NEED TO KNOW
Funk and R&B singer Carl Carlton has died at the age of 72.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, Carlton’s son Carlton Hudgens II announced on Facebook that his father, born Carlton Hudgens, had passed away.
“RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton, singer of ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama,” he wrote alongside a photo of the late musician. “Long hard fight in life and you will be missed .”
Hudgens also shared a photo of Carlton on his Facebook stories, writing, “R.I.P Dad, You can finally rest now. Always love you.”
The icon’s passing comes after he suffered from a stroke six years ago, according to Soultracks.com.
Carlton was born in Detroit in 1953 before beginning his music career in the 60s.
After going under the name as “Little Carl Carlton,” he became Carl Carlton in 1971 after his song “I Can Feel It” reached the Billboard Soul Singles chart, according to Syracuse.com.
Gilles Petard/Redferns
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He then hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his cover of “Everlasting Love” in 1974.
The song has continued to be a success, reaching over 25 millions streams on Spotify.
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However, it was his 1981 song “She’s a Bad Mama Jama,” that the icon was best known for.
The hit was nominated for a Grammy Award and has over 100 million streams on Spotify.
While the song went on to be sampled by many other musicians, it was also used in soundtracks for multiple films such as Miss Congeniality 2 and Fat Albert, as well as shows like Friends.
“With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the legendary Carl Carlton,” funk group Confunkshun wrote in their tribute on Facebook. “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.”
