Richard's Christmas Album

[Geographer]

Simply put, after Karen's passing, Richard had a lot of options to pursue and "re-invent" himself; producing others, film scores, writing new songs for other artists, etc. He is a multi-talented individual who, if he wanted to, could have kept going in the industry and been very successfully in any number of avenues. It seems he chose the options to raise a family and oversee the Carpenters catalogue for posterity into the future. He occasionally pops up "here and there" with background vocals here or string arrangements there, but I get the impression he turns down more offers to collaborate than he accepts. But it seems, to me anyway, raising his family is his "full time job" now and he seems content in it.

 

[GaryAlan]

^^Definitely, we have some support with that view when reading the
late 1987 People Magazine article:
Four Years After His Sister Karen's Death, Singer Richard Carpenter Makes His Debut as a Solo Act
"Record business wisdom would have Carpenter go out on tour to support his new LP,
but he plans to stay home for a while, he says, “because I don’t want to leave my baby yet.”



"I get the impression he turns down more offers to collaborate than he accepts"
Now, I would love to believe that to be true, but, I doubt it......

 

[Sue]

I’m definitely not as knowledgeable as so many of you but if I was Richard the last thing I would want to do is make music in whatever format, had I lost my younger sibling in such a tragic way. Perhaps he has kept trying but in reality his heart just isn’t in it.