Carole King tribute brings timeless songs to The Queen Theatre

A Tribute to Carole King,” featuring vocalist Lori Citro and indie-folk trio The Accidentals on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, at 8 p.m. in the Crown Room.

WILMINGTON, Del. — The Queen Theatre will celebrate one of popular music’s most influential singer-songwriters this weekend with “A Tribute to Carole King,” featuring vocalist Lori Citro and indie-folk trio The Accidentals on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, at 8 p.m. in the Crown Room.

The concert will highlight King’s six-decade career, from her early days as a Brill Building hitmaker to her defining work as a 1970s singer-songwriter. Doors open at 7 p.m., and tickets start at about $36.

Citro, known for soulful interpretations of classic hits, will join The Accidentals, an acclaimed indie-folk/pop group that blends strings, tight harmonies and contemporary arrangements. Together, they will revisit many of the songs that helped shape modern pop, rock, soul and folk music.

The program is expected to include hits from King’s Brill Building era — when she and then-husband Gerry Goffin formed one of the most successful songwriting teams of the 1960s — as well as selections from her landmark solo album “Tapestry.”

King, born Carol Joan Klein in 1942 in New York, began writing songs as a teenager. Working out of the Brill Building, she and Goffin wrote chart-toppers for some of the biggest acts of the day, including “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” for The Shirelles in 1961, the first No. 1 hit by a girl group. Their catalog also includes “Take Good Care of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “The Loco-Motion” (Little Eva), “Up on the Roof” (The Drifters) and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” made famous by Aretha Franklin in 1967.

In the late 1960s, King moved to Los Angeles and stepped out from behind the scenes to perform her own material. Her first solo album, “Writer,” drew modest attention, but her second release, “Tapestry,” became a cultural milestone.

Released in 1971, “Tapestry” held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart for 15 weeks, remained on the charts for more than 300 weeks, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and earned four Grammy Awards, including album of the year. Songs such as “It’s Too Late,” “So Far Away” and “You’ve Got a Friend” helped define the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s.

Over the course of her career, King has released 25 solo albums and sold more than 75 million records worldwide. She has written or co-written 118 songs that have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and 61 songs that have appeared on the UK charts, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts from 1962 to 2005.

Her songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, and she has collaborated with performers such as James Taylor, whose version of “You’ve Got a Friend” became a No. 1 hit. King has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — first as a songwriter and later as a performer — and in 2013 became the first woman to receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Organizers say Friday’s tribute is designed to connect Wilmington audiences with that legacy, blending nostalgia with a modern sound. The Accidentals are expected to bring a contemporary folk-pop twist to classics such as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” while Citro provides the powerhouse vocals that have made King’s songs enduring standards.

King’s music has long given voice to themes of love, resilience and empowerment, particularly for women in the 1960s and 1970s. “Tapestry” became a soundtrack for a generation, and many of her songs remain staples of radio, film soundtracks and live performance set lists.

The event is part of The Queen’s ongoing effort to present heritage concerts that appeal to multiple generations of music fans, pairing timeless catalogs with contemporary artists.

All ages are welcome, and seating is general admission in the Crown Room at The Queen Theatre, 500 N. Market St. in Wilmington. Arriving when doors open at 7 p.m. is recommended for those seeking preferred placement.

Tickets are available through major ticketing platforms, including Live Nation and VisitWilmingtonDE. For more information, call the venue at 302-400-7020.

Staff Writer

Delaware LIVE collaborates with a network of professional journalists to cover a diverse range of stories across various fields.  Staff Writers include experienced journalists and young professionals.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact editor@delawarelive.com or our publisher, George D. Rotsch at George@Delawarelive.com