This day in music history.

February 4, 1983, Karen Carpenter dies of cardiac arrest, caused by anorexia nervosa. She was 32 years old. Karen and her brother, Richard formed their band The Carpenters in the late 60's, they signed their first recording contract with A&M in April of 1969. They would be best remembered for the songs "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "We've Only Just Begun". Both songs were played at over a billion weddings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Richard played piano and wrote most of the songs Karen played the drums and sang, they received 3 Grammy Awards. At one low point in Karens career, she was forced to cancel a command performance before Queen Elizabeth II of England, due to the illness, she had dieted down to 90 pounds. Her funeral service took place on February 8th, at the United Methodist Church in Downey Calf. Karen Carpenter, dressed in pink, lay in an open white casket, and through an afternoon rain a thousand mourners passed through to say goodbye.
Karen once said We came out right in the middle of the hard-rock period... it was hard-rock everywhere! But we were ready to make our music, you know? And it was such a turnaround, I guess it caught people by surprise.
John Denver said after Karens death "They'll never be part of the Rock & Roll Hall of fame, but neither will I" .
Top Of The World by The Carpenters
Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in 'most ev'ry thing I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream
Everything I want the world to be
Is now comin' true especially for me
And the reason is clear, it's because you are here
You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen
Somethin' in the wind has learned my name
And it's tellin' me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me
There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me
All I need will be mine if you are here
I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world