{"id":13941,"date":"2026-01-09T11:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T11:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/?p=13941"},"modified":"2026-01-09T11:36:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T11:36:18","slug":"%f0%9f%92%94-with-heavy-hearts-we-announce-the-passing-of-this-iconic-singer-whose-music-was-the-soundtrack-of-our-childhood-check-first-comment-%e2%a4%b5%ef%b8%8f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/?p=13941","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udc94 With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this iconic singer, whose music was the soundtrack of our childhood. Check first comment \u2935\ufe0f"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>American singer Carl Carlton has passed away at the age of 72. Best remembered for his infectious disco-era hits, Carlton first captured widespread attention with his 1974 cover of \u201cEverlasting Love,\u201d a soaring, strings-driven track that climbed to No. 6 on Billboard\u2019s Hot 100 and became a timeless classic. His bright, flexible vocals often drew comparisons to Stevie Wonder, helping cement his place in R&amp;B history.<\/p>\n<p>Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit, he began his career as a preteen under the name Little Carl Carlton, releasing early singles such as \u201cCompetition Ain\u2019t Nothin\u2019\u201d and \u201cI Can Feel It.\u201d While those songs found limited success in the U.S., they became favorites in the U.K.\u2019s Northern Soul scene. After breaking free from an early recording contract, Carlton signed with 20th Century Fox Records in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13942\" src=\"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/469595729_122188306688238462_3750252808373456128_n-13-218x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"218\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/469595729_122188306688238462_3750252808373456128_n-13-218x300.jpg 218w, https:\/\/xstorynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/469595729_122188306688238462_3750252808373456128_n-13.jpg 522w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px\" \/><\/div>\n<p>His persistence paid off in 1981 with \u201cShe\u2019s a Bad Mama Jama (She\u2019s Built, She\u2019s Stacked),\u201d which reached No. 2 on Billboard\u2019s soul chart and became one of his signature songs. He followed with a reggae-infused cover of the Four Tops\u2019 \u201cBaby I Need Your Loving,\u201d further showcasing his versatility.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-0\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSQ4UdqDksa\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=512&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com&amp;rp=%2Fnews%2Feverlasting-love-singer-carl-carlton-dead-at-72%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawOwMWBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFiUEY5ZUZlMjRuY285TnZZc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgRdEejn3cKpMKNyjHS9UkAlGQRyxnWHKiCQag1j#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3044.0999999046326%7D\" height=\"419\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"419\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Though his recording output slowed in later years, Carlton remained an active live performer and collaborated with legends including Smokey Robinson, Rick James, Teena Marie, Stevie Wonder, and Chaka Khan. Carlton suffered a stroke in 2019 and passed away on December 14, 2025, his son confirmed. His music\u2014especially Everlasting Love\u2014will continue to resonate for generations. Rest in peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>American singer Carl Carlton has passed away at the age of 72. Best remembered for his infectious disco-era hits, Carlton first captured widespread attention with his 1974&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udc94 With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of this iconic singer, whose music was the soundtrack of our childhood. 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