Kim Carnes

Biography

Kim Carnes (born July 20, 1945 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer and songwriter.

Carnes was a member of The New Christy Minstrels from 1962 until 1970. Kenny Rogers was also a member, and during this time Carnes met and married Dave Ellingson , with whom she would write most of her songs. She began releasing albums during the early 1970s.

In 1980 a duet with Kenny Rogers titled "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer" became a major hit on the country and western charts and also became a pop hit. Her cover version of the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles song "More Love" became her first solo hit single in 1980 when it reached the US Top 10.

In 1981 she recorded the Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss song "Bette Davis Eyes". As the first single released from the album Mistaken Identity, it spent 9 weeks at number one on the US singles charts and became a worldwide hit. Bette Davis admitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them. The single went on to become the highest seller of the year and won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Carnes continued to record and released several albums into the 1990s. These releases failed to reach the level of success of "Bette Davis Eyes", but by this time she was a highly respected songwriter, and collaborated with such artists as Barbra Streisand.

In 2004, she re-appeared with a self-released album "Chasin' Wild Trains".