Kim Carnes

Kim Carnes
Carnes performing in 1981
Background information
Born	(1945-07-20) July 20, 1945 (age 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock[1] soft rock[2] country[3] folk[3]
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Amos A&M EMI America MCA Sparky Dawg
Website	kimcarnes.com

Kim Carnes (/kɑːrnz/; born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles. A veteran writer of many of her own hits, as well as those for numerous other artists, she began her career in 1966 as a member of folk group The New Christy Minstrels, before embarking on a solo career as a songwriter and performer in the early 1970s, playing in local clubs. She also worked for several years as a session background singer with the famed Waters Sisters, Maxine Waters Willard and Julia Waters Tillman, who were later featured in the acclaimed 2013 documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom). In 1971, after she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, Carnes released her debut album Rest on Me. Released in 1975, Carnes' self-titled second album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me," which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', produced by the legendary Jerry Wexler, which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places." The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976.

In her breakthrough year, 1980, Carnes and her husband, David Ellingson, were commissioned by Kenny Rogers to co-write the songs for his concept album Gideon. Her duet with Rogers, "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer," hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned the duo a Grammy Award nomination. Later that year, Carnes' cover of Smokey Robinson's "More Love," from her fifth album, Romance Dance, hit No. 10. The following year, Carnes released Mistaken Identity, which featured the chart-topping "Bette Davis Eyes." A worldwide hit, it became the best-selling single of the year in the United States, spending nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, going Gold, and winning the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Mistaken Identity reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, was certified Platinum, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Carnes also had success with the singles "Draw of the Cards," "Does It Make You Remember," "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)," "Make No Mistake, He's Mine," with Barbra Streisand, "What About Me?," featuring Kenny Rogers and James Ingram, "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is", from the Flashdance soundtrack, and the Grammy Award nominated singles "Voyeur" and "Invisible Hands." Her other successes as a songwriter include co-writing the No. 1 duet "The Heart Won't Lie" with Donna Weiss (who had co-written "Bette Davis Eyes" with Jackie DeShannon); it was recorded by Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, and released on McEntire's 1993 album It's Your Call.

Her most recent studio album is Chasin' Wild Trains (2004). Since 1994, Carnes has resided in Nashville. She continues to write and perform and her songs have been featured in numerous films and TV series.