Carl Carlton, the Detroit-raised vocalist whose blend of R&B, soul, and funk left an unmistakable mark on music, has died at 72.
His son, Carlton Hudgens II, shared the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, Dec. 14th, writing, “RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton, singer of ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama.’ Long hard fight in life, and you will be missed.” Billboard has not yet independently verified the announcement. Born Carlton Hudgens, the singer reportedly suffered a stroke six years ago.
Carlton began performing while still in grade school, adopting the name “Little Carl” Carlton and recording his earliest singles for Lando Records in 1964. Tracks like “I Think of How I Love Her,” “I Love True Love,” “So What,” and “Don’t You Need a Boy Like Me” established him locally, eventually leading to a move to Back Beat Records in 1968. Relocating to Houston to work closer to label founder Don Robey, Carlton scored his first charting single with “Competition Ain’t Nothing,” which reached No. 36 on Billboard’s R&B chart and became a staple within the U.K.’s Northern Soul movement.
After graduating from Detroit’s Murray Wright High School, he earned national attention with “I Can Feel It” in 1971. When Back Beat was sold to ABC Records, the company released You Can’t Stop a Man in Love, an anthology of Carlton’s earlier work. His commercial breakthrough followed in 1974 with “Everlasting Love,” a shimmering, disco-infused remake that climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of his most celebrated recordings.
Carlton continued evolving through the late ’70s and early ’80s, eventually landing at 20th Century Records, where he released the track that would define his legacy: “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked).” The Leon Haywood-penned funk hit peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart, later earning Carlton a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance, male. Its impact has echoed for decades, sampled by artists including Foxy Brown, Das EFX, BigXthaPlug, and Flo Milli.
