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Carol came out of the womb singing (and swinging later when
she co-wrote the theme from ROCKY). Her amazing diversity of talent
is personified as a successful Singer, Songwriter, Storyteller,
Charity Organizer and Cat Lover. She has been nominated for 10 major
music awards: Emmy’s, Grammy’s, Golden Globes and two Oscars.
While still in high school, Carol's career was launched with a $10
loan from her parents. The money went toward making a demo of a song
her classmate, Phil Spector, had written called "To Know Him Is To
Love Him" (Gold).
Spector fell in love with Carol's voice and Carol performed the song
as the lead singer of the Teddy Bears...and that song is the reason
Elvis Presley became her first love... He too fell in love with her
voice and they fell in love with each other. Today the song is #184
of the Top 5,000 Rock & Roll Hits according to Billboard magazine. |
Carol enjoys the
distinction of being the only woman to have co-written, with her
brother Marshal, a mega hit in the ultra-macho genre of hot rod
songs: "HEY LITTLE COBRA" (Gold) by The Rip Cords, which was and
remains an American car song classic. It is considered, by
Billboard magazine, to be one of the most important songs of the
Hotrod era. She also co-wrote the only Christmas Hot-Rod song,
“Santa’s Got a Cobra”, co-written and also recorded by The Rip
Cords.
Speaking of gold
- her walls are adorned with gold and platinum records along
with countless photos of Carol with international dignitaries,
and why not? She's penned the official themes for entire nations
such as Jamaica, Singapore and Malaysia as well as the theme
song for the Sultan of Brunei's airline...Royal Brunei. |
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Co-writing the theme from ROCKY, "GONNA FLY NOW" with Bill Conti and Ayn
Robbins (Platinum Records and ASCAP Award for most performed song), that
became a box office giant (Academy Award Nomination, Grammy Nomination &
ASCAP Award of Excellence) and plunged Carol into filmdom. This song was
incorporated into the music for the subsequent Rocky's (Gold and
Platinum Albums) and is heard on all of the related soundtrack albums.
"They play it whenever Sylvester Stallone walks into a room,” says Carol
with a smile. It bought her house in Beverly Hills and she smiles when
she walks to the bank. It is also considered the number one physical
fitness and motivational song in the world
Since
then, Carol's film and TV work has been legendary and includes music and
lyrics of such varied films as: THE EARTHLING, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR,
DRESSED TO KILL, THE ONION FIELD, BUTTERFLY (1981 Golden Globe
Nomination) ORCA and Walt Disney's THE RESCUERS (Academy Award
Nomination), to name a few.
She's
co-penned the theme for Robin Leach’s LIFE STYLES OF THE RICH AND
FAMOUS, "CHAMPAGNE WISHES AND CAVIAR DREAMS" sung by Dionne Warwick and
for STAR SEARCH, "YOU CAN BE A STAR".
Carol has received five Emmy nominations;
one of them was for "LOVE WITHOUT STRINGS" (“Bob Hope Presents: Morris
the Cat Salutes America's Pets"). Over the years her special songs have
accented many of the major television series.
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Of all the
songs she’s written, one of Carol's favorites is, "WITH YOU I'M
BORN AGAIN” (Gold & Silver Record/BMI Citation Of Achievement
For Over Two Million Air Play) co-written with David Shire. In
it are her favorite lyrics,
'Come
bring me softness, comfort me through all the madness..."
Spreading her musical wings as a
producer, she co-produced the song that kicked off the Hope In
Sight National Telethon for the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation.
To sing the campaign's theme song "FORGOTTEN EYES", Carol and
co-producer Lee Holdridge assembled a mind-boggling group of
performers: the late Bob Hope and George Burns, Dionne Warwick,
Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Smokey Robinson, Herbie Hancock,
the late Sammy Davis Jr., the late Mel Torme, Jack Jones, Patti
Labelle, Andre Crouche and more. |
When the National Anthem needs to be sung, Carol has become the
one to call. She has performed this song with a full orchestra
to a cappella... at the White House, State ceremonies and
Tribute Dinners, to Football stadiums and Basketball games at
the Forum.
Most recently, she was a part of history by performing her
heart-felt version at the inauguration of President George W.
Bush at the Military Ball honoring the Congressional Medal of
Honor Recipients, and just this past Veterans Day she sang
America the Beautiful at the laying of the wreath in Arlington
National Cemetery for the US Marines 227th Birthday in front of
the Iwo Jima Memorial at the request of former Commandant of the
Marine Corp. General James L. Jones. She says, that singing
America the Beautiful was a defining moment in her life, and
touched the heart and soul of her being an American, America is
----Truly Beautiful…. Past Presidents and Dignitaries such as
President Ronald Reagan, President Gerald Ford, Madam Sadat,
Senator Diane Feinstein, Elizabeth Taylor, Whoopi Goldberg,
Angelica Houston, Liza Minnelli, Ray Charles, and Barbara
Mandrell have been privileged to hear her creative artistic
interpretation. Robert Conrad and James Woods and the
incomparable Mr. Blackwell have all said; "Only Carol makes our
National Anthem sound like a love song ... and boy is it sexy." |
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The highly
acclaimed film by Roman Polanski, “The Pianist” received 3
Academy Awards and is based on the true story of Wladyslaw
Szpilman’s life as a holocaust survivor. This remarkable man was
a leading contemporary composer and one of the great pianists in
the world. Ms. has written two lyrics for the Wladyslaw
Szpilman Songbook.
Ms. Connors received the Israeli Cancer Research Fund, “Woman of
Action Honor” in 2003. She has been Board member of the Friars
Charitable Foundation since 2000 She received the Southeast
Symphony 2004 “Woman of Excitement” Award, The Asthma Allergy
Foundation of America “Orchid Award” in 1999. She is a Board
member of The Connie Stevens CES Foundation, since 1992. Ms. Connors
is a celebrity Ambassador for Childhelp USA since 2001.
Just to name a few, a very few of her charitable works. |
Ms. Connors. was the sole recipient of an
Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts and Public Service awarded by the
President of the John F. Kennedy University (the only University that
bears the late President’s name) in 2000 as a "Woman of Achievement", a
recognition she will cherish forever.
Carol lives with her two Abyssinian cats, appropriately named MUSIC and
*NLYRICS. If she's not with them you'll probably find her underwater in
Key Largo swimming with the dolphins. She enjoys Gershwin, Lorenz Hart,
and the very romantic classical composers Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff.
When Carol isn't singing or composing she likes to E-Mail the world with
unique messages that stand alone as signature Carol.
Oh
yes, she bakes pies, brownies and cookies too, with or without peanut
butter, in hopes that Elvis may one day drop by. Now doesn't that just
take the cake!
www.carolconnors.com
Email: CC@carolconnors.com
Roger Neal / Neal PR
323-366-2796 - office or 714-883-0231 - cell.
Click to Email Roger.
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