15 May 2026<\/time>\n <\/p>\nClarence Carter \u2013\u00a0the blind Southern soul singer whose raw vocals powered classics including Patches, Slip Away and the cult favourite Strokin\u2019 \u2013\u00a0has died aged 90 following a battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer, pneumonia and sepsis.<\/p>\n
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Clarence Carter \u2013\u00a0the blind Southern soul singer whose raw vocals powered classics including Patches, Slip Away and the cult favourite Strokin\u2019 \u2013\u00a0has died aged 90 following a battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer, pneumonia and sepsis<\/p>\n
The Grammy-winning musician, who became one of the defining voices of Southern R and B during the late 1960s and 1970s, died on Friday (15.05.26), according to Rolling Stone. <\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Clarence\u2019s ex-wife confirmed the singer\u2019s illnesses to the publication. <\/p>\n
The Alabama-born performer rose to prominence through a string of emotionally charged hits released on Atlantic Records, with Patches becoming one of the era\u2019s signature soul records. <\/p>\n
The song later earned Clarence a Grammy Award for Best R and B Song in 1970. <\/p>\n
\nHis death comes amid renewed interest in classic soul and R and B music across streaming platforms and social media, where younger audiences have recently rediscovered artists including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin through film soundtracks, TikTok trends and vinyl revivals.<\/p>\n
\nSpeaking in 2010 about the enduring legacy of Patches, Clarence said: \u201cI think Patches really etched me into the music world. Where people are probably going to remember me for a long time to come. Which I always wanted \u2013 but I never knew it would happen that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBorn in Montgomery, Alabama, Clarence lost his sight during childhood and later attended the Alabama School for the Blind before studying music at Alabama State College. <\/p>\n
\nHe went on to become one of soul music\u2019s most recognisable voices, combining blues, funk and deep Southern soul into a catalogue that influenced generations of musicians.<\/p>\n
\nHis 1968 hit Slip Away became a Top 10 success in the United States, while Patches cemented his crossover fame two years later with its story of poverty and hardship in the Deep South. <\/p>\n
\nDecades later, Clarence found a new audience with 1986\u2019s cheeky funk anthem Strokin\u2019, which became a cult classic and was later featured in Eddie Murphy\u2019s 1996 comedy film The Nutty Professor.<\/p>\n
\nTributes poured in across social media following news of his death.<\/p>\n
\nOne fan wrote on X: \u201cPatches. Great sound. Part of life\u2019s soundtrack. RIP.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAnother posted: \u201cSummer 1970, I was seven years old, travelling to my father\u2019s new Army duty station in Louisiana. Mr Carter\u2019s \u2018Patches\u2019 got huge radio airplay during that seven-hour trip. Anytime I hear \u2018Patches\u2019 it reminds me of my dear parents. RIP Mr. Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nClarence remained a touring act well into later life and was known for mixing upbeat funk and blues into his performances rather than leaning solely into emotional ballads.<\/p>\n
\nSpeaking in 2011 about misconceptions surrounding blues music, Clarence explained: \u201cIn general, most people think of the blues as something sad and \u2018I wish I hadn\u2019t done that\u2019, and this kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBut I don\u2019t. Usually, when I go to my show, you\u2019re gonna hear me sing more uptunes that you dance by than you\u2019re gonna hear me sing songs that you\u2019ll cry about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOver the course of his career, Clarence worked alongside some of the most influential figures in soul and R and B, recording during the golden age of Southern music alongside artists connected to Muscle Shoals and the wider Atlantic Records stable. <\/p>\n
\nHis songs were later sampled, covered and referenced by artists across hip-hop, blues and country music.<\/p>\n
\nIn recent years, tracks including Slip Away and Patches experienced renewed popularity online as younger listeners revisited classic soul playlists and film soundtracks. <\/p>\n
\nBack Door Santa also became a perennial festive favourite after being sampled by Run-DMC on Christmas in Hollis, introducing Clarence\u2019s music to a new generation of rap fans.<\/p>\n
\nClarence\u2019s death marks the loss of one of the last surviving stars of classic Southern soul\u2019s golden era.<\/p>\n
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