“Everything will be fine”: The musician who inspired Carole King to be herself
When Carole King first crossed paths with James Taylor, it was as if they were fated to work together musically. In fact, collaborating was on the cards pretty quickly considering the fact that King made Tapestry just one year after meeting Taylor. Although she had been active prior to the release, it was this record that unleashed her true potential.
Breaking free from Gerry Goffin was a pivotal moment for King, who would go on to finally take better control of her own creative venture. Although the singer’s debut, Writer, enjoyed modest success upon release, Tapestry saw her transition from a singer to a well-rounded musician, with songs that became standards that are still widely recognised today.
Taylor’s addition as a musical partner and writing collaborator helped elevate the entire album to the next level, and his know-how and experience with King enabled him to coax her skill set out even when she wasn’t sure she had it. At the time, the singer-songwriter movement was rapidly gaining traction with Taylor at the fore. So together, they honed King’s penchant for delivering raw and authentic lyricism in a way that ensured widespread resonance.
Before Taylor, however, King experienced the one thing that musicians hope to never encounter: stage fright. For King, this wasn’t just your usual shyness; it was a significant blocker that stopped her from jumping into the music industry with both feet. At this point, she enjoyed the process of writing music but dreaded the thought of going on stage and being in the spotlight.
Alongside refining her artistry, Taylor drew her out of herself and enabled her to discover a newfound confidence that combated her earlier stagnation and allowed her to truly shine. “I have James Taylor to thank for nudging me out in front,” King once explained. Describing his wisdom, she recalled him teaching the valuable lesson, “All you have to go is go out there, be yourself, sing your songs, and everything will be fine.”
During the 1960s, King knowingly became an unsung hero in the industry, “churning” out hits for countless others but never being at the fore herself. After meeting Taylor and working together on Tapestry, she was finally able to have her moment, all because Taylor believed in her talent and knew she could make it. In fact, he regarded her as the “epitome” of the singer-songwriter movement.
It’s rare that two musicians forge such a lasting musical partnership, but it just shows the power of their abilities and the smoothness of their artistic alignment. As Taylor once put it, “Carole and I found we spoke the same language.” He added, “We shared a common ear, a parallel musical/emotional path. And we brought this out in one another, I believe.”
