Carter
and his friend Calvin Scott, also blind, formed a duo (Clarence and
Calvin, then the C and C Boys), recorded a handful of ignored singles
and label-hopped until a car accident forced Scott’s retirement and
launched Carter’s solo career.
Signed to Rick Hall’s Muscle
Shoals-based Fame label, Carter got a crash course in songwriting,
arranging and performance from some of the best in the business and
also began to fashion his own unique hybrid of gritty Blues and smooth
R&B and Soul. Carter’s Muscle Shoals endeavors resulted in a string
of R&B hits and ultimately Pop crossover success in 1968, when he
charted with “Slip Away,” “Too Weak to Fight” and the slightly lewd
Christmas hit “Back Door Santa.”
Another trio of hits in 1969,
including “Snatching It Back” and its brilliant B-side, “The Dark End
of the Street,” were ultimately followed by Carter’s most enduring
song, 1970’s “Patches,” an emotionally heartwrenching story song that
became one of the year’s biggest hits. Although his career has had its
spikes — including a million seller in 1986 with the nudge-wink
naughtiness of “Strokin’” — Carter has continued to record (his last
album was 2007’s The Final Stroke) and tour with amazing consistency.
(Buy tickets, check out performance times and find nearby bars and restaurants here.)
