Clarence Carter was born on January 14, 1936 in Montgomery, Alabama. He listened to the blues records his stepfather bought, and as a result he took an interest in music while still young. He learned to play guitar as a result. He graduated from Alabama State College in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in music.
He briefly taught school before beginning his music career. He and his friend Calvin Scott formed a music duo and their single "I Wanna Dance But I Don't Know How" was released under the name "Clarence and Calvin" on the Fairlane label. They signed to Duke Records as The C & C Boys and released four singles there. They recorded "Step By Step," which was released on Atlantic Records. None of their singles saw any success. It was after Calvin Scott was injured in a car accident that Clarence Carter began his solo career. He had his first hit with the single "Tell Daddy," released on the Fame label in 1967. It went to no. 35 on the Billboard R&B chart.
By late 1967, he had signed with Atlantic Records. There he would have a string of hits that lasted into the early Seventies, starting with "Slip Away," which went to no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was followed by such hits as "Too Weak to Fight," "Back Door Santa," "Snatching It Back," "Doin' Our Thing," and "Patches."
Unfortunately, after 1971, Clarence Carter saw fewer successes. He left Atlantic for Fame and then in 1975 signed with ABC Records. It was in 1985 that he signed with Ichiban Records and found new success with his album Dr. C. C. Its single "Strokin'" proved to be a hit in Australia and the UK.He released several more albums, many of which did very well. His final studio album, Sing Along with Clarence Carter, was released in 2011. He continued to release more live albums afterwards.
Clarence Carter was a true talent, particularly as a composer. His lyrics could be very descriptive, which sometimes ran him into trouble, as in the case of "Strokin'," which considered by many radio stations to be too suggestive. He was also an impressive balladeer, and no one could write or sing about the anguish of love the way he could. In is songs, he often addressed complex romantic situations with sensitivity and intelligence. All of this was aided by impressive baritone voice, which could be extremely emotive. Clarence Carter was a great R&B and soul singer, and possibly one of the most underrated performers in the field.
