Kim Carnes
July 20, 1945 — Los Angeles, California
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter whose smoky, distinctive voice and eclectic catalogue earned her a place in pop history when her 1981 recording of "Bette Davis Eyes" became one of the biggest hits of the decade, spending nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
A Songwriter Before a Star
Born on July 20, 1945 in Los Angeles, Carnes began her career as a songwriter rather than a recording artist. Working with her husband and collaborator Dave Ellingson, she wrote songs in the late 1960s and early 1970s for artists including Frank Sinatra and Kenny Rogers — Rogers recorded her song "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" as a duet with Carnes in 1980, which reached number four on the pop charts and reintroduced her name to mainstream audiences. She had been recording albums since 1971, developing a husky, bluesy vocal style influenced by Dusty Springfield and Bonnie Raitt, but commercial success on a large scale had eluded her. Her albums were critically respected but reached limited audiences. That was about to change dramatically.
"Bette Davis Eyes"
"Bette Davis Eyes" had originally been written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1974. Carnes and her producer Val Garay transformed it into a new-wave pop track, adding synthesizers and a propulsive rhythm that felt contemporary in 1981. Released in March of that year, it became a phenomenon: it entered the Billboard Hot 100 and didn't leave the top position for nine straight weeks, making it the biggest hit single in the United States in 1981. Bette Davis herself contacted Carnes to say the song made her feel like a living legend. The song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1982 Grammy ceremony, with the latter going to composers Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss. Carnes also won the American Music Award for Favourite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
Did You Know?
When "Bette Davis Eyes" was number one, the song it knocked off the top spot was "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton — and the song it was eventually replaced by was "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. The summer of 1981 was a peak moment for pop radio, and Carnes's record sat at its centre for nine weeks, one of the longest chart-topping runs of the decade.
Later Career
Carnes continued recording through the 1980s and 1990s, scoring additional top-40 hits with "Mistaken Identity," "Draw of the Cards," and "Invisible Hands." She collaborated with Barbra Streisand on the duet "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" (1984), which reached number one on the country charts. A serious fire at her home in 1994 destroyed many of her personal archives and temporarily interrupted her career, but she returned to recording and touring. She has never stopped performing or writing; in later decades she has concentrated on acoustic performances and songwriting retreats. Her voice — characterised by a rough, almost androgynous timbre that is instantly recognisable — remains one of the most distinctive in American pop.