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Carole King — Secret Star on the James Taylor Tour

Geoffrey Cannon, Los Angeles Times, 15 August 1971

Author's note, 2018: A transcendent moment in Carole King's life was during the evening of 7 December 2015 in Washington. She is sitting next to Michelle and Barack Obama. She is being honoured at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for her 'lifetime contribution to American culture'. (A video introduced by Carole is on YouTube, accessed 25 million times). Aretha Franklin sings '(You make me feel like) a natural woman'. This was the final hit record Carole made as a songwriter with partner and husband Gerry Goffin before they split up, and was first recorded by Aretha in 1967. Now practically half a century later Aretha sings it again in honour of Carole, who is in raptures. Barack Obama wipes a tear from his eye, a reminder that a precious quality in politicians is human sympathy.

Total word count of piece: 2049

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