Karen & Richard Carpenter 1980 Interview From Japan

[LittleBastard38]

Karen wanted children and when she found out Tom had a vasectomy, she flipped. She wanted to stop the wedding, but the invitations were already sent out. Read "Little Girl Blue." Tom wanted her money and was cheating on her. Notice Richard's sarcastic "Oh very happy, never felt better" and his watchful eye over Tom.

[LittleBastard38]

Richard put a gag order on Tom Burris, which is why he has kept out of the public eye since Karen's death. He was afraid Tom was going to write a book about their marriage.

[mrshinyshoes]

Tom---1:15 "Just watching her work and enjoying her profession..." Yeah, right...more like taking what he could get, every penny, from her profession!

[Tracevidence1]

Did Karen's huband just say that he was going to watch her work, and enjoy her money???

[Tracevidence1]

Karen looks good here, and she sounds happy. I believe with all of my heart that if she had married a good man, who truly loved her, she would still be alive today. O.J. would have been a better husband then this jerk!

[Carpentersfan2003]

I am sure he's a good husband to Karen... ROFLAO.. Oy.. I have read Little Girl Blue.. That statement by the interveiwer is just so ironic now knowing the full story... God Tom was a real peice of work... I could give you all the details but that would ruin Little Girl Blue for you all.. You simply have to read it for yourselves..

[kcrcbest]

There is a new book called, "Little Girl Blue:

the Life of Karen Carpenter" that finally tells the whole story. It is a must read. thanx for the video

[mylittlebuckaroo]

If you want to know about the real Tom Burris, read the new book "Little Girl Blue" by Randy Schmidt. The guy was a ^*^&*!(&ing con man.

[oranger2525]

@mylittlebuckaroo i've heard that many times. and it was one of Karen's biggest fears -- being used by men because of her success. she feared gold digging men. then this jerk comes along.

[lancemckellar]

All smiles, but they were'nt happy.....:-( RIP Karen Carpenter....so young and too soon.....

[steveatl40]

This is the best I've seen Karen look post 1977. She really lost weight - a ton of it, shortly after this.

[aitch3]

very sad....

[Angeejackson]

karen needed a guy that would have wrapped his arms around her and never let go,encourage her to eat,therapy,see the real her...its sad she never found that person.none of her husbands were sympathetic to her disorder.

[fkoff99]

BTW, where is Tom Burris?.

[sponge2]

Richard's response, "Oh very happy; never felt better" sounds pretty insincere, lol. I don't think he liked Tom at all.

[chijeii]

if her husband really loved her, he would do everything just to make her get well, wouldn't he?

but he doesn't love her. he loved her money.

Karen was too beautiful and special to the eyes of people and she doesn't deserve him. she deserved someone better.

[uglybob6666]

Wow, I feel like such a loser... I didn't know she ever got married! who was her husband? Even at 10 years old I loved their music and it still brings a tear to my eye... 33 years later. I can't believe anyone would leave bad comments! Even if you didn't like their music you would have to admit they had talent! So they weren't tattooed freaks that played heavy metal, they were real musicians and a woman with an incredible voice that has stood the test of time. I better stop now.

[CMCHRYSLERVALIANT]

@uglybob6666 beautifull comment there bob

[fender1000100]

Its a great shame the marriage didnt work it might have saved her. We will always miss this beautiful lady with the amazing voice. And we need to cherish the memories and keep that wonderful music alive.

[rouselonline]

God! I really hate Tom! Everytime I see hime..

So sad for Karen:( We miss you KC!

[vaccavo]

She looked good!

[wilhub]

i am glad genuine fans are leaving respectful message on thischanel. i had to disable messages on my own one, as so many brain deaders we releaving dumb comments, about a unique ad talented individual.

[Jenot59]

I agree with Dingalingring....imagine how it would be in a house with someone you love suffering so in her own complicated way of Annorexia?

Poor Karen ánd Poor Tom.

It must have put such a strain on the marriage.

And considering how In Biography by Ray Coleman it is being told how Karen could be a 24 year old grandma....no matter how cute and lovely and talented she was to us fans, no one knows and need to really know what Karen was like at home?

r.i.p. dear Karen. we Fans miss you too.

.....

[mylittlebuckaroo]

I was a neighbor of Richard's, and he actually is quite warm and funny in person. For some reason he has always looked awkward and uncomfortable on camera, though.

[Lamenta88]

Wow, you indeed are very lucky man!

[Nixe1007]

really? can you tell more about it?

[Daisymaniac129]

OMG REALLY !?

[000HAPPYSK8LOVER]

so sad

[mrshinyshoes]

Lol----Richard is always so serious----"Maybe you should come to Japan to find your girlfriend?" Richard---"Well, I got one." That was just a joke Richard! Lol.

[Dingalingring]

Karen was far too good-looking and unique for the likes of Tom Burris anyway. She could have done better than him.

[mrshinyshoes]

I agree. Karen was an artist, complex and unique. Tom was too stiff and boring for her. She needed a lumberjack type. Lol.

[JP5466]

It was amazing how Karen got herself back into shape and looked great for her wedding. Unfortunately, this was the last time she would look this good. After this, she would return to her old anoretic ways and lose another 30lbs or so.

This marriage was Karen's last hope... when it failed, her health took a dramatic turn for the worse.

BTW, Karen's abuse of thyroid medication in the early 80's contributed more to her death than the anorexia did.

[AggieFrid]

Really? wow i didn´t kown about the thyroid meds .... i just knew she took diuretics and laxatives

[DannaRoseAguilar]

they look great..but sadly they were divorced.They were both too busy..

[Dingalingring]

@ DannaRoseAguilar- I don't think it was Karen and her then-husband's busy schedules that drove their marriage apart. I remember reading how he and Karen had been over at Karen's parents' house one night, and how the husband came storming down the stairs shouting, "You can have her!" (to Karen's parents). That was the end of their marriage. I think they broke up because Karen's illness was too much for him to handle.

[aaflyer98]

In all fairness (and let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Karen Carpenter), Tom Burris had no idea what he was getting in to with Karen's illness. No one knows for sure what happened. Tom Burris has never capitalized on his involvement or marriage with Karen and never has made any public statements for money or otherwise. A person with an addiction of any kind goes to great lengths to hide the disease. Many factors contributed to Karen's illness. We'll never know for sure.

[infinera06]

The E documentary said Tom Burris was a spendthrift (with Karen's money) after he married Karen. Richard confirmed it.

[Carpentersfan2003]

The reason Tom has never said anything about his marriage to Karen is the fact that Richard and his parent's at the time of her death had a gag order slapped on Tom to keep him from talking about it. The fact is all we have to go on when it comes to Karen's marriage is what her family has said... Sooner or later its all going to come to light and we are going to get the "true" story about Karen's battle and her personal life..

[DNchap1417]

She looks healthy and pretty here!

[DNchap1417]

She looks pretty as her healthy self as shown here.

[mrshinyshoes]

Karen looks good here. If the marriage was a happy one, Karen might have beaten her illness, with the support from those she loved----her family, her husband-----but she did not have a good marriage and Tom was insensitive and unsupportive. That is why she went downhill in 1981-82.

[sisterlead02]

Good Husband??? Tom? to Karen?? DUH!! I hate that guy! He never TRULY loved Karen...I'm glad that only the furniture was left for him and not the money and things of Karen...(-:

[kennyone2006]

Has anyone ever noted the resemblance between Tom & Richard?

[dianed1962]

I was just thinking that, myself!

[earcandy2008]

...supposedly the rat took a lot of money from Karen but I cannot prove it.

[troskeland]

Thank You, Karen. Love from Oslo, Norway.

[mrshinyshoes]

If the marriage failed, it was because of Tom Burris. You can see he's not that happy here, and there's no love in his eyes for Karen. Richard never really liked Tom from the very beginning. It was alleged that Tom dumped Karen at her parents' house one evening after going out for dinner, and told her parents "You can keep her!" Poor Karen. How sad.

[sneyder69]

It was 1981

[Welencier05]

Tom doesn't look as loved up as poor Karen.

Richard looks Hot!

[VickyTyler]

Hahaha, I was thinkin' the same thing xD

[rouselonline]

Oh Karen still look good here,she was so pretty and seem to be very happy like in her wedding day. Nobody knows what's the real reason of their early break up, only the two of them but If I were Tom I will never Karen let go. You can see on Karen's eyes and smile how she loved Tom, but I can't see any traces on Tom like Karen's do. I don't know if he really love Karen. Yes, after the mariage failure Karen's start to become worst.

WE MISS YOU MY KC, how I wish you're still here with us!

[bigzebb]

Still missed after all these years....there will never be another KC

R.I.P. Karen

[nakluts]

kAREN SPIRIT WAS HERE

=)

[no1cfielder]

Thanks for sharing this. Notice how Tom seems relieved and flashes a smile when Richard says they have that all worked out.

[eclecticfire73]

i think he was laughing at Richards dominance. maybe.

[shinjunks]

Do the all of you think Tom to be handsome?

I do not look handsome for my Japanese sense. . . . .

I do not see the microphone curve ball in man's looks, too. I think that Terry Ellis is handsome alone.

[steveatl40]

Karen does look pretty good here..has some weight on her. It wasn't long after this that she really started to lose weight and had that awful perm. I think the marriage was probably a sham from the start. They are making nice for the cameras here. I imagine Burris had to compete with Richard and his demands on Karen to be part of the Carpenters. Remember, her solo album was shelved earlier this year.

Very sad.

[faithcesari]

Karen indeed looks so happy here.Well at least for once she was indeed happy.But i also think the failure of her marriage all the more coz her to be anorexic.

[whitelives]

wow this is a new one for me, thank you for this! :)

[eclecticfire73]

wow, thanks for this! Never knew of its existence. KC looks so pretty & happy..with color in her cheeks & even a bit of weight on..and must have been very recent to the marriage. Tom looks very calm & relaxed here and seems like a nice guy, but Richard looks pained with arms folded in defence.(which is sad to see) The marriage only last a year, and KC went very suddenly downhill in '81...the question is if she were so happy here, WHY?

[no1cfielder]

When one of Karen's previous and most promising relationships (I forget which one) had begun to blossom, she went into a downswing at that time, as well....

[NostalgiaBob]

She looks beautiful in this clip, and very relaxed and happy.

[Paulosoy]

Thanks for posting this rare interview.

It made me sad to watch Karen so thin, from her bulimia, and to know a few years lated she died, so sad, a great talent.

[GPK5050]

Thanks for the RARE video!!!

[kboyzrock]

Funny how the interviewer phrased her questions to Tom, like "what are you doing to Karen in the future"? and to Richard, "you should come to Japan more often to find a girlfriend"! Lol, he stated he already had one. Never seen this one before, thanks for posting.