Carl Carlton

Carl Carlton, the American R&B, soul, and funk singer-songwriter best known for his enduring hits "Everlasting Love" and "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)," died December 14, 2025. He was 72.

Born May 21, 1953, in Detroit, Carlton began his music career in the mid-1960s under the name "Little Carl" Carlton, inviting a comparison to Stevie Wonder, with whom he shared a similar vocal style.

Carlton first broke into wider recognition in 1971 with "I Can Feel It," a song that charted on the Billboard Soul Singles chart. His 1974 disco-inflected remake of "Everlasting Love" reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, bringing him mainstream success and a lasting favorite.

But it was the 1981 single "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" that became Carlton's signature song, earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance and later gold album status. The track has remained culturally resonant, accumulating millions of streams, being widely sampled, and appearing in films and television soundtracks.

In a career spanning six decades, Carlton continued recording into the 1990s and released his final album, "God Is Good," in 2010, which earned a Detroit Music Award nomination.

The music community quickly paid tribute to Carlton's influence after his death. Funk/R&B group ConFunkShun posted, "With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the legendary Carl Carlton. His voice, talent, and contributions to soul and R&B music will forever be a part of our lives." DJ D-Nice also honored Carlton's impact, writing, "Gone, but forever in rotation," underscoring how Carlton's work continues to live on through airwaves and playlists.

Carlton is survived by his son, Carlton Hudgens II, and extended family.

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)