"The Carpenters stood apart from the pop rockers of the ‘70s when they first emerged, playing light airy melodies that were delicately composed.The family duo began in 1968 in Downey, CA and consisted of Richard Carpenter and sister Karen. In their native New Haven, CT, Richard played piano with several jazz groups, but once the Carpenters moved to California, Richard joined Karen's trio, which also featured Wes Jacobs on tuba and bass. As Karen's backup band, the group was signed to the Magic Lamp record label. The trio won a Battle of the Bands contest at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966 and after two unsuccessful singles, left Magic Lamp for a record contract with RCA. The Richard Carpenter Trio recorded a few songs together before Jacobs left in 1968.Not long after the Jacobs' departure, the siblings formed Spectrum with college friend John Bettis. Though the group didn't last long, it led the way for The Carpenters to act as a duo. They recorded some pieces at Joe Osborn's houses and earned a recording contract with A&M Records in 1969. The Carpenters released their debut album, Offering, and its first single, the Beatles' ""Ticket to Ride,"" with little attention. Their second single, ""(They Long to Be) Close to You"" was the group's first number one and paved the way for the beginning of a successful career. The early ‘70s saw Grammy Awards and a string of Top Ten hits that lasted until the mid ‘70s, until the siblings started personally suffering; Richard was addicted to perception drugs and Karen suffered from anorexia nervosa. Richard went into rehab while Karen decided to pursue a solo career, but her act didn't last long and she never completed an album. Their 1981 album, Made in America, marked a comeback, but before the group could continue their winning streak, Karen was found unconscious at her parent's home, eventually dying from a cardiac arrest. Richard focused on production work and released a solo album four years after Karen's death."