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Trailblazing funk and R&B singer Carl Carlton, known for several top-charting hits, has died. He was 72.
His son, Carl Hudgens II, confirmed Carlton’s death in a Facebook post shared Sunday night.
“RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton singer of She’s a Bad Mama Jama. Long hard fight in life and you will be missed 😢,” Hudgens wrote.
A cause of death remains unknown at this time. However, Carlton had prior health issues after having a stroke in 2019.
Who was Carl Carlton?
Carlton was a Detroit native and began his music career in the late 1960s under the name “Little Carl” Carlton. He used the moniker to highlight his vocal similarities to Stevie Wonder, who initially started his career as “Little Stevie” Wonder, according to SoulTracks.
After achieving local success, Carlton signed with Don D. Robey and relocated to Houston, where he joined Back Beat Records. It was there that he proved himself to be a talented singer.
By 1971, Carlton dropped the “Little” when he scored a hit on the Billboard Soul Singles Chart with “I Can Feel It,” Syracuse.com reported. His disco-influenced remake of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love,” hit the Top 10 and peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1974. Carlton’s version remains a popular song today, garnering more than 25 million streams on Spotify.
Carlton is best known for his 1981 hit “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” a Grammy-nominated funk anthem that became his signature song. The track has been widely sampled by artists including Foxy Brown, Flo Milli, and Das EFX, has amassed more than 100 million Spotify streams, and has appeared in numerous film and television soundtracks, including Friends, The New Guy, Supergirl, Fat Albert, and Miss Congeniality 2, per Syracuse.com.
“She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” earned Carlton his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance in 1982, PennLive reported.
‘Your legacy lives on’
Carlton would continue to perform and release two other albums after 1985. It wasn’t until 2010 that he released a gospel single called “God Is Good.”
Funk group Con Funk Shun also shared a Facebook reel in remembrance of the singer.
“With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the legendary Carl Carlton,” the group wrote. “His voice, talent, and contributions to soul and R&B music will forever be a part of our lives and the soundtrack of so many memories. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans around the world. Rest in power, Carl. Your legacy lives on. 🙏🏽🎶”
