- Full name: Thomas James Burris
- Net Worth: Not revealed
- Occupation: Real Estate Surveyor or Developer
- Birthday: Not Known (Apporiximated to be in the 1940s)
- Nationality: American
- Birthplace: Not revealed
- Birth Sign: Not revealed
- Marital status: Widower (married to singer Karen Carpenter)
Why Is James Famous?
Thomas James Burris is a prosperous real estate developer.
James attained fame after getting married to the popular singer Karen Carpenter.
They were married in the year 1980 and only experienced 3 years of marriage before Karen Carpenter passed on following heart complications.
Their Love Story
When the two met, Karen was 29 years old and at the peak of her career, while James was around 40 years old. He had been divorced and was an 18-year-old son from his previous relationship. The two first met in 1980 in a Ma Maison restaurant for dinner.
However, there isn’t information on whether the date was prearranged and how they got to know each other. Nevertheless, the date went well, and the two lovebirds hit it off. In just a matter of months, they tied the knot.
A Sad Marriage Life
Their joy and love were short-lived. It turns out that James was not able to provide Karen with children, having undergone a vasectomy before he met her. To make matters worse, he had concealed this important detail from her during their courtship.
It is said that his impotency depressed Karen, who had desperately wanted to be a mother. This led to her suffering from anorexia, a disease that was almost unknown at the time.
Speculations have it that James did nothing to salvage the situation but instead made it worse by abusing her and often referring to her as a ‘bag of bones.’
At the same time, he often misused her money and took large loans to finance his lavish luxury. After only a year into her marriage, Karen had enough and was ready to call it quits. She, therefore, filed for a divorce.
Karen’s Death
Unfortunately for her, she died on 4th February 1983 from heart failure as a result of severe anorexia. Her divorce hadn’t even been finalized yet.
A majority of her fans held James accountable for her death, as her depression and unhappiness in the marriage were quite obvious. On the other hand, James disputed this fact citing that they were very much happy in their marriage.
He went on to further explain that only a few differences made them drift apart. However, her fans did not buy into that story as he did not even express any sadness for her passing.
To the relief of her fans, James didn’t inherit anything from Karen. She had changed her will before her death and left everything she owned to her parents and brother.
Age, Height, and Weight Information Regarding Thomas James Burris
There is currently no information available regarding the actual age of Thomas James Burries as of today’s date.
On the other hand, based on the look at his pictures, we can guess that Thomas is around ten years older than Karen.
Therefore, we do not know when Thomas commemorates the occasion of his birth. He is of Caucasian ethnicity and holds American citizenship.
Where is James Now?
Though he is still alive, James has been kept out of the spotlight. There isn’t any information about where he is right now and whether he remarried or not.