‘Patches’ and ‘Strokin” soul hitmaker Clarence Carter dies at 90

Blind from age one, the Alabama-born artist taught himself how to play the guitar as a child.

Soul musician Clarence Carter has died at age 90.

Carter, who was known for hit songs like “Patches” and “Strokin’,” died on Thursday, May 14. According to Rolling Stone, which first confirmed the news, he was battling sepsis and pneumonia and had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Carter’s first music home as a solo artist, FAME Recording Studios, which has also produced music for artists like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Little Richard, honored Carter in a post on social media today.

“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 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.”

The statement continued, “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.”

Carter was born on 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.

He came to FAME Records in 1965 as a part of a duo called the C&C Boys (first named Clarence & Calvin) with a friend, Calvin Scott. The two were just starting out at the label, but when Scott was injured in an auto accident, Carter continued on as a solo artist. One of his biggest feats was writing “Tell Daddy,” which landed at number 35 on the R&B charts, but was taken to new heights when Etta James re-recorded it as “Tell Mama.”

Eventually moving from FAME to Atlantic Records, he churned out iconic soul records throughout the sixties and seventies like “Back Door Santa,” “Making Love (At the Dark End of the Street),” and “Too Weak to Fight.”

In 1968, Carter released one of the biggest songs of his career, “Slip Away,” which went down in history as a cheating anthem. It reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the R&B chart. Two years later, he released his highest-performing hit, “Patches,” in 1970, which peaked at number four on the Hot 100.

In 1970, Carter married the singer Candi Staton, a fellow FAME signee who sang background for him at the time, but later became known for hits like “Young Hearts Run Free” and “You’ve Got the Love.” The two had a son, Clarence Carter Jr. The marriage only lasted three years, which Staton has written about in her memoir, “Young Hearts Run Free,” alleging an incident where he was physically abusive toward her.

One of Carter’s most influential hits is “Strokin’,” which he released with Ichiban Records in 1985. It was banned from the radio because of its sexually explicit lyrics, but became a hit anyway as the record label cleverly placed it in juke joints. It was also featured on the soundtracks of Eddy Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor” and the 2011 film “Killer Joe.”