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This is an easy one for me to answer. I heard them as a child and I enjoyed them a lot back then. I really began to appreciate them musically as an adult and they have become my very favorite musical act/group. Most people my age and older can probably relate to that. I am curious if younger fans discovered them mostly through their parents, friends, or otherwise. Does anyone think you are strange for liking them so much? Many people I know think I am a bit "out there", as Richard would put it. Do tell!

Randy

I initially knew of the Carpenters, Karen, actually, because of her death due to anorexia nervosa for some time. For whatever reason last year, I started listening to the records and was absolutely amazed with Karen's voice. Since then, I've been hooked. Some people think it's a little strange that I like the Carpenters, considering my other favorite musical choices (more on the lines of hard/classic rock), but no one really thinks it's "out there."

Oh well well, that is a long story I think, let me explain....everything started when I was 8, I didn't know about them( remember I was born 3 years after Karen's death ) I was in the chorus of my school and the teacher taught us''Canta'' (''Sing'' but in spanish )ok, I used to love that song, but I never knew that the Carpenters were the singers....ok
So, like 3 years after that, I was with my mom watching TV and my mom was seeing people and arts, and suddenly we saw Karen, I remember that when I heard her I loved her voice!! my mom told me that she died because the anorexia, and I never forgot that, I don't know why, but I don't remember the song that she was singin', anyway, in june 2002 my best friend started to sing''Close to you''at school and when I listened it I found it very familiar, I asked her who are the singer and she told me The Carpenters, suddenly I remembered that old tv special that I saw and suddenly I downloaded the song, I fell in love with it! obvious! that is beautiful! some days after I downloaded ''Sing' and I discovered that it was the same old song that I used to sing at school, well you can imagine, since then I'm FAAAAAAAAANN!!!!! that's how I met them

Well, I first heard The Carpenters when I was around 8 (little did I know I'd be a big fan!) on Sesame Street, the song was "Sing"! (what a coincidence Renata!) Well, 4....5 years later my dad and I were listening to a whole bunch of old songs, we were all singing to them, and having a good time. Then, as the last song we heard ended, there was this beautiful voice singing "why do birds suddenly appear...." And I'm thinking, "whose singing? It sounds really beautiful." I asked my dad who was singing, and he said, "Karen, from The Carpenters." So I asked what else they sing? And he played a whole bunch of songs. I loved them! They were the best singers I ever heard. I started listening to them a whole bunch! And now I'm a big fan! Their the best! And I'm so thankful for them sharing their music with us.
GO CARPENTERS!!!

I really don't feel strange cause I'm fan!! nooo!! I'm very proud! cause there aren't many young fans actually and I love to be one of them! same with ABBA and Olivia Newton-John, I'm proud of my music! I love it!!!!

Well,I got to know Carpenters when I was very very small,my parents liked them and I often listened to their songs.I liked them too but then it wasn't one of my favorite music.And I didn't know anything about Karen and Richard's life(besides even if I had known,I was a little girl,and I wouldn't have understood anything about,for example Karen's illness).And there's one funny thing.We didn't have any pictures of Karen at home so...maybe you won't believe me but when I was about 5,6 years old I thought Karen was a Black!I had to be crazy but when I was very small I don't know why but I thought that only Black singers can have such a low,deep voice.But I told it my father and of course he said I was wrong.
I fell in love with the Carpenters just three years ago in June after watching 'The Karen Carpenter story on TV.I was so touched by Karen's tragic story and I heard so many new,wonderful songs(especially I loved 'Now")...Actually I re-discovered Carpenters music and Karen's beautiful voice.It seemed to me I hadn't known them before,I always liked Carpenters sound but for three years I've been loving it!AND I'M PROUD OF BEING THEIR FAN!!!

It was 1971, I was 11 years old. My older sister and brother joined the Columbia Music House where you got to pick like 12 albums for a $1.00 to join. One of the albums was "Close to You" by the Carpenters. I knew nothing about them at the time. I just waited until my brother and sister were gone and then I would listen to all the different albums they selected. When I got to finally listen to the "Close to You" album, that was it! I was hooked for life!!! That album soon became mine, I wore it out! I quickly joined the Carpenters fanclub and was able to go to a Carpenters concert in November 1973. I love their music as much now as I did then! It's timeless and beautiful and I'll love it till the day I die. After Karen died I was sad and angry and put all my Carpenter stuff away and quit listening to the music, but I never really stopped loving the music. I'm back with a vengence now - I'm buying up all I can on ebay! People know I love the Carpenters, but I think they secretly like them too!

well here is my story... this was in 1997 and before then I liked to listen to nsync,britney spears,and diffrent kinds,(I still listen to them still)anyway I was watching the pbs special when it came on I was amazed by her singing.after that I started to know them more by getting their cds and recording the specials about them then after that I was a BIG FAN of their music and I stiil am.

Well....I actually found out about The Carpenters when I was about 8 or (...i'm 17 now. Back then I thought they sounded so weird and actaully made fun of them!!!! When teh Behind the Music aired about 3 to 4 years later, I learned more about them and became a fanatic. Now I enjoy their music and legacy that they left behind. Funny how the older you get, the more you understand and apreciate the music and musicians?

Well....I actually found out about The Carpenters when I was about 8 or (...i'm 17 now. Back then I thought they sounded so weird and actaully made fun of them!!!! When teh Behind the Music aired about 3 to 4 years later, I learned more about them and became a fanatic. Now I enjoy their music and legacy that they left behind. Funny how the older you get, the more you understand and apreciate the music and musicians?

did you know kcforeva that you posted the same posts twice

I've come to know the carpenters pretty much the same as Nessa.. I was there with her the whole time. During Sesame Street, to just listening to the great ole oldies! then about 2 years later, I wanted to find out more about the Carps.. Then I got more into their music.. and now, Im a big fan!!!

These stories are great! There all different, but we have one thing in common....... WE LOVE THE CARPENTERS!!!

Yeah Nessa!You're right!We LOOOOOOOOve them!

I first heard the Carpenters in 1994, when I was 13. My mother bought me their Christmas Portrait album for Christmas. My mother wasn't and isn't a fan; at the time she actually wasn't all that familiar with who they were - guess she wasn't paying attention back in the 70s! She bought the album for me because I loved Christmas music, and back then I had the Chipmunks' Christmas album, which I listened to day in and out. So she bought the Carpenters' album because she thought the cover looked cute, basically

I listened to it quite a bit and I remember thinking how nice Karen's voice sounded; and of course, I would have liked anything with Christmas carols. I moved around quite a bit growing up, and while I was overseas, I remember having intense culture shock and missing home and North American culture. Listening to the Carpenters and other artists always made me feel a little closer to home Up until three years ago though, I only had their Christmas CD, and I didn't know anything about who they were - I wasn't even aware that Karen had died.

About three years ago, back in Canada, I saw the DVD "Close to You: Remembering the Carpenters" on the shelf at the local music store. I thought since I had always enjoyed their music that I would enjoy knowing more about them (and I adore biographies and such), so I bought it. Their story really struck a chord, as did much of their music that I had not been exposed to before. So, since then, I've bought some albums, and have received some as gifts from Maggie and Jayne (thanks guys!), so I've been able to hear a lot more of them now.

Now, as to whether people think I'm strange for liking them...well to be honest, yes! Most people my age (I'm 22 - well, almost) don't even know who they were, so most people just have a confused reaction when they ask me what my favourite group is and I tell them. And those who do know who they are - well, that depends. To be honest most people do laugh, or snicker, or ask me how old I really am! Or they make fun of me and deem me to be terribly unhip and conservative, etc (well, I guess they probably would anyway )... it actually happened just the other day at work (this is in addition to the comment made in my Starbucks class which I believed I already shared here); I was asked who my favourite singer was and when I said Karen Carpenter the assistant manager starts cracking up and going "no, oh no, please tell me you're kidding". So yeah, I definitely get teased for it The people who snicker tend to be around my age and up to 45 or so (older people tend to say something more along the lines of "awwww isn't that cute"), but in all honesty, I would probably be deemed to be unhip anyway, so saying I'm a Carpenters fan just adds fuel to the fire, so to speak. Lilly probably has immunity because she's a Nine Inch Nails fan too, so this makes her more acceptable! Am I right, Lilly?

Now I'm being silly, but anyway that's my story

Annie