‘Carole King’s timeless songs reminded me of how life can be’

‘Beautiful’ is certainly an apt adjective to describe how I felt about the Carole King musical currently playing at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane’s Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). It was such a lovely treat to be able to attend.

The show, which highlights the incredible journey of Carole King from schoolgirl to superstar, brought back many personal memories. I have sometimes reflected on my youth in a negative way but the show was so refreshing that the songs flooded me with such pleasant memories and assured me that all negativity is now forgotten.

As a teenager I was incredibly self-conscious and never felt good enough. Loving books and music made my life worthwhile and like many other teenagers, I probably lived in a fantasy world where songs such as those written by Carole King transported me to another world.

My teen years were a little before King’s biggest successes — I was busy being all shook up by Elvis and The Everly Brothers were reminding me that all I had to do was dream. I distinctly remember the first time I heard Bill Haley’s ‘Rock around the Clock’. I was 16 and immediately felt that everything had changed. I never quite mastered those great rock and roll movements but enjoyed practising them in my room.

‘Unchained Melody’ set a young girl’s heart thumping and dreaming that one day someone might feel that way about her. I still love listening to the music of the ’50s and ’60s. However Carole King is roughly the same age as I am, and her music brought so much nostalgia to me as a young mother. My daughter was born the year of her first big hit ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’. It is exciting to know that this amazingly talented woman is still productive. It inspires me to keep on keeping on, daring to have a go at things I never thought I would do and not be afraid to fail.

Books and music are still my biggest inspirations. They can transport me to places that cause me to be thankful to be alive. On Sunday, July 15, as I attended Beautiful: The Carole King Musical there was such an atmosphere of delight and appreciation in the theatre, as the very talented cast recreated the often poignant songs written by this talented woman.

I am so grateful that, at a much later age, I can really appreciate the song, ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’, which came out around the time of the birth of my first son. I was in a marriage where constant criticism exacerbated the lack of self-esteem and certainly inhibited my confidence of ever being made to feel like a natural woman.

Maybe that is one of the reasons that I absolutely love my life these days. I don’t need anyone to make me feel this way — but thank you so much Carole King for your songs that remind us of how life can be. I hope they will continue to thrill and inspire others for many years to come.

Have you seen Beautiful: The Carole King Musical? Is there an artist who has allowed you to reflect and appreciate your life in a new way?

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