Clarence Carter, Southern Soul Voice Behind ‘Patches’ And ‘Strokin’,’ Dies At 90
Clarence Carter, the soul and blues singer songwriter whose raspy voice helped define Southern soul through hits including “Patches,” “Slip Away,” “Back Door Santa” and “Strokin’,” has died at 90.
Carter died Thursday, May 14. According to Rolling Stone, which first confirmed the news, Carter had been battling sepsis and pneumonia and had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Carter was born Jan. 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama, to sharecroppers. Blind from a young age, he taught himself how to play guitar as a child.
He attended the Alabama School for the Blind and later studied music at Alabama State College, now Alabama State University.
FAME Studios Honors Carter’s Place In Soul Music
FAME Recording Studios, Carter’s first music home as a solo artist, honored him in a social media post after his death. The studio, which has also produced music for Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Little Richard, said Carter recorded all of his greatest hits at FAME alongside Rick Hall.
“Clarence recorded all of his greatest hits at FAME Studios alongside Rick Hall, and recorded as part of the FAME family for more than four decades. He was far more than an artist to us. He was family,” the statement said.
The studio said Carter’s contributions to FAME, the Muscle Shoals Sound and American music “simply cannot be overstated.” The statement also remembered him as one of the most distinctive voices in music history, a tasteful guitar player and an exceptional songwriter who wrote many of his own hits while being blind from the age of one.
From Clarence And Calvin To A Solo Career
Carter arrived at FAME Records in 1965 as part of a duo with Calvin Scott. The group was first known as Clarence & Calvin and later as the C&C Boys.
After Scott was injured in an auto accident, Carter continued as a solo artist. One of his early major songwriting moments came with “Tell Daddy,” which reached No. 35 on the R&B charts before Etta James re recorded it as “Tell Mama.”
Carter later moved from FAME to Atlantic Records, where he released several soul records throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including “Back Door Santa,” “Making Love At The Dark End Of The Street” and “Too Weak To Fight.”
In 1968, Carter released “Slip Away,” one of the biggest songs of his career. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart.
Two years later, Carter released “Patches,” his highest performing hit. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of his signature records.
‘Strokin’’ Found A Life Beyond Radio
One of Carter’s most influential later hits was “Strokin’,” released in 1985 with Ichiban Records. The song was banned from radio because of its sexually explicit lyrics, but still became a hit after the label placed it in juke joints.
The song later appeared on the soundtracks for Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor” and the 2011 film “Killer Joe,” introducing Carter’s music to new audiences beyond its original era.
A Personal And Musical Legacy
In 1970, Carter married singer Candi Staton, a fellow FAME signee who sang background for him at the time and later became known for hits including “Young Hearts Run Free” and “You’ve Got The Love.” The two had a son, Clarence Carter Jr., before their marriage ended three years later.
Staton later wrote about the marriage in her memoir, “Young Hearts Run Free,” including allegations of physical abuse during their relationship.
Carter leaves behind a legacy shaped by grit, soul, humor and survival. From Muscle Shoals studios to juke joints and film soundtracks, his voice carried across generations and helped preserve a lasting chapter of Southern soul music.
