(May 14, 2026) Most soul music fans can’t remember a time when Clarence Carter wasn’t there. From his monster hitmaking days in the 60s and early 70s to his decades as one of the elder statesmen of Southern Soul Music, Carter has been a constant part of our lives. We’re sad to report that our friends at the Southern Soul newsletter The Boogie Report have informed us that Mr. Carter has died at age 96.

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, 1930, in Montgomery, Alabama, Carter was blind from birth and learned music early, later studying at Alabama State University, where he earned a music degree.

After early recordings with Calvin Scott as Clarence & Calvin and the C&C Boys, Carter found his footing at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, where his rich baritone and bluesy guitar became part of the classic Southern soul sound. His first major solo success came with “Slip Away,” a million-selling 1968 hit, followed by another gold record, “Too Weak to Fight.”

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’.”

On the awards front, Carter was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2003, and he was nominated twice for a Grammy Award. For more than six decades, Clarence Carter remained a towering figure in soul and blues, and he will be greatly missed.

https://soultracks.com/clarence-carter-dies/

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