Carl Carlton

Biography

Carl Carlton (born Carlton Hudgens; May 21, 1952 – December 12, 2025) was an American R&B, soul, and funk singer-songwriter, best known for his hits "Everlasting Love×Everlasting Love1974 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Everlasting Love2:34A2Morning, Noon and Night3:40A3I Wanna Be Your Main Squeeze3:04A4Our Day Will Come3:02A5La La Song3:30B1Signed Sealed and Delivered3:30B2Hurt So Bad3:27B3Smokin' Room3:34B4Lonely Teardrops4:15" and "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)".

Background

Carlton Hudgens was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 21, 1952. He began his career in the mid-1960s as "Little" Carl Carlton. It was a marketing ploy to capitalize on some vocal similarities to Stevie Wonder, who recorded under the name "Little Stevie Wonder" in the early 1960s. His first recordings were for Lando Records, for which he recorded some minor local hits, including "So What" and "Don't You Need a Boy Like Me".
In 1968, Don D. Robey signed Carlton to the Back Beat Record label, which Robey had started in 1957. Shortly after signing with the label, Carlton relocated to Houston, Texas, to be closer to his new label.

Career

Carlton's first single with Back Beat Records, "Competition Ain't Nothing", became a huge hit on the UK northern soul scene after its release on the UK's Action Records label.
He was listed as one of the Cash Box Best R&B Artists of 1970 in the December 26 issue of the magazine.
In January 1971, Carlton had a hit on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart with "I Can Feel It". It spent three weeks in the chart, peaking at no. 47.
Carlton finally saw major success in the United States with a cover version of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love×Everlasting Love1974 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Everlasting Love2:34A2Morning, Noon and Night3:40A3I Wanna Be Your Main Squeeze3:04A4Our Day Will Come3:02A5La La Song3:30B1Signed Sealed and Delivered3:30B2Hurt So Bad3:27B3Smokin' Room3:34B4Lonely Teardrops4:15". This song went to number 6 in 1974 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart, spending 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Back Beat Records owner Robey sold his labels to ABC Records in 1972. ABC Records released the anthology album You Can't Stop a Man in Love×Can't Stop A Man In Love1973 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1You Can't Stop A Man In Love2:50A2Drop By My Place2:44A3Competition Ain't Nothing2:35A4I Won't Let That Chump Break Your Heart3:32A5Did You Mean It2:33B1Born Just In Time2:40B2Why Don't They Leave Us Alone2:18B3International Playboy2:22B4You Make Me Feel Like A Grown Up Man2:28B5You Times Me Plus Love2:16, a compilation of Carlton's earlier hits. Beginning in 1976, Carlton became embroiled in a royalty dispute with ABC Records that caused him to stop recording for some time. He signed with Mercury Records in 1977, releasing You, You/Something's Wrong that same year. Carlton was unable to land a new recording contract for several years until Leon Haywood helped him get a singles deal with 20th Century Records.
A Haywood-penned single, "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)", became a major hit in 1981, peaking at number 2 on the soul chart and earning Carlton a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards in 1982. The track peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. Carlton's subsequent album, Carl Carlton, went gold in 1981. "She's a Bad Mama Jama" has since become a staple of compilation albums and soundtracks and is often sampled in rap music.
Carlton continued to release albums after his eponymous 1981 album, including 1985's Private Property×Private Property15 October 1985 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Private Property4:26A2Thank You for Sticking Around4:00A3Slipped, Tripped, Fooled Around and Fell in Love4:17A4Stand by Me3:44B1Mama's Boy4:18B2Never Got Over You4:12B3Hot5:15B4Free, Fine and 214:02 and 1994's Main Event but his subsequent albums were less popular and his creative output declined in the late 1980s.
In 2003, Carlton was featured with many R&B stars such as Aretha Franklin on the "Rhythm, Love, and Soul" edition of the PBS series American Soundtrack. His performance of "Everlasting Love" was included on the accompanying live album that was released in 2004.
On August 1, 2010, Carlton released his first gospel single entitled "God Is Good×God Is Good10 July 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1God Is Good4:21". On April 16, 2011, Carlton was nominated for a Detroit Music Award in the "Outstanding Gospel/Christian Vocalist" category.

Later life and death

Carlton suffered from complications of a stroke in 2019. He died on December 12, 2025, at the age of 73. In addition to his son Carlton Hudgens II, he was survived by a wife and two other sons.