Carole King Documentary Premieres on American Masters

On Friday, February 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS, American Masters will premiere "Carole King: Natural Woman," as part of the 30th anniversary season of the series. The show comes on the heels of King's 74th birthday, and the 45th anniversary of her landmark solo album, "Tapestry."

Recent Kennedy Center Honoree, singer-songwriter King tells her own story in the new documentary "American Masters -- Carole King: Natural Woman," as part of the 30th anniversary season of THIRTEEN's American Masters series.

To date, more than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles, including songs co-written with Gerry Goffin: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (The Shirelles), "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters) and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin).

"Carole King has provided the soundtrack to so many Americans' lives, and her music remains current; when Aretha Franklin sang 'Natural Woman' last week, it trended on social media," said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters.

Weaving previously unseen and rare performances and home movies with a new, exclusive interview with King, the documentary delves into her life and career. Enjoy new interviews with friends and colleagues, including fellow songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Tapestry producer Lou Adler, drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, daughter and manager Sherry Goffin Kondor, lyricists Toni Stern and Carole Bayer Sager, and former manager Peter Asher, complete the biographical tapestry.

Director George Scott, who directed "Elizabeth Taylor: England's Other Elizabeth," journeys through King's Brooklyn childhood, her early success co-writing some of the best-loved pop songs of the 1960s with then-husband Goffin for Aldon Music, and, following their divorce, her move to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with two young children. There, she achieved solo success and became a central figure in the 1970s singer-songwriter movement, along with her contemporaries James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. King speaks candidly about her abusive marriage to Rick Evers, life on a ranch in Idaho, eco-activism, and initial hesitance about" Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." Douglas McGrath, writer of the Broadway musical's book, and author/music critic Anthony DeCurtis provide additional insights.

Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 28 Emmy Awards - including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special - 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. The series' 30th anniversary season on PBS features new documentaries about Mike Nichols (January 29), B.B. King (February 12), Fats Domino (February 26), Loretta Lynn (March 4), Janis Joplin (May 3) and The Highwaymen (May 27). To further explore the lives and works of masters past and present, the American Masters website offers streaming video of select films, outtakes, filmmaker interviews, photos, educational resources and more.

For more information, visit http://pbs.org/americanmasters