(AURN News) — According to The New York Times, Clarence Carter, the Southern soul singer and guitarist known for lust-filled hits like “Slip Away” and “Back Door Santa,” has died at 90.
Carter died Wednesday in Atlanta. Prostate cancer was listed as the cause.
Blind from childhood, he became known for his deep baritone, bold humor and a sound that blended church-like intensity with juke joint grit.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Carter taught himself guitar as a child and later studied music at Alabama State College.
His biggest hit, “Patches,” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970, while his spoken-word style later led some to view him as a precursor to hip-hop.
Over six decades, Carter released dozens of albums and performed into his 80s, leaving a lasting mark on Southern soul music. Rest in peace, Clarence Carter.
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