Carl Carlton, funk singer behind ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama,’ dies at 72

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I was so sad to hear about Carl Carlton passing away. He was 72. As a fan, I always loved his music – songs like “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” really captured the energy of the time and always put a smile on my face. He was a true funk and R&B icon.

Carlton Hudgens II, Carlton’s son, announced his father’s passing on social media Sunday. He wrote, “RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton singer of ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama.’ Long hard fight in life and you will be missed.” The post didn’t mention how he died.

Entertainment & Arts

Jimmy Cliff, the famous Jamaican reggae singer and actor known for his role in the film ‘The Harder They Come,’ has passed away at the age of 81, according to his family.

I first discovered Carlton Hudgens – though most people know him as Carl Carlton – through a deep dive into soul music history. He started out as “Little Carl” back in Detroit in ’53, but after signing with Back Beat Records, he changed his name and headed to Houston. He had a little buzz locally in ’71 with a song called “I Can Feel It,” but it was his incredible take on Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love” in 1974 that really blew me away. That song soared to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for a solid fifteen weeks – a true classic!

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As a music fan, I always think of Carl Carlton and his incredible track, “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked).” It came out in ’81 and it’s just a really cool, upbeat song that celebrates women. It actually did pretty well, peaking at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped his album from that year go gold. It’s a classic!

This song has remained popular for years, appearing in many TV shows and movies like “Friends,” and has been used in songs by artists such as Foxy Brown, BigXThaPlug, and Flo Milli.

He kept recording music throughout the 1980s, making several appearances on popular shows like “American Bandstand” and “Soul Train.” While he released less music in the 1990s, he performed on Barry Glazer’s 2003 TV special, “American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love, and Soul,” alongside artists like Aretha Franklin. His final album, a gospel record titled “God Is Good,” came out in 2010.

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2025-12-16 01:33