Clarence Carter, soul legend, dies at 90

Greta Cross

USA TODAY

Clarence Carter, the soul singer known for hits like 'Strokin’,' 'Patches' and 'Slip Away,' has died. He was 90.

FAME Recording Studios & Publishing Co. in Alabama, where Carter often recorded, shared the news in a Facebook post May 14.

Carter had been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and was battling pneumonia and sepsis, Rolling Stone reported. USA TODAY reached out to FAME for confirmation.

'The typical Clarence Carter record features his mammoth vocal and twanging Jazzmaster guitar figures over a solid Muscle Shoals soul groove, accented by a sonorous Memphis-style horn chart,' says the website of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, into which Carter was inducted in 2003. 'Chances are, if the song is a ballad, there may be some kind of preaching break, or if the tune is uptempo, ample space for his lascivious chuckle.'

Born blind on Jan. 4, 1936, Carter was a force in Southern R&B throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

After attending Alabama State College, where he earned a music degree, Carter sang with fellow blind musician Calvin Scott, recording several singles, three of them under the duo name the C&C Boys, according to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website.

The two first visited FAME Studios in 1965, where they paid $85 to record 'Step by Step' and 'Rooster Knees and Rice.' The former didn’t chart, but Carter’s voice stood out to those who gave the tracks a listen, the Alabama Music Hall of Fame website says.

By 1968, Carter landed a Top 10 hit with his blues ballad 'Slip Away,' which today boasts more than 45.1 million listens on Spotify. The same year, he released his Christmas classic, 'Back Door Santa.' In 1970, Carter reveled in Top 10 glory again with his single 'Patches,' which has more than 14.3 million Spotify streams.

Also in 1970, Carter married one of his backup singers, Candi Staton. Carter introduced Staton to the folks at FAME Studio, which helped kick-start her solo music career.

The two had a son together, Clarence Carter Jr., before divorcing in 1973. In her 2016 memoir, 'Young Hearts Run Free: First Lady of Southern Soul,' Staton wrote that Carter was physically abusive to her.

Though Carter continued to release music after 'Patches,' he did not sustain the same level of commercial appeal, Rolling Stone reported.

However, his explicit single 'Strokin’,' which was too raunchy to play on the radio, did turn some heads with its release in 1986. The single sold more than 1.5 million copies, Rolling Stone reported.

Carter released his final album, 'Mr. Old School,' in 2020.

His contributions to American music 'simply cannot be overstated,' FAME wrote in its Facebook statement. 'Beyond being one of the most distinctive and soulful voices in music history, he was also a remarkably tasteful guitar player and an exceptional songwriter who penned many of his own hits. Clarence Carter leaves behind a legacy of timeless music, unforgettable performances, and a friendship we will always cherish.'

Clarence Carter, who was a force in Southern R&B throughout the 1960s and 1970s, has died at the age of 90.

Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images file