Richard was able to have the family Karen yearned for. Mary and Richard’s five children are Kristi Lynn, Traci Tatum, Mindi Karen (named after her aunt), Colin Paul, and Taylor Mary.
Richard takes the kids on the road from time to time. His children perform with him at Carpenter events.
Karen and Richard Invested in Apartment Buildings
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!
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.
Richard Opens up About Dealing With His Loss
Following Karen’s death, Richard had this to say to People magazine: "I did a lot of soul-searching after her death, and I realize now that I did as much as I could have done. All of us who loved her did. But I still can’t believe she’s gone. We spent so much time together. There’s a void there now. I miss her more and more each day. You simply have to deal with it. And I’m doing the best I can".
He lost his best friend and his partner in making music, his life's passion. It’s like he lost everything. Fortunately for him, he found Mary Rudolph a couple of years later and started a new life.