Southern Soul legend: The great Clarence Carter has died at age 90.
Carter was a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose music has moved easily between deep blues, country-soul, gospel fervor and earthy humor. Born January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama,
Carter was blind from birth and studied at Alabama State University, where he earned a music degree.
Carter’s biggest pop moment came in 1970 with “Patches,” a dramatic story-song of a son forced to grow up early that reached the upper reaches of both the pop and R&B charts and became his third gold record.
Other key hits included
- “Tell Daddy,” which helped inspire Etta James’s answer record
- “Tell Mama,”
- “Snatching It Back,”
- “The Feeling Is Right,”
- “I Can’t Leave Your Love Alone,”
- the holiday favorite “Back Door Santa.”
Later in his career, he scored another monster hit with his signature Southern soul party record, “Strokin’.”
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC. TRAVEL WELL TO THE ANCESTRAL REALM. R.I.P. 🙏🏽