
Little Girl Blue
The Life of Karen Carpenter
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Cheryl Bentyne
-
By:
-
Randy L. Schmidt
About this listen
Little Girl Blue is an intimate profile of Karen Carpenter, a girl from a modest Connecticut upbringing who became a Southern California superstar.
Karen was the instantly recognizable lead singer of the Carpenters. The top-selling American musical act of the 1970's, they delivered the love songs that defined a generation. Little Girl Blue reveals Karen's heartbreaking struggles with her mother, brother, and husband; the intimate disclosures she made to her closest friends; her love for playing drums and her frustrated quest for solo stardom; and the ups and downs of her treatment for anorexia nervosa. After her shocking death at 32 years of age in 1983, she became the proverbial poster child for that disorder; but the other causes of her decline are laid bare for the first time in this moving account.
Little Girl Blue is Karen Carpenter's definitive biography, based on exclusive interviews with her innermost circle of girlfriends and nearly 100 others, including childhood friends, professional associates, and lovers.
©2010 Randy L. Schmidt (P)2013 Randy L. SchmidtListeners also enjoyed...
-
My Name Is Barbra
- By: Barbra Streisand
- Narrated by: Barbra Streisand
- Length: 48 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career.
-
-
BARBRA IS LIKE BUTTAH!
- By JoeGato57 on 11-08-23
By: Barbra Streisand
-
Why Patti Smith Matters
- By: Caryn Rose
- Narrated by: Lori Prince
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. What she found—what she fostered—was a cultural revolution. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the 'nothing-to-hide' rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe.
By: Caryn Rose
-
The Woman in Me
- By: Britney Spears
- Narrated by: Michelle Williams, Britney Spears - introduction
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
-
-
Lack of transparency
- By Lori K on 10-31-23
By: Britney Spears
-
Don't Stop Believin'
- By: Olivia Newton-John
- Narrated by: Olivia Newton-John
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With humor and warmth, legendary musician, actress, activist, and icon Olivia Newton-John shares her fascinating life story - from her unforgettable rise to fame in the classic musical Grease to her passionate advocacy for health in light of her battles with cancer. Perfect for fans of Tina Turner’s My Love Story and Sally Field’s In Pieces, this New York Times best seller - with new exclusive material - is an extraordinary can’t-miss memoir.
-
-
An Inspiring story from an Amazing woman
- By Goldustgirl on 03-16-19
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Here's the Story
- Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice
- By: Maureen McCormick
- Narrated by: Maureen McCormick
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marcia Brady, eldest daughter on television's The Brady Bunch, had it all. But what viewers didn't know about the always sunny, perfect Marcia was that offscreen, her real-life counterpart, Maureen McCormick was living a very different - and not so wonderful - life. Maureen tells the shocking and inspirational true story of the beloved teen and the woman she became.
-
-
Gripping
- By Chris on 08-12-14
-
My Name Is Barbra
- By: Barbra Streisand
- Narrated by: Barbra Streisand
- Length: 48 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barbra Streisand is by any account a living legend, a woman who in a career spanning six decades has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major motion picture. In My Name Is Barbra, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career.
-
-
BARBRA IS LIKE BUTTAH!
- By JoeGato57 on 11-08-23
By: Barbra Streisand
-
Why Patti Smith Matters
- By: Caryn Rose
- Narrated by: Lori Prince
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Patti Smith arrived in New York City at the end of the Age of Aquarius in search of work and purpose. What she found—what she fostered—was a cultural revolution. Through her poetry, her songs, her unapologetic vocal power, and her very presence as a woman fronting a rock band, she kicked open a door that countless others walked through. No other musician has better embodied the 'nothing-to-hide' rawness of punk, nor has any other done more to nurture a place in society for misfits of every stripe.
By: Caryn Rose
-
The Woman in Me
- By: Britney Spears
- Narrated by: Michelle Williams, Britney Spears - introduction
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history. Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.
-
-
Lack of transparency
- By Lori K on 10-31-23
By: Britney Spears
-
Don't Stop Believin'
- By: Olivia Newton-John
- Narrated by: Olivia Newton-John
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With humor and warmth, legendary musician, actress, activist, and icon Olivia Newton-John shares her fascinating life story - from her unforgettable rise to fame in the classic musical Grease to her passionate advocacy for health in light of her battles with cancer. Perfect for fans of Tina Turner’s My Love Story and Sally Field’s In Pieces, this New York Times best seller - with new exclusive material - is an extraordinary can’t-miss memoir.
-
-
An Inspiring story from an Amazing woman
- By Goldustgirl on 03-16-19
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Here's the Story
- Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice
- By: Maureen McCormick
- Narrated by: Maureen McCormick
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marcia Brady, eldest daughter on television's The Brady Bunch, had it all. But what viewers didn't know about the always sunny, perfect Marcia was that offscreen, her real-life counterpart, Maureen McCormick was living a very different - and not so wonderful - life. Maureen tells the shocking and inspirational true story of the beloved teen and the woman she became.
-
-
Gripping
- By Chris on 08-12-14
-
Toni Tennille
- A Memoir
- By: Toni Tennille, Caroline Tennille St. Clair
- Narrated by: Toni Tennille
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since bursting onto the scene in the mid '70s, the pop duo Captain and Tennille have long defined the sparkling, optimistic idea of everlasting love, both in their music and through their image as a happy and, seemingly, unbreakable couple. They were an irresistible pair to millions of fans all over the world, further underscored by the rousing "yes, we can!" gospel of their biggest hit, "Love Will Keep Us Together". But underneath the image was an entirely different story that the fans never saw.
-
-
Loved it for several reasons
- By Jennifer on 05-28-16
By: Toni Tennille, and others
-
Get Happy
- The Life of Judy Garland
- By: Gerald Clarke
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She lived at full throttle on stage, screen, and in real life, with highs that made history and lows that finally brought down the curtain at age 47. Judy Garland died over 30 years ago, but no biography has so completely captured her spirit - and demons - until now. From her tumultuous early years as a child performer to her tragic last days, Gerald Clarke reveals the authentic Judy in a biography rich in new detail and unprecedented revelations.
-
-
A good book, but...
- By Donna Deal on 08-27-21
By: Gerald Clarke
-
Elvis and Me
- By: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Narrated by: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The inspiration for the major motion picture Priscilla directed by Sofia Coppola, this New York Times best seller reveals the intimate story of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, told by the woman who lived it.
-
-
What a story!
- By Pen Name on 08-28-22
-
Petty: The Biography
- By: Warren Zanes
- Narrated by: Warren Zanes
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write. Born in Gainesville, Florida, with more than a little hillbilly in his blood, Tom Petty was a Southern shit kicker, a kid without a whole lot of promise. Rock and roll made it otherwise.
-
-
Tom Petty gets some bio love
- By tru britty on 12-15-15
By: Warren Zanes
-
There Was a Little Girl
- The Real Story of My Mother and Me
- By: Brooke Shields
- Narrated by: Brooke Shields
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brooke Shields never had what anyone would consider an ordinary life. She was raised by her Newark-tough single mom, Teri, a woman who loved the world of show business and was often a media sensation all by herself. Brooke's iconic modeling career began by chance when she was only 11 months old, and Teri's skills as both Brooke's mother and her manager were formidable. But in private she was troubled and drank heavily.
-
-
Interesting, but sounds a little entitled at times
- By Karen on 12-09-14
By: Brooke Shields
-
Gold Dust Woman
- The Biography of Stevie Nicks
- By: Stephen Davis
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gold Dust Woman gives "the gold standard of rock biographers" (the Boston Globe) his ideal topic: Nicks' work and life are equally sexy and interesting, and Davis delves deeply into each, unearthing fresh details from new, intimate interviews and interpreting them to present a rich new portrait of the star. Just as Nicks (and Lindsay Buckingham) gave Fleetwood Mac the "shot of adrenaline" they needed to become real rock stars - according to Christine McVie - Gold Dust Woman is vibrant with stories and with a life lived large and hard.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Amazon Customer on 12-22-17
By: Stephen Davis
-
Not Dead Yet
- The Memoir
- By: Phil Collins
- Narrated by: Phil Collins
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The long-awaited autobiography from Phil Collins, one of the best-selling music artists of all time. This is the roller-coaster journey from his beginnings as a child actor to his domination of the charts as both a solo artist and part of Genesis. His success is astounding, his music has global reach, and his story is legendary.
-
-
Funny, moving and honest
- By Brian Haworth on 11-03-16
By: Phil Collins
-
Simple Dreams
- A Musical Memoir
- By: Linda Ronstadt
- Narrated by: Linda Ronstadt, Kathe Mazur
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this memoir, iconic singer Linda Ronstadt weaves together a captivating story of her origins in Tucson, Arizona, and her rise to stardom in the Southern California music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s.
-
-
Wonderfully crafted book about her career.
- By Chelsea Burroughs on 03-18-21
By: Linda Ronstadt
-
Careless Love
- The Unmaking of Elvis Presley
- By: Peter Guralnick
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 31 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This concluding volume recounts the second half of Elvis' life in rich and previously unimagined detail, and confirms Guralnick's status as one of the great biographers of our time. Beginning with Presley's army service in Germany in 1958 and ending with his death in Memphis in 1977, Careless Love chronicles the unraveling of the dream that once shone so brightly, homing in on the complex playing-out of Elvis' relationship with his Machiavellian manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
-
-
Wow
- By Michelle Huss on 04-21-15
By: Peter Guralnick
-
Forever Young
- A Memoir
- By: Hayley Mills
- Narrated by: Hayley Mills
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iconic actress Hayley Mills shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young.
-
-
Excellent Detailed Acct. of her Years to Mid-70s
- By Mary Burnight on 09-17-21
By: Hayley Mills
-
A Natural Woman
- A Memoir
- By: Carole King
- Narrated by: Carole King
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Listen to the New York Times best-selling memoir that is "revealing, humble, and cool-aunt chatty" about the incredible life that inspired the hit Broadway musical Beautiful (Rolling Stone). Carole King takes us from her early beginnings in Brooklyn, to her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed songwriting and performing talents of all time.
-
-
The Baby Boom Generation's Big Sister
- By Thomas A. Morgan on 04-17-12
By: Carole King
-
Boys in the Trees
- A Memoir
- By: Carly Simon
- Narrated by: Carly Simon
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simon's memoir reveals her remarkable life, beginning with her storied childhood as the third daughter of Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of publishing giant Simon & Schuster; her musical debut as half of The Simon Sisters, performing folk songs with her sister, Lucy, in Greenwich Village; to a meteoric solo career that would result in 13 top 40 hits, including the number-one song "You're So Vain".
-
-
Gorgeous and Sad
- By Adele in CBus on 11-30-15
By: Carly Simon
What listeners say about Little Girl Blue
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert P. Katch
- 04-12-24
Revealing
Very good read. Revealed many aspects of Karen’s life and career that I did not know. Worth reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Travis Aaron Matthews
- 09-08-18
I love karen
very informative. easy to follow and insightful on the life and loss of the amazing star: karen carpenter
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Grinelle E Desjarlais
- 06-16-20
If I Ever
Wonderful, loving presentation of KAC. If your even remotely a fan, this is for you.
KC if I ever happen to pass your loving spirit someday, somewhere. Please gently tug on my sleeve.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 33 year old lawyer
- 05-22-19
Kept me listening all week
Narrator had a smooth voice which seemed to fit the kind of vanilla image Carpenter had, as well as Carpenter's own voice. I found the end of the book with her marriage, attempts to get better, solo album, and decline to be far more interesting than the beginning. My only criticism is that I would have liked to hear more psychological evaluations of the family. There is no doubt in my own mind that Karen's mother was a dangerous narcissist, and I suspect both kids were as well, including Karen, at least to a degree. And her relationship with her brother was also very bizarre. Karen's personality, at least as expressed in this book, is very contradictory and could have used some analysis.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stephen F. Tate
- 05-02-21
a delight but also suffused with sadness
very well researched and written
accurate description of her life and music.
can't stop listening.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Emmalyn Ylaya
- 03-30-24
One of my favorite books
I enjoyed reading about Karen Carpenter’s life as a singer and through her struggle with anorexia. She’s one of my favorite singers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Metaphorical 1
- 11-01-13
Karen as Victim
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I was pleased to see this in audio format. I don't regret listening to it. However it was disappointing. I was hoping to hear a deeper account of Karen's creative process, not just an anecdotal account of her life with excessive detail about her death.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel Baños
- 01-21-19
Amazing book...
If you really want to know what happened to Karen Carpenter. This book is a must
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MJTE
- 07-05-19
Very Interesting. So Sad.
I really loved the book. The only reason I gave it four stars for overall is I wish it had more of Karen's early life. Of course, I don't think Richard Carpenter would be interviewed. That is strange as I would think he'd want the truth out when it comes to what happened in Karen's early life that was so traumatizing. Then, of course, I have to say Karen herself was altogether overconfident when it came the gift of life she was given at her birth. Life is a gift and it will go in a whiff of wind if one does not respect The Gift Of Life. Completely sad for Karen and her family. I do pray for her and them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Madeline M. McCalip
- 02-26-20
Karen Carpenters story
This was an interesting story. I have been a big Carpenters fan from the moment i heard their first song. I followed their career, bought their records and was devastated when Karen died. I had no idea of all the pressure on Karen all those years. Karen had intense work pressure, intense pressure at home especially from her mother and didn't have control of her own life. I believe her anorexia was due to that. Food was the only thing she could control. This story is heartbreaking. Here is a talented woman with a special, unique voice who left us much too soon. I did learn many new things about the Carpenter family. My only complies there are ti.we when the author repeats things. I found it annoying. I do recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about Karen Carpenter or her family.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!