Kim Carnes

Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter best known for her distinctive, raspy voice, which became one of the most recognizable sounds in early-1980s pop and rock radio. She first made her mark as a songwriter and session vocalist before stepping into the spotlight with her own recordings, building a career that blended pop, rock and country-tinged balladry.

Her signature hit, «Bette Davis Eyes», became a defining song of the era, topping charts and earning major industry recognition for its smoky vocal delivery and moody synth-pop production. Beyond that career-defining single, she released a string of albums through the late 1970s and 1980s that showcased her range across torchy ballads and rock-leaning material, and she also wrote and co-wrote songs recorded by other prominent artists.

Carnes stands out in the pop landscape of her period for a voice that diverged sharply from the polished pop norm, giving her music a weathered, emotionally direct quality. Her work helped bridge the gap between the singer-songwriter tradition of the 1970s and the synth-driven sound of the 1980s, and «Bette Davis Eyes» in particular remains a touchstone of the era's pop production.