Carole King Wins Gershwin Prize

 

Small wonder, given her contributions to the American songbook: You’ve Got a Friend, So Far Away, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, I Feel the Earth Move, and countless others, all of which have gone on to sell millions of copies and earn gold, platinum and even diamond status.

 

The prize, according to the Library, goes to “artists whose lifetime contributions in the field of popular song exemplify the standard of excellence associated with George and Ira Gershwin, by bridging musical styles, bringing diverse listeners together, and fostering their mutual respect and appreciation.”

 

Previous recipients include Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and the team of Burt Bacharach-Hal David.

 

"Carole King has been one of the most influential songwriters of our time," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "For more than five decades, she has written for and been recorded by many different types of artists for a wide range of audiences, communicating with beauty and dignity the universal human emotions of love, joy, pain and loss. Her body of work reflects the spirit of the Gershwin Prize with its originality, longevity and diversity of appeal."

 

King, 70, will receive her honor in the Spring with a luncheon and a performance in the Library’s Coolidge Auditorium.

King’s 1971 album, her first as a singer as well as a songwriter, was Tapestry; at 10 million copies (diamond status) and counting, it remains among the best-selling records of all time. With it, she became the first woman to win four Grammy awards in a single year.  

 

For fans of stats, King’s 25 solo albums have won six gold, two platinum, and one diamond award. Over 400 of her songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists and garnered 100 hit singles.