My mother has assured me that even in-utrero, I was music mad. I would wriggle around when she played rock music and rest when she lulled me to sleep with the melodies of Classic FM. I may only be 23 but that doesn’t mean my music knowledge started in 1994 – I’ve been a fan of many artists, spanning back decades, but what I didn’t realise that so many of these artists have in common was that some of their biggest hits were all written by the same woman; Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles, The Drifters, Little Eva and The Monkees – she wrote for them all. This writer was none other than Carole King.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a semi-autobiographical show about the life and times of this legendary figure of music, showcasing not only her career but her personal life and those most close to her, including her husband and lyricist– Gerry Goffin. More then 1000 artists have interpreted the songs of Carole King, resulting in 100 hit singles. King is one of the greatest musical influencers you’ve potentially never heard of. I, for one, sat stunned and almost ashamed not realising just how many remarkable songs this one woman penned.
