Carole King Gets Star on Walk of Fame

Singer-songwriter Carole King received the 2,486th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, honoring a career that has spanned more than 50 years and produced such hits as "You've Got A Friend" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."

"I never dreamed that I would have a star on the Walk of Fame," King said at the late-morning ceremony across the street from the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. "I want to acknowledge on behalf of my fellow Idaho residents how special this is to be here, representing Idaho. My neighbors mean so much to me."

King said her "heart is so full of joy at seeing so many people that I know and love who have come out today" along with "those of you I don't know."

"I'm so grateful for your loyalty all these years and for your appreciation of the work I do and the life I live and giving me the space to live that life that I live," King said.

Councilman Tom LaBonge said, "There's no one like Carole King," then went on to quote from "Up on the Roof," which he said "has helped so many people get through their troubles."

"Often after a tough meeting, I sing that song," said LaBonge, who was joined in speaking at the ceremony by actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth and record producer Lou Adler.

King later said that it was her then-husband Gerry Goffin who wrote the words LaBonge quoted.

Born in Manhattan on Feb. 9, 1942, and raised in Brooklyn, the former Carol Klein was an accomplished pianist by the time she turned 10 and began writing songs by her early teens. She wrote her first No. 1 hit, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," for the Shirelles with Goffin when she was 17 years old.

King and Goffin teamed to write such other hit songs in the 1960s as "Take Good Care of My Baby," "Run to Him," "Crying in the Rain," "The Loco-Motion," "Up on the Roof," "Chains," "One Fine Day," "Hey Girl," "I'm Into Something Good," "Just Once in My Life" and "Don't Bring Me Down."

In 1971, King released "Tapestry," which would sell more than 25 million copies, making it the best-selling album by a female artist for a quarter-century. "Tapestry" was named by the Library of Congress in 2004 to the National Recording Registry, which deems sound recordings to be culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.

King won all four of her Grammy Awards in 1971. "Tapestry" was named album of the year and earned her the Grammy for best female pop vocal performance. "It's Too Late" won for record of the year, while "You've Got a Friend" won for song of the year, a songwriting award.

More than 400 of King's songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles.

Monday's ceremony came one day before a star-studded tribute, "You've Got a Friend ... A Celebration of Carole King and Her Music'' at the Dolby Theatre benefiting Paul Newman's The Painted Turtle camp.