Carole King: Home Again Live in Central Park

Celebrate the music icon in a triumphant homecoming concert on May 26, 1973.

This concert captured King at her critical and commercial peak, basking in the enormous popularity of her album Tapestry. It includes a behind-the-scenes look at her legendary career. Carole King: Home Again Live in Central Park airs Thursday, June 8 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Alongside the complete performance footage is the behind-the-scenes story of King’s remarkable transformation from an in-demand, staff songwriter beloved for such timeless Goffin and King classics as “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” to an iconic artist in her own right. The May 1973 performance captured King at her critical and commercial peak, basking in the enormous popularity of her definitive album Tapestry. New interviews with King, Adler, Ron Delsener, and legendary Woodstock and Monterey Pop lighting and stage manager Chip Monck set the scene for her extraordinary performance.

Wanting to do something special with Carole in New York, Adler and legendary New York concert promoter Ron Delsener agreed to stage a free concert — the first ever — on Central Park’s famed Great Lawn. The event changed the landscape of live performances in New York, shepherding in an era of legendary performances in Central Park that continues to this day.

King rarely performed in concert during this era despite the enormous commercial success she had enjoyed. However, on this special occasion, she presented her performance in two parts — first alone, on piano, and then fronting a powerhouse 11-piece band. 

Adler decided to film and record it. After the Central Park performance, he took the footage and recordings back to Los Angeles, where it remained unreleased for 50 years. Recently, McDermott convinced Adler who then convinced Carole that the performance should be seen