Soul legend Clarence Carter dies at 90 after battle with cancer and pneumonia

The soul legend recently battled stage four prostate cancer, pneumonia and sepsis before his death this May aged 90

Soul singer Clarence Carter, best known for timeless hits including Patches, Slip Away and Back Door Santa, has died at the age of 90.

News of Carter’s death was confirmed by Rodney Hall, president of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where the singer recorded some of his most celebrated music throughout his career. According to reports, Carter had recently been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer and was also battling pneumonia and sepsis in the weeks before his death.

Born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1936, Carter was blind from childhood and developed a deep connection to music early in life. Despite the challenges he faced, he taught himself to play guitar and built a career that eventually made him one of the defining voices of Southern soul during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

His breakthrough arrived in 1968 with Slip Away, which climbed to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Later that same year, Back Door Santa became another major success and would later gain renewed popularity decades afterward thanks to sampling and holiday playlists.

Carter reached another career peak in 1970 with Patches, the emotional song that became his signature hit. The track earned him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1971 and cemented his reputation as one of soul music’s most distinctive storytellers.

Reflecting on the impact of the song years later, Carter admitted that Patches changed the course of his legacy forever. The singer once said he believed the song etched him permanently into music history and would help audiences remember him long after his career ended.

Away from music, Carter’s personal life also drew public attention. He married fellow soul singer Candi Staton in 1970, and the pair welcomed a son before eventually divorcing. Staton later spoke openly about difficulties in their marriage and Carter’s infidelities during that period.

Although Carter’s mainstream chart success slowed during the middle of the 1970s as musical trends changed, he remained active as a touring performer and recording artist. His unapologetically risqué style eventually helped fuel another surprising commercial comeback during the late 1980s with Strokin’, a song that became a cult favourite despite limited radio support because of its explicit lyrics.

Fans and fellow musicians quickly paid tribute online following news of his death, celebrating both his influence on soul music and his resilience throughout a career that lasted more than six decades.

Carter’s catalogue continued to inspire generations of artists across soul, blues, funk and hip hop, while songs such as Slip Away and Patches remained staples of classic American music.

His death marks the loss of another towering figure from the golden era of soul music.