Clarence Carter — the Southern soul pioneer behind hits like “Patches” and “Strokin’” — has died. He was 90.
The legendary singer and producer died Wednesday night in hospice near Atlanta, Georgia, representatives confirmed Thursday in a statement.
“We are deeply saddened to report the passing of our dear friend Clarence Carter,” said Rodney Hall, the president of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. “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.”
A spokesperson for Candi Staton, Carter’s ex-wife, confirmed to The Independent that the blind singer had recently been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, and that his death was brought on by a combination of sepsis and pneumonia.
Carter, who was born in Montgomery, Alabama, dominated the R&B and pop charts during the lates-sixties and seventies after kicking off his career alongside fellow blind musician Calvin Scott.
He launched his solo career in 1967 with the single “Tell Daddy,” which prompted Etta James to record a response song titled “Tell Mama.” In the next year, he rose to fame with his 1968 cheating ballad “Slip Away,” which reached the Top Six on the pop charts.
As a songwriter, Carter was known for his range from emotional sagas to bawdy bangers.
In the same year as “Slip Away,” Carter released the raunchy Christmas song “Back Door Santa,” which was a popular play on holiday radio stations.
Frathouse favorite “Strokin’” — also released that year — went on to become a cult classic for its sexually graphic chorus, which made it a jukebox hit as it was too suggestive to play on the radio.
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The song went on to be featured in Eddie Murphy’s The Nutty Professor decades later. It was also included in William Friedkin’s 2011 film Killer Joe.
While he established his penchant for raunchy lyrics and sense of humor, Carter showed his softer side again with the release of his biggest pop hit “Patches” in 1970 — an emotional song about growing up in Alabama poverty. That year, the song took home the Grammy award for Best R&B song.
More of Carter’s hits include “Snatching it Back,” “The Feeling is Right, “Looking for a Fox,” “Doin’ Our Thing,” and the Gold-certified “Too Weak to Fight.”
Carter’s last album, Mr. Old School, was released in January 2020 on his own label called Cee Gee Entertainment. His final song, “Danger Point” was released in 2024.
In 1970, Carter married Staton, who sang backup for him before she became famous for her cover of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man,” as well as her 1976 disco hit “Young Hearts Run Free.”
Staton and Carter had a son together, Clarence Carter Jr., before divorcing in 1973. Carter is survived by Clarence Carter Jr., and his second son Herbert Deon Wilkerson.
Hall said, “The contributions Clarence made to FAME, the Muscle Shoals Sound, and American music simply cannot be overstated. 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. He did all of this while being blind from the age of one.”
His statement concluded: “Clarence Carter leaves behind a legacy of timeless music, unforgettable performances, and a friendship we will always cherish. We extend our love and prayers to his family, friends, and fans around the world.”
