Clarence Carter, the Grammy-winning Southern soul musician who achieved mainstream success with hits such as “Patches” and “Slip Away,” died on May 14 at the age of 90, reports deadline.com.
His death followed a diagnosis of Stage 4 prostate cancer, compounded by a recent struggle with pneumonia and sepsis. Rodney Hall, president of FAME Studios, and Carter’s former wife, singer Candi Staton, confirmed the news.
Born blind on January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama, Carter was a self-taught guitarist who studied music at Alabama State College. He emerged as a prominent figure in the soul scene during the late 1960s, recording at the renowned FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.
His breakthrough came with the 1968 single “Slip Away,” which showcased his emotive baritone and reached the Top 10 on both the pop and R&B charts. In 1970, he released “Patches,” a narrative ballad that peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track earned him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and became his most enduring commercial success.
Beyond his soulful ballads, Carter was known for raunchier novelty records that gained a cult following and secondary lives in popular culture. His 1968 track “Back Door Santa” was famously sampled by Run-D.M.C. for “Christmas in Hollis,” while his explicit 1986 single “Strokin’” featured prominently in the 1996 film The Nutty Professor.
Throughout his later career, Carter remained an independent force in the industry. He continued to tour and record under his own label, Cee Gee Entertainment, which he established in 1996.
Carter’s career spanned the transition of soul from a regional genre to a global pop phenomenon. His ability to navigate emotional storytelling in “Patches” alongside the bawdy humour of his later work made him a unique, versatile figure in the American R&B landscape.
•Featured image: Clarence Carter at Beale Street Music Festival 1994/Ebet Roberts/Redferns
