Biography
While Karen Carpenter drew the more obvious acclaim as the angelic voice of the pop duo The Carpenters, her older brother Richard was equally integral as the group's arranger, pianist and one of its key songwriters, most notably on hits like "Top of the World," "Only Yesterday," "Yesterday Once More" and "Goodbye to Love," all of which he co-wrote with Jack Bettis. He began performing in instrumental groups as a teenager before forming the …
