© Larry Johnson Carol's Beverly Hills home is full of the countless gold and platinum records she has received. Here she poses alongside her gold record for the Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now," which she co-wrote. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote "Love Changes Everything," and I could not agree more. There are certain things that we are willing to do for love that we would not even fathom otherwise. When we love someone, we are willing to go that extra mile to make them happy and suit their needs, and we are willing to sacrifice our own humility and comfort to ensure theirs. This is true with Carol Connors and her cat Minstrel. Life for songwriter Carol Connors could accurately be divided into two eras: Pre-Rocky and Post-Rocky. In case you are wondering, the Rocky I am referring to is the motion picture starring Sylvester Stallone for which she co-wrote the lyrics to its theme "Gonna Fly Now," which earned an Academy Award nomination for best song. Rocky was a hit, and Carol became the one Hollywood pros went to when they needed a great song for a movie. She went on to write and co-write the themes for films such as Sophie's Choice, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Orca, Butterfly, and Disney's The Rescuers (for which she received a second Academy Award nomination), among many others. Her songs have been recorded by Placido Domingo, Dionne Warwick, Maureen McGovern, Marilyn McCoo and many others, and she has also composed the themes for nations, including Jamaica, Malaysia, and Singapore. Carol has been nominated for 10 major musical awards (Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globes).   The trees of Carol's garden hold the collection of chimes from all over the world. Carol boasts that she can identify each chime by the sound it makes. Carol's musical career began with a $10 loan from her parents. Carol went to school in Los Angeles, and her classmate was a young man named Phil Spector (who would go on to become the genius of rock 'n' roll). Phil had fallen in love with Carol's voice and wanted her to sing a song he had written, and with $10 they could record a demo. Carol told her parents that if they made the record, it was going to be a hit and it would be the number one song in the world. Little did they know. Carol got the $10 loan, formed "The Teddy Bears" and recorded "To Know Him is To Love Him," which went on to become the number one song of its time. It has remained one of the most popular songs ever. When Elvis Presley heard it he wanted to meet the girl who sang it, and that's how Elvis became Carol's first boyfriend.   © Bob Care Turtle See-Turtle Do. Carol imitates her aquatic friend during one of her diving escapades that have taken her to the Cayman Islands, Key Largo, and Hawaii. Soon she's off to Fiji. After her success with the Teddy Bears, Carol's career stagnated a bit. Being an aquatic person one day she found herself on a pier by the bay. While there she spotted a cat. Its look was so exotic that she was sure it was wild. She went every day to look at the cat, and one day she followed it home to its owner who lived on a houseboat. The man who owned the cat went on to tell her that it was indeed a domesticated breed known as the "Abyssinian." It was that day that Carol (not unlike Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind when she picks up the radish and swears that "as God as my witness I shall never be poor again") vowed that if she ever had money she would buy herself an Abyssinian. Cats have played a big part in her life. Melody and Songbird are just some of the kitties that have shared her heart. Now M and M, (Minstrel and Music Man) two littermates, share her home. About a year ago, after returning from a trip to Florida (she comes often, but our famous Florida humidity always drives her back to LA), she was told by her house sitter that Minstrel the Wonder Cat, as he was affectionately called (the older of the two), was bumping into things. She found that odd, although she had recently remodeled part of her home. She took him to the vet to find that he had gone blind with maybe 2 percent vision left in one eye. She was horrified. The doctor had to remind Carol that M was up there in age; he was 15 years old, which in human years equals his mid 70s. With his new lifestyle he needed a new name, so he was rechristened M the "Stevie Wonder" cat. Interestingly enough, Carol notes that she believes she would have noted something wrong with M had it been his hearing rather than his vision because she is an audio person, not a visual one. Minstrel's health had always been good except for a urinary tract infection that came up whenever he is under stress. Carol knew that things had to change to make sure her kitty could maintain a proper quality of life and not suffer. Things around the house aren't moved anymore to make sure he does not get disoriented. Besides the five-litter box in the garage, Carol has put one in her room to make M comfortable. She is happy that his habits have not changed much; he still is the one to wake her at 6 A.M., and she does not mind because she knows that he needs to be up at that time as well. "We all get older," notes Carol, "and as we get older things start to change, and our vision gets weaker and so does our hearing. And the same is true for our pets; as they get older their senses begin to go and they age, and I think if they can be with us, as they get older it is great as long as they are not suffering. The quality of life has to be good." Dealing with her kitty companion's deteriorating health has made her more sensitive to his pain, and she will make sure he is eased from any suffering if it comes to that. One thing I have always asked singers is how their pets react to their music. I have always gotten positive responses, but none more truthful than Carol's. "I don't think Minstrel likes my music very much," admits Carol. "He comes in to the room when I am playing and begins to meow. It is pretty embarrassing. I have to remind him, however, that it's my music that is paying the bills." Carol recently wrote the theme for Ed McMahon's new "The Next Star Is You" show, which will be syndicated around the country. Her love of the ocean finds her diving in the world's most exotic spots, including Hawaii, the Cayman Islands, and soon Fiji, where she swims with sharks, turtle, and dolphins. When Carol comes to the Florida Keys for a getaway, her answering machine message sums up her priorities pretty well. "I'd rather be diving with the dolphins in Key Largo than swimming with the sharks in Beverly Hills." I couldn't agree more! -Kareem Tabsch is a freelance writer who specializes in celebrity interviews. He has interviewed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Hope, Joan Rivers, Julio Iglesias, Barbara Mandrell and others. He writes frequently on animal-related issues as well as on the entertainment industry.