27. Carole King

Carole Joan Klein (later King) is the most successful female singer-songwriter of the second half of the 20th century, composing a stream of chart-topping songs for both herself and other artists.

Carole was born to a Jewish family in 1942 and from an early age she exhibited a curiosity and aptitude for music. By the time she was 17, Carol was married to the man with whom she had already begun a storied creative partnership – Gerry Goffin. The pair became a renowned song-writing team, before Carole began singing herself in the 1970s. Her album, Tapestry, remains one of the most popular and acclaimed of all time.

We were greatly moved by King’s discussion of a recording she had made of the traditional Chanukah prayer. Her daughter arranged the prayer into song form and Carole, her daughter and her grandson, then sang it together:

“Tears come to my eyes every time I hear the prayer of our ancestors marching forward to future generations through my grandson, my daughter and me.”