Legendary Funk/Soul/R&B singer Carl Carlton died on Sunday, Dec. 14, from natural causes. He was 72. Carl suffered a stroke in 2019.
The singer/songwriter is best known for his hits “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)”.
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953, Carl took an early interest in music and singing. He began his career in the mid-1960s as “Little Carl” Carlton and had minor regional hits, including “So What” and “Don’t You Need a Boy Like Me”.
Carl was inspired by Stevie Wonder, who recorded under the name “Little Stevie Wonder” in the 1960s.
In 1968, Carl relocated to Houston, Texas, after signing with Don D. Robey’s Back Beat Record label.
His first single for Back Beat Records, “Competition Ain’t Nothing” topped the R&B charts in the UK.
Carl’s first major hit in the United States was “Everlasting Love,” a disco remake of Robert Knight’s song of the same title.
After a royalty dispute with Robey, Carl signed with Mercury Records in 1977, and released one single on that label.
In 1980, Leon Haywood helped him sign a singles deal with 20th Century Records. Carl released the biggest hit of his career with the Haywood-penned “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)”, in 1981.
The single peaked at number 2 on the R&B/Soul chart and earned Carl a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards.
Carl’s subsequent album, Carl Carlton, went gold in 1981.
He released several more albums in the 1980s, including The Bad C.C. (1982) and Private Property (1985).
The Bad C.C. spawned the songs “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “Swing That Sexy Thang.”
After a brief hiatus, Carl returned to the music scene with his album Main Event (1994).
In 2010, he recorded his first gospel album titled God Is Good, which earned him a Detroit Music Award nomination in the Outstanding Gospel/Christian Vocalist category.
Carl toured in the 2010s until he suffered a stroke in 2019 which left him with mobility deficits.
Friends said he worked hard to regain his mobility and to live an independent life.
Carl Carlton – Everlasting Love
Carl Carlton – She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)”
