Once fame started paying off, Karen and Richard made some investment choices. The two bought apartment buildings, which is probably not a surprise, but they also personalized them.
They named one building “Close to You” and another “Only Just Begun.” It makes sense, after all, that’s where the cash flow came from!
A Typical 1950s American Family
Agnes kept the house like an SS officer, and she never hid her bigoted opinions. Karen craved her affection and feared to upset her. In 1996, journalist Rob Hoerburger incisively summed things up: "If anorexia has classically been defined as a young woman’s struggle for control, then Karen was a prime candidate, for the two things she valued most in the world – her voice and her mother’s love – were exclusively the property of her brother Richard. At least she would control the size of her own body."
When Karen tried out a solo act, her brother forced her to drop the project with his efforts to control her. He admits being threatened and afraid she would not come back to the Carpenters.
The Carpenters’ Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
Sadly, Karen missed being honored by a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame by just months. When Richard attended the ceremony he said, “This is a sad day, but at the same time a very special and beautiful day to my family and me.”
Through tears, he went on to say, “My only regret is that Karen is not physically here to share it with us, but I know that she is very much alive in our minds, and in our hearts.”
Carpenters or The Carpenters?
On the Walk of Fame, they are called “The Carpenters,” but fans say they are simply “Carpenters.” Album covers show they are called “Carpenters,” but it’s a common tendency to put the article in place before the name.
The Eagles, for instance, are really just “Eagles.” And, “The Facebook” social media platform decided to drop the “the” and stick with “Facebook,” a less bulky appellation.
The Ties That Bind
When it comes to family ties in Richard’s family, they started with his cousin. He married Mary Rudolph in 1984. She was the Carpenters’ road manager and also their cousin. She appeared in the Carpenters’ hit video for the single “I Need to Be in Love.”
But, to clear things up, there were no genetic risks to offspring because she is an adopted cousin. Richard and Mary share five children between them and are a happily married couple to this day.