Carl Carlton, funk icon behind 'Bad Mama Jama' and 'Everlasting Love,' dies
The Grammy-nominated singer has passed away at age 72 following health challenges
December 15, 2025
Carl Carlton, beloved funk and R&B singer, has passed away at age 72.
His son Carlton Hudgens II announced the news in a Facebook post on Sunday, December 14.
“RIP Dad,” the mourning son wrote alongside a picture of Carlton performing. “Long hard fight in life and you will be missed,” he added.
No cause of death was announced, though Carlton had reportedly faced ongoing health challenges following a stroke in 2019, per Soultracks.com.
Carlton’s voice helped shape decades of soul and funk. Born and raised in Detroit, Carlton began performing in the 1960s under the name “Little Carl Carlton.” He dropped the nickname by 1971, the same year he landed his first Billboard Soul Singles hit with I Can Feel It.
His biggest mainstream breakthrough came in 1974 with Everlasting Love. The song — a cover of Robert Knight’s R&B track, climbed into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the definitive version, still widely streamed today.
Still, for many fans, nothing eclipsed She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked). Released in 1981, the Grammy-nominated track became a pop culture staple, sampled by artists and featured across film and television, including Friends, Supergirl, and Miss Congeniality 2.
Though he continued performing regularly, Carlton released only two albums after 1985. His final album, the gospel project God is Good, arrived in 2010.
