Clarence Carter is an American r&b-soul singer, musician, songwriter and record producer best known for the hits “Slip away”, “Too weak to fight” and “Patches”.
Blind from birth, Clarence’s musical career began in early 60’s with classmate/fellow musician Calvin Scott. The duo released a couple of singles until they suffered an auto accident that critically injured Scott. So Carter continued as a solo singer. His first solo single “Tell daddy” was released in 1967.
The following year Clarence released his first major commercial hit with “Slip away”. The ballad was a top ten hit, and its follow-up, “Too weak to fight,” also went gold, solidifying Carter’s newfound commercial appeal.
Carter continued to have hits in 1969 and 1970 but the peak of his career came in 1970 with his version of “Patches”. The track, first recorded by Chairmen of the Board, won the Grammy for Best R&B Song category in 1971.
Other singles such as “It’s all in your mind” “The court room” and “Slipped, tripped and fell in Love” were released but performed less well.
By the end of the decade Carter was relegated to small independent labels due to the advent of disco music.
In 1985, Clarence found a new audience with “Strokin'”, a song that was used for the films “The nutty professor” and “Killer Joe”.
Continuing to record, Carter has released several albums in recent years including maintaining a strong fan base in the Southern states and internationally.
