US singer-songwriter Carole King makes a comeback, performing her hit album Tapestry in its entirety for first time, 45 years after it was released
Carole King has performed her hit album Tapestry in its entirety for the first time – 45 years after it was released.
The 74-year-old singer-songwriter, who penned hits including Natural Woman and Will You Love Me Tomorrow, performed the four-Grammy-winning 1971 album, to a crowd of 50,000 adoring fans at Barclaycard British Summer Time in Hyde Park.
“So, this is what 74 looks like,” King said following a sharp exhale as she returned to the piano after dancing on the stage playing guitar.
The petite star was met with cheers from the crowd, who seemed to sing every lyric of her songs with her as the sun set. Elton John and Tom Hanks were among the famous faces who paid tribute to her in a video before she came onstage.
Elton said: “She’s the quintessential singer- songwriter. Without her, I would have never wanted to write songs.”
Hanks added: “There wasn’t a woman on the planet that didn’t take Tapestry and hold the album to their heart and say ‘this is real’.”
She’s the quintessential singer-songwriter. Without her, I would have never wanted to write songs- Elton John
As she sang the album from start to finish, King mouthed “thank you” to the audience, duetted with a video of her younger self and invited her daughter Louise Goffin onstage for three songs.
After singing Tapestry, she asked her band to leave the stage, saying: “I need a moment alone with the audience.”
She continued: “So before Tapestry I had this other career in which I wrote a lot of songs with Gerry Goffin and we wrote for other artists. I would like to do a medley of bits and pieces.”
She paid tribute to her former husband and songwriting partner who died in 2014: “It’s been two years. He’s with us tonight.”
Alone on the stage for the final song, King revisited You’ve Got a Friend, changing the lyrics for the London crowd.
She sang: “Thanks for coming out to see me. And thanks for welcoming my friends and family. I love you London. Thank you London. You’ve got a friend.” King blew a kiss to the crowd and left the stage.