Carl Carlton American songwriter and singer of rhythm and blues, soul and funk styles Date of Birth: 21.05.1952 Country: USA

Biography of Carl Carlton

Carl Carlton is an American songwriter and singer of rhythm and blues, soul, and funk genres. He is best known for his hits "Everlasting Love" and "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)".

Early Career and Rise to Fame
Carlton first started singing in the late 1960s under the name "Little Carl" Carlton, cleverly capitalizing on his vocal resemblance to soul singer Stevie Wonder, who was known as "Little Stevie Wonder" in the early 1960s. After releasing several local hits, Carlton signed a contract with producer Don D. Robey and moved to Houston, Texas, where he joined the new label "Back Beat Records". It was with this new recording company that Carlton achieved success with his disco-style remake of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love". The song reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the most popular version of the original song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden.

Challenges and Comeback
In 1976, Carlton became involved in a legal dispute that caused him to take a break from recording. He signed with Mercury Records in 1977 but only released one single under their label. For several years, Carlton struggled to find success until funk and soul singer Leon Haywood helped him secure a one-time deal with 20th Century Records. Carlton's single "She's a Bad Mama Jama" was a powerful hit, reaching the second spot on the soul chart and earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His subsequent self-titled album in 1981 achieved gold status. "She's a Bad Mama Jama" became one of the standout songs on various compilations, soundtracks, and was frequently sampled by rappers.

Later Career and Return to the Spotlight
Throughout the 1980s, Carlton released several more albums, but only a few songs became minor rhythm and blues hits. He gradually lost favor with record labels and began to fade from the public eye. After the release of "Private Property" in 1985, Carlton did not release any new albums until 1994. In that year, he made a comeback with the album "Main Event," which did not enter any music charts. In late 2002, Carlton participated in the recording of the music edition "Rhythm, Love, and Soul" for the television series "American Soundtrack," alongside other rhythm and blues stars. His rendition of "Everlasting Love" was featured on the accompanying live album "Rhythm, Love, and Soul," released in 2004.