever.

 

[RichardWarner]

I was a radio anchorman in Atlanta and even though my content was supposed to be locally-oriented, I figured out a way to localize this. My college roommate was the son of a prominent Atlanta-based radio consultant, Kent Burkhart. On the phone, Kent provided his take on the story: the Carpenters had been a big group in their day, propelling A&M forward and appealing to multi-generations throughout its first several albums...but the group had run its course and their heyday was long past. Kent's words...

 

[Harry]

I was working where I still work to this day, at radio station WMGK in Philly. We were the station in Philly that played soft rock - so we were a natural to play a few Carpenters tunes in tribute when the news hit. I still remember working at the clunky old IBM System/34 terminal we had at the time, when I first heard the news. I ran back to talk to the DJ, Chris McCoy, now on B101. He gathered up the few Carpenters songs we had on cart to play on the air.

Sad day.

And though I understand people wanting to remember things, this is one anniversary date I wish we could forget about.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

It's kind of weird but I really don't remember where I was when I heard about Karen, or even how I heard about it. Probably on the radio, I'd guess. I do remember reading an article in the newspaper the day after. In contrast, I remember every detail of where and how I heard about John Lennon being killed. It's strange because I am much more of a Karen Carpenter fan than I am a John Lennon fan. "Mind Games" indeed.

 

[Dave]

Where Was I?...:

When Karen died: 7th Grade

When Harry Chapin died: 6th Grade

When John Lennon died: 5th Grade

When Elvis Presley died: 2nd Grade

When John F. Kennedy died: Not yet born (...Or still hanging around in the womb...)

When Marilyn Monroe died: Not yet born (...Or "attempted")



Dave

...and on a Certain Sept. 11th: At Work, trying to keep my mind on working...! :usflag:

 

[davidgra]

Funny how you remember the exact details of when you heard the news... I was in the car, leaving a parking garage at my doctor's office, when the I heard the news on the radio. I remember exactly what that parking garage looked like, and even where I was in the garage when I heard the announcement.

What I've always found more fascinating is that I know they played a Carpenters song on the radio following the announcement, but I don't have the slightest recollection of what it was. I guess I was sort of in shock. It was probably "Close to You," but I honestly don't remember.

David

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

I was 9 at the time. I remember we'd just had a very bad snow storm and my mother had that dreaded "People" magazine as she came in the door from the store. She was quite shocked and I remember I was too.

Ed

 

[AM Matt]

I was 17 years old. I was a sophmore (10th grade) in high school when I saw People magazine (1 week later) & when I went to the grocery store, I was in shock. I did not watched the news or the newspaper because I had homework that I had to do. Matt Clark Sanford, MI

 

[thestitch]

Oh, I remember it well. My husband had lost his job for a company in Cincinnati along with about 42 others and we were already in shock trying to deal with that when the news came across the TV about Karen. We had realized that something was desperately wrong with her and were clueless as to what it was. In those days not much was ever said about anorexia.

Her voice will be with me forever.

Marilyn

 

[PHIL]

I was a passenger in my friend's car, on the way to a game of Badminton (oh to be young again!). The radio was turned down low as we were chatting but I heard the incredible words on the news in the backgound and couldn't take it in. The game was very subdued, to say the least.

Karen will be remembered as long as music is played.