Fans love Carpenters, not carpenters (L.A. Times)

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Someone pointed out to me that the article is in today's print edition - on the front page! I was looking in the California section where local articles are usually printed. Shame on me. It's so good to see their smiling faces looking back at me in print!
 
When posting a link to an article from a newspaper, it's OK to put in the article itself for archival purposes, since the link will probably be dead after a while.

They're outraged that owners of the Downey houses want to remodel.
By Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 16, 2008

We've only just begun . . . to learn what is happening to the Downey family home that was made world-famous by the pop duo the Carpenters.

The five-bedroom tract house and a smaller next-door dwelling that was connected to it by an enclosed walkway was where Richard and Karen Carpenter fine-tuned their greatest hits in the 1970s.

The pair lived in the main house with their parents. The adjoining house was something of an annex, where there was an office, rehearsal studio and recreation room.

The Newville Avenue compound became a magnet for fans around the world when it was pictured on the Carpenters' tri-fold cover for their 1973 hit album "Now & Then." It is also where an anorexic Karen Carpenter collapsed in 1983 before dying.

The pair's parents remained in the residence until Harold Carpenter's death in 1988 and Agnes Carpenter's in 1996. Richard Carpenter sold the place in mid-1997.

Tiring of a nonstop parade of fans paying hommage to Karen Carpenter and her and her brother's music, the compound's current owners have torn down the annex and begun construction on a larger house. They've also submitted plans to Downey officials for the replacement of the 39-year-old main house.

Their 'Graceland'
Fans are outraged.

"This house is our version of Graceland," said Carpenters aficionado Jon Konjoyan, a 57-year-old Toluca Lake music writer and promoter who is leading a campaign to save the remaining original house from destruction.

"They were such a huge American act in the '70s," he said. "So many people loved them."

The response underscores the enduring draw of the Carpenters, the vocal duo whose soft -- some say saccharine -- songs were in marked contrast to the harder rock acts also popular in the '70s and '80s.

Although some of their music is now relegated to dentists' offices and elevators, the Carpenters continue to have a loyal fan base.

Konjoyan was a young man in 1974 when he and his brother made a pilgrimage to the Newville Avenue home.

From 1981 to 1990, he worked for the Carpenters' label, A&M Records.

"When they photographed the 'Now & Then' cover here in 1973, the house was instantly immortalized," Konjoyan said. "Actually, when the photographer had come to the house to shoot the cover, they didn't know what to do. The photographer said, 'Why not get in the car and drive by?' "

So they did.

"They used Richard's red Ferrari. People thought it was a Pinto," Konjoyan said.

Music fans quickly tracked down the address -- often with the help of the Carpenters' polite neighbors who would direct the devotees through the neighborhood's maze of streets.

In 1974, Rolling Stone magazine reported that a stalker had driven up and down the avenue's short cul-de-sac looking for Karen. "I guess the Downey police are good -- that was the end of the story," Konjoyan said.

By all accounts, the home's current owners have been remarkably kind to Carpenter fans who still flock to Newville Avenue to gawk at the house and point to the upstairs bedroom where Karen collapsed.

Over the years they have patiently invited visitors inside to see the house and the backyard -- which the Carpenter family turned into a lush Japanese garden.

Fans, in turn, have posted photographs of the home's interior and exterior and written accounts of their visits on the Internet.

Fan overload
Last year, the owners held a yard sale, which drew many fans looking for vinyl records and old furniture, including what was said to be "Karen Carpenter's original bed and mattress."

Some fans complained that the Japanese garden had fallen into disrepair -- that its pond had dried up and its quaint wooden arched bridges where Karen and Richard were sometimes photographed were dilapidated.

The homeowners, Manuel and Blanca Melendez Parra, could not be reached Friday for comment.

But their daughter Jessica Parra said fans' interest in the home has caught her family by surprise. At first, the family invited fans inside and even gave away autographed posters and other items that Richard Carpenter had left behind when the houses were sold.

"In the beginning, we let everybody in. But honestly, it became horrible, not only for us but for the neighborhood," said Parra, a 26-year-old law student who says she is not a fan of the Carpenters' music. "People peek in windows and take pictures. They leave flowers on the front porch."

Her father, who is from Cuba, does not have the emotional attachment to the place that fans do, she said. "My dad has said, 'Fine, if they like it so much then buy it.' "

The one-story, three-bedroom house next door was acquired by the Carpenters in 1971, when they were rocketing to the top of the music world. It is being remodeled into a larger, two-story structure.

Downey officials said plans for a new residence on the site of the main house have been submitted. No demolition permit has been issued.

Fans of the Carpenters acknowledge that they may have run out of time to save the house.

Konjoyan's campaign to save the residence calls for it to be privately purchased and rehabilitated at its current location. If that is not possible, he suggests that it could be moved elsewhere.

A community's fate
Other fans have proposed that Downey officials declare the house a historic landmark as a way of encouraging its preservation. They point to the demolition of the famed Firestone Boulevard cruiser hangout Johnie's Broiler as proof that their community's heritage is in jeopardy.

"I urge the Downey City Council to take pride in their community's connection to the Carpenters' legacy and stop the demolition," fan Linda Thibert of Canada wrote last year to the Downey Patriot newspaper.

Music lover Jennifer Byrne, a 31-year-old writer originally from Miami, said she sought out the house on her first visit to Los Angeles in 1998. She said its preservation would help draw attention to the issue of anorexia as well as be a salute to Karen and Richard Carpenter.

"With the first money they made, this is what they bought for their parents," Byrne said. "They didn't buy a big mansion in Beverly Hills. They didn't go Hollywood."

Richard Carpenter, who is in the Philippines performing with Filipino singer Claire de la Fuente before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, could not be reached for comment. Both Parra and the preservationists said Carpenter has stayed out of the debate.

But the fans vow to persevere and keep their memories of the Carpenters alive because . . . they long to be, close to you.
 
The story has hit the wires. Here is the AP story.
Carpenters fans try to save former home Sat Feb 16, 5:19 PM ET

Owners of The Carpenters' former home aren't feeling on top of the world about the legions of fans who keep stopping by to pay tribute.

The five-bedroom tract house, where siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter lived and penned some of their greatest hits, was featured on the cover of their 1973 hit album "Now & Then." It was also where an anorexic Karen Carpenter collapsed in 1983 before dying.

Owners Manuel and Blanca Melendez Parra have apparently grown weary of the parade of fans paying homage.

The couple have submitted plans to officials in Downey, a city about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, to raze the 39-year-old main house, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. The Parras have already torn down an adjoining house and have begun construction on a larger home.

The proposal to level the rest of the residence has angered fans.

"This house is our version of Graceland," said Carpenters aficionado Jon Konjoyan. "When they photographed the 'Now & Then' cover here in 1973, the house was instantly immortalized."

The 57-year-old musician and promoter is heading a campaign to save the original home from the wrecker's ball. Some fans have proposed that Downey officials declare the house a historic landmark.

The entire Carpenter family lived in the main house. The adjoining section was used as an office, rehearsal studio and recreation room.

The Carpenters' parents lived in the residence until Harold Carpenter's death in 1988 and Agnes Carpenter's in 1996. Richard Carpenter sold the house a year later.

After the Parras bought the house, Jessica Parra, said that at first her parents invited fans into the home and gave away items left by Richard Carpenter.

"In the beginning, we let everybody in. But honestly, it became horrible, not only for us but for the neighborhood," Parra said. "People peek in windows and take pictures. They leave flowers on the front porch."

Downey officials said that they received plans for a new residence, but that no demolition permit has been issued.

Konjoyan is holding out hope. He wants the home to be bought and rehabilitated. If that is not possible, he wants the structure to be moved.

"They were such a huge American act in the '70s," Konjoyan said of the duo. "So many people loved them."
 
Let's face it... These two must not have made the same Impact as "The King", known as Elvis Presley...

"Heartbreak Hotel" is playing as that crane drives up, carrying that big iron ball...!



Dave :sad:
 
The biggest problem is there is nothing left at the property from K&R except the house. Graceland is full of artifacts and history.
 
Right. The time to preserve it was when Richard sold it.

The chance for the city to allow it to be declared a historic landmark and etc. is next to nothing, because there's no way the neighbors will allow what amounts to a tourist attraction in their neighborhood.

Moving it? Wellllll, that's probably possible but an exact replica of the house could probably be built somewhere for less money than it would cost to move it.
 
It seems to me that if the Carpenters Homestead Museum idea were worthwhile -- and, dare I say, economically viable -- Richard would've done it himself. I think he has an excellent sense of business. It speaks volumes that he left memoribilia (and other stuff) behind.

I'd love to see the exhibit at the Carpenters Performing Arts Center one day; it's probably the closest thing to Carpenters Graceland besides the homestead.

...At least their music will live on!

Still, I'm sad I never had a chance to see the place in its former glory. (Oddly enough -- given that the rest of my family is from Ontario, Canada -- my mom's cousins lived in the neighbourhood!)
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Jon Konjoyan several years ago while he still worked for A&M. He's a great guy! Very generous and funny to boot. Was kind enough to give me a brief tour of A&M and spend a couple of hours with me talking Carpenters music. So, I say "Go for it, Jon!"

...I bet he may even post here at times. Let's cut him some slack... he's a true fan.
 
Mark was this the same person that showed you the solo album photo that Karen planed to released that looked much different and has never surfaced again since? Just curious.
 
There is certainly much I could say about this whole situation - of witnessing the destruction of the Carpenter's iconic house - and it has been sincerely troubling to have been following the news and updates from over the past couple of years now, regarding this. Because, when all is said and done, I too, was a big first generation fan of Karen and Richard Carpenter.

So I chime in at this time with a few comments and hope that no one will be put off by me having done so. Mostly, I am now interested in researching my negatives and transparencies and selecting from the many images I took in and around the Newville house back in the mid 1980's. Could their value have just increased? Perhaps a book will be a project worth considering now.

Someone recently mentioned (maybe on another Carps forum) that they would like to see a floor plan of the house. I've been considering sketching out my own version from memory of the personal experiences I had there and perhaps others would be able to contribute. With photos, etc. we could possibly create a half way decent virtual tour! (If its already been done - never mind)

In closing this post, I'd like to share a drawing I made for Agnes and Harold for their 50th wedding anniversary. They loved it and it hung inside Newville for quite some time, making me so proud as a fan. Budding shutterbug that she was, Mrs. C actually took a "snapshot" of it and I cherish that. Due to other things I saw and was privy to, I can only imagine how and where it ended up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/SillyLoveSongs/carpenters.jpg
 
I saw front page of LA Times in pdf. at their site.

Many articles about this have Karen's and Richard's or Newville Ave. House photo. We can find the articles almost all over the world. The news reached to Asia yesterday, Japanese site had the article this morning.

Yahoo News Photo title is "Grammy Awards".
capt.c0ee9a91df794aa1ba8da936c91d01b3.people_carpenters_ny126.jpg


The first half from article;
Karen and Richard Carpenter pose with their Grammys during the 14th annual 1971 Grammy Awards at New York's Felt Forum, in this March 14, 1972 file photo.
Click to expand...
( news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//080217/482/c0ee9a91df794aa1ba8da936c91d01b3/ )

Sakura
 
Boy, if those people thought they had "drive-by" traffic before, it's going to be absolutely nuts now, with all this press coverage. This might make them want to tear the house down even faster!
 
"Mark was this the same person that showed you the solo album photo that Karen planed to released that looked much different and has never surfaced again since? Just curious."

Chris- Yes, Jon gave me that tour but he was not the person who had the mock up of the album. It was a Doug Haverty- I THINK that is his correct name and the right spelling (or something close to it- its been almost 20 years) . He was an International Promotions man. Maybe someone here knows if I remembered the name correctly. The mock up album had an inside photo of Karen laying on the couch with her hands up, but the colorizing was all lavenders, mauve, and rosy, blueish. This was the same photo but different colors as the one that was inside the UK version of "Yesterday Once More" compilation. Why it never surfaced again, I have no idea, other than Doug said the production copies were destroyed. Who knows how many are really out there...
 
Thank you Mark. I have always remembered your story but forgot who the person was again that showed you the album cover. I agree, the photos ultimately used for Karen's solo CD were not the best in the way they were displayed, I have always found it hard to believe that Karen would have ever approved the way her solo CD was released with regard to the way the photos were used and designed. I'd much rather think that what she really approved would have looked much more beautiful in design and color. It's too bad that when her solo Cd was put into production that some of what she planed to use could have been used and preserved but I guess we were lucky to even get the music.
 
I've seen some artwork from a Chris Tassin- is that you? He is a great artist!
If so, you should try colorizing the photos! I'd bet he/you would do a great job.
 
Here's a Link to the Now And Then LP Photo:http://www.vex.net/~paulmac/carpenter/albums/now_and_then.jpg

The Carpenters former home in Downey, was a home that Richard and Karen bought for their parents in 1970. They moved into the house, on 9828 Newville Avenue on Thanksgiving day. This was the residence of, parents Harold and Agnes Carpenter. Richard and Karen, each had their own bedroom, and shared and spent a lot of time at the Family Home.

At this residence, The Carpenters always had a love for music. Their parents
were music appreciaters, and Richard and Karen - musicians that they are,
shared a deep passion for creating and producing their music together as a duo. At the Carpenters Family Home, they had a soundproof rehearsal and recording room. Which Richard used in orchestrating and arranging and composing for the Carpenters Music. This room once stored the recording equipment, such as "Quadrophonic Sound, 4 Channel Stereo - with about a 125 watts per channel."

This home held good memories and memorable times.
This home also historically in American Pop/Culture History, is
the home where Karen Carpenter was found unconscious, and later
pronounced dead at a Hospital in Downey.

Hopefully, this home that the Carpenters once lived in, will soon become an Historical Landmark in Downey, CA. Not just for the significance of the Carpenters Music and Legacy, but for how Richard and Karen helped make Downey what it is today. As a tourist attraction. The Carpenters following,
like to visit and pass by the Newville "Now and Then" House. Others to mention as well, is the home on 8341 Lubec Street in Downey, that Richard and Karen once shared. Which was right around the corner from the Newville Ave., home. The Downey City Library, which stores the Carpenters Collection - for anyone to view. The Close To You & Only Just Begun Apartments in Downey. The one and only Downey High School, where Richard and Karen graduated from. And the Downey Methodist Church, where Richard played organ as a Teen; and also where he married his wife Mary (Rudolph) Carpenter in May 1984.

Would be cool to see what comes of the Carpenters former home in Downey. And if this controverstial arguement with the Carpenters fans, and the residents who live at the 9828 Newville Ave. home - in what comes to be of the final decision? If it does become a Nat'l Landmark, or a Downey Historical Landmark of the State of California, maybe the Now and Then home on Newville Ave. could then be turned into a museum, and a statue could be made in remembrance of Karen Carpenter. With a Plaque made, that talks about the house, and of who Richard and Karen Carpenter were and are.

The Carpenters were one of the biggest duo's and act's of the 1970's.
They should be remembered and not forgotten. They had tremendous
talent and musical skill.

Carpenters Forever
 
mstaft said:
I've seen some artwork from a Chris Tassin- is that you? He is a great artist!
If so, you should try colorizing the photos! I'd bet he/you would do a great job.
Click to expand...

No that is not me but I have seen his artwork and it's incredible. He also created a very cool youtube video from Karen's solo album called If I Had You, search and you will find it, cool photos taken from her solo sessions and drawing he made of Karen, he is a fantastic artist and drawing of Karen are the best I have ever seen. :thumbsup:
 
It's very interesting that the news media found it newsworthy to mention that Karen's old house might be demolished,but they didn't find it newsworthy to mention the 25th anniversary of her passing-February 4.
A house is worth more than a life?!!!!

(Incidentally,the NY Daily News ran that article,also.)
 
mr J. said:
It's very interesting that the news media found it newsworthy to mention that Karen's old house might be demolished,but they didn't find it newsworthy to mention the 25th anniversary of her passing-February 4.
A house is worth more than a life?!!!!

(Incidentally,the NY Daily News ran that article,also.)
Click to expand...

There's no "controversy" about an anniversary, thus the news media's disinterest.

But a house being torn down? Fans upset? Now THERE's a story.

Harry
 
Hi all.

We even had the story printed in last Saturday's Austin American-Statesman, complete with the Grammy photo. It was buried in the lifestyle section on about page 6, but it was the full article from the AP.

To be honest, that's pretty amazing for the Austin American-Statesman. I doubt there's been a Carpenters-related article in decades. The AAS usually sticks to local music and arts.

David
 
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