Real Name: Kim Carnes
Date of Birth / Formation: July 20, 1945
Age / Status: 80 years old
Origin: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Lead / Key members: Kim Carnes (lead vocalist, songwriter); frequent collaborator and co-writer Dave Ellingson (husband).
Active period: Early 1970s–present (recording and songwriting career spanning pop, rock, country and adult-contemporary).
Vocal style: Distinctive raspy, throaty vocal delivery often paired with synth-pop, rock and country arrangements.
Breakthrough: Global breakthrough in 1981 with the single 'Bette Davis Eyes' and the album Mistaken Identity.
Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter known for her distinctive raspy voice. She achieved massive international fame in 1981 with the hit single 'Bette Davis Eyes', which spent nine weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The song's unique synth-pop sound and Carnes' emotive vocals made it an iconic hit of the decade. She followed up with other hits like 'Draw of the Cards' and 'Crazy in the Night'. Carnes was also a successful songwriter for other artists, including Kenny Rogers. Her unique vocal style and contributions to 80s pop and rock have earned her a lasting place in music history, with her classics still widely recognized today.
Carnes embarked on a solo career as a songwriter and performer in the early 1970s, signing a publishing deal with producer Jimmy Bowen and releasing her debut album Rest on Me (1971). She worked as a session and background singer, toured as an opening act with David Cassidy, and earned composition awards in the mid-1970s for songs such as "Love Comes from Unexpected Places." [1]
A string of collaborations around 1980—including co-writing for Kenny Rogers and a top-10 cover of "More Love"—led into 1981's Mistaken Identity. The album's lead single, "Bette Davis Eyes," became a worldwide smash, propelling the LP to No. 1 in the U.S. and winning major Grammy awards, while Carnes continued releasing synth-tinged pop and rock material through the decade. [1]
Chart summary: The Official Charts history for Kim Carnes shows no Number 1 release on the main UK Singles or Albums Chart.
Kimberly Carnes was born in Los Angeles; she later identified as destined to be a singer and songwriter from an early age. [1]
Released her first solo album, Rest on Me, after signing a publishing deal and working as a background singer in Los Angeles sessions. [1]
Her self-titled 1975 album produced the Adult Contemporary charting song "You're a Part of Me"; in 1976 "Love Comes from Unexpected Places" won awards at the American Song Festival and Tokyo Song Festival. [1]
Co-wrote material for Kenny Rogers's Gideon and recorded a top-10 solo hit with a cover of Smokey Robinson's "More Love." [1]
"Bette Davis Eyes" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; Mistaken Identity reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and earned multiple Grammy nominations and wins. [1]
Released the album Voyeur and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for the title track. [1]
Was one of the artists featured on the USA for Africa single "We Are the World," appearing in the fundraising video and singing in the group vocals. [1]
A concise 1980s snapshot paired with a source-linked status update checked on 17 July 2026.
The profile’s own 1980s timeline captures Kim Carnes’s era-defining momentum. These late-decade milestones anchor the period in the original profile.
No death date listed. Wikidata does not list a death date for Kim Carnes. MusicBrainz lists Bette Davis Eyes: The Remixes (29 August 2025) as the newest catalogued ep linked to Kim Carnes. The catalogue note is used as a documented update, rather than a claim about touring or an unverified 2026 project.
No short interview quotation was included because an exact, attributable public transcript could not be verified for this profile.
Selected singles and notable album tracks spanning Carnes's early-1980s peak and later 1980s releases; peaks noted only where confidently documented.
Lyrics note: Full copyrighted lyrics are not reproduced. The notes below are original summaries of each song’s themes and imagery.
Lyric theme: A sly character portrait of a glamorous, dangerous figure, delivered in moody synth-pop with Carnes's trademark rasp.
Lyric theme: Dark-tinged pop-rock exploring chance, temptation and the magnetic pull of risky decisions.
Lyric theme: Up-tempo rock-pop about restless desire and nocturnal impulses, propelled by energetic guitars and hooks.
Lyric theme: A soulful, restrained ballad interpretation highlighting Carnes's emotive, raspy lead in an adult-contemporary arrangement.
Lyric theme: A tense, provocative pop-rock piece about observation and desire, built around brooding synths and rhythmic unease.