Carl Carlton, ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama’ Singer, Dead at 72

Carl Carlton, the funk, soul, and R&B singer known for hit songs “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” and “Everlasting Love,” has died. He was 72.

Carlton’s son, Carlton Hudgens II, confirmed the death on Sunday.

“RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton singer of She’s a Bad Mama Jama. Long hard fight in life and you will be missed,” Carlton Hudgens II said in a statement, which included a photo of Carlton, on social media.

A cause of death was not disclosed. The singer suffered a stroke in 2019, according to Soultracks.

Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit in 1953, he first performed under the name “Little Carl” Carlton, later changing his moniker to Carl Carlton. He made some waves locally and later moved to Houston after he was signed to the Houston-based label Back Beat Records.

In 1971, his song “I Can Feel It” reached the Billboard Soul Singles chart, but his major success came with his cover of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love.” The song peaked at Number Six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and spent 15 weeks on the chart.

A decade after he first entered the charts, he scored his most enduring hit with 1981’s “She’s a Bad Mamma Jamma (She’s Built, She’s Stacked),” which reached Number Two on the soul chart and spent 21 weeks on American charts, reaching 22 on the Hot 100 after it was released. The Grammy-nominated song continues to resonate nearly four decades later, hitting Number Seven on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song sales chart earlier this year. Appearing on his eponymous 1981 album, the funky lead single helped propel the album to gold certification.

The song has been sampled by multiple artists — including on Foxy Brown’s “Big Bad Mamma” featuring Dru Hill, Flo Milli’s “BGC,” and BigXthaPlug, Ro$ama, and Young Hood’s Meet the 6ixers. It gained further popularity in subsequent decades after being featured on soundtracks for films including Miss Congeniality 2 and Fat Albert, as well as on television shows such as Friends.

He performed through the decades and made television appearances, including on American Bandstand and Soul Train. In 2003, he was included in the Barry Glazer-directed television special, American Soundtrack: Rhythm, Love, and Soul, featuring Aretha Franklin, Lou Rawls, Mary Wilson, and other music luminaries. Carlton’s most recent release was the 2010 gospel album, God Is Good.

“With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the legendary Carl Carlton,” Con Funk Shun wrote in a tribute to Carlton. “His voice, talent, and contributions to soul and R&B music will forever be a part of our lives and the soundtrack of so many memories. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans around the world. Rest in power, Carl. Your legacy lives on.”