Carole King

The inspiration behind the Tony-winning musical "Beautiful," Carole King is one of popular music's most beloved singer-songwriters. Pop music would be very different without the contributions of Carole King, who wrote her first #1 hit at age 17 with Gerry Goffin, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," for the Shirelles. The dozens of chart hits Goffin and King wrote during this period became legendary, but it was 1971's Tapestry that took King to the pinnacle, speaking personally to her contemporaries and providing a spiritual musical backdrop to the decade. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles and 6 Grammys.