Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes (born July 20, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Los Angeles, California, Carnes now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where she continues to write music. She began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a session background singer with the famed Waters sisters (featured in the acclaimed documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom). After she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, she released her debut album Rest on Me in 1972. As a solo artist, Carnes saw success with her singles "More Love", "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)", "Make No Mistake (He's Mine)" with Barbra Streisand, and "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is". Her most successful single release was "Bette Davis Eyes", released in 1981. The song won two Grammy Awards; Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and became the best-selling single of the year in the United States. Carnes' self-titled debut album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me", which reached number thirty-five on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart in 1975. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places". The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976. Other successes as a songwriter include co-writing the number one duet "The Heart Won't Lie" with Donna Weiss, recorded by Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, and co-writing the songs for Kenny Rogers' concept album Gideon (1980). Her distinctive raspy vocal style has drawn comparisons to Rod Stewart.