If you think of singers who would not hesitate to surprise their audience with a surprise prank, your thoughts would naturally turn to Karen O, the spirited and energetic lead singer of the famous band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen, whose instruments are vocals, guitar, and keyboard, has been described by fans as a beautiful gift of nature.
Born in South Korea, the musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer started her career in 2000 and has since recorded several solo albums. On September 9, 2014, her first solo album entitled Crush Songs was released, and the following year, on February 17, 2015, to be exact, Karen released a live album entitled Live from Crush Palace, which featured mainly live renditions of songs from her first album Crush Songs.
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Who Is Karen O Husband?
The spirited singer’s name has been associated with Spike Jonze and Angus Andrew, the Liars’ lead singer, but in December 2011 she married music and film director Barnaby Clay. Karen’s husband Barnaby, who has been in the entertainment industry since 1996, graduated from the London International Film School in the same year. His career began when his alma mater entered the Fuji Film Scholarship Award with a short film entitled Justice in Mind, which won him the highest award for best film. After graduating, Barnaby began directing commercials and music videos, and then directed music videos for well-known bands such as Dave Gahan, John Spencer Blues Explosion, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, and Gnarls Barkley. His first documentary, Greetings from Beartown, was shot for Channel 4 in 2003, and Carousel, a short film he wrote and directed, was released in 2015.
After his marriage to Karen O., the music director began working with his wife and directed her first solo debut. The prominent couple currently live in the Silver Lake neighborhood of LA California, and their son joined the family on September 27, 2015. By all indications, the couple appears to be living happily, as we have not heard any rumors of divorce or separation from them since their connubination in 2011.
Here Are Facts About American-South Korean Singer Karen O
- Birth Details
The boisterous singer Karen O was born Karen Lee Orzolek on November 22, 1978, in Busan, South Korea, the daughter of a Polish father and a South Korean mother. Karen, whose star sign is Scorpio, spent her formative years in Englewood, New Jersey, where her family moved after a few years.
- Educational Institutions Attended
The young star attended The Dwight-Englewood School and went to Oberlin College for further studies. Later she went to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she worked on fine-tuning her acting.
- Music Labels
Karen O has performed under various music labels including Cult, Shifty, Interscope, Touch and Go, DGC and Dress Up.
- Net Worth
Karen has been making good money since her career debut in 2000 when she became the frontwoman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Her total net worth has been estimated at a whopping $8 million, which is likely to increase in the next review as the songbird is still in the entertainment business.
- Body Stats
Although the details of her general body statistics are not publicly known, records show that the mother of a child stands six inches tall at a height of 1.5 meters.
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- Philanthropy
The philanthropic side of the famous entertainer came to the fore when she supported Little Kids Rock, a national non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to revitalize music education in less privileged public educational institutions in the United States. Karen showed her support by painting a custom Fender Stratocaster, which she donated to the organization for auction and fundraising.
- On-Stage Antics
The energetic entertainer has never ceased to shower her audience with outrageous pranks during live shows. On several occasions, Karen O has spat water, beer, or sometimes grapes into the crowd. Her antics on stage, which have been compared to those of punk legends such as Patti Smith and Iggy Pop, put her in the hospital in 2003 when she accidentally danced off the stage at a sideshow in Sydney Metro in Sydney, Australia. At the same festival, she still performed in a wheelchair pushed by her lover Angus Andrew.
- Sense of Fashion
Karen O is known for her sense of fashion that runs to show off and is extravagant. It is on record that all her costumes and stage appearances were designed by her close friend Christian Joy, who is a well-known fashion designer.
- Genre
The singer’s genres include Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Stage & Screen, Film Music, Soundtracks, Indie Rock, Garage Punk, and Original Score.
- Awards and Recognition
Karen O is a two-time winner of Spin Magazine’s Sex Goddess Award in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The following year, Blender named her one of rock’s hottest women and she made the 3rd position on Spinner.com’s Women Who Rock Right Now in 2007. The celebrity singer also bagged the Shockwaves NME Award for the Hottest Woman in February 2010.
