James Edward Carr was an exceptional American rhythm and blues and soul singer. Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest pure vocalists in deep Southern soul, Carr’s music journey began at an early age.

Born on June 13, 1942, in the Delta blues territory of Coahoma, Mississippi, Carr’s family moved north to Memphis when he was three. By the age of six, James was already singing solos in church, and by nine, he had become a member of a gospel quartet called the Harmony Echoes. In his teens, he started performing as a solo artist in secular clubs around Beale Street, while also working in a furniture factory to make a living.

Although Carr initially struggled to find success with Stax Records, he eventually connected with producer Quinton Claunch, who established Goldwax, an emerging soul label that started in 1964. Carr released several singles for the label, and in 1966, he achieved his first major success with the single “You’ve Got My Mind Messed Up,” which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart.

One of Carr’s most iconic songs, “The Dark End of the Street,” is a soulful classic written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman, owner of American Sound Studio, and was released in 1967. The song’s creation has an interesting backstory. Penn and Moman were inspired by the idea of a secret love affair, capturing the emotional intensity and secrecy of such relationships. The lyrics reflect the pain and longing of lovers who must hide their relationship from the world.

Even though Moman owned American, often cited as the studio that recorded more charting hit records than any other Memphis studio, “Dark End of the Street” was ultimately recorded across town at Royal Studios, the home of the Hi Records label. Carr’s manager, Quinton Claunch, was an original founder of Hi Records in 1957, later operated by Willie Mitchell. The song was written by Penn and Moman while they were attending a convention being held in Memphis. While playing cards, the songwriting duo took a break and retreated to Claunch’s hotel room to attempt to write a song about “cheating.” The result was “Dark End of the Street.” Claunch told them, “Boys, you can use my room on one condition, which is that you give me that song for James Carr. They said I had a deal, and they kept their word.” The song, lyrics and all, was written in about 30 minutes.

James Carr’s rendition of “The Dark End of the Street” was released by Goldwax Records and quickly became a hit. It reached number 10 on the Billboard R&B chart and crossed over to number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carr’s deep, emotive voice brought a raw authenticity to the song, making it a standout in the soul genre.

The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Hozier, Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Commitments, each bringing their own unique style to the timeless classic. Claunch recalled how he first met Carr:

“About midnight one night, there came a knock on my door. I opened the door and there stood three guys… Roosevelt Jamison, James Carr and O.V. Wright. They said, ‘Man, we got some tapes we’d like for you to hear.’ They didn’t make an appointment or nothing, they just knocked on my door. They had their little tape recorder, portable, and I said come on in, and we sat right down in the middle of my living room floor and man, we started playing those dang tapes of O.V. Wright and James Carr, and I really got hooked then.”

Carr had sung in the Redemption Harmonizers with O.V. Wright.

Continuing to record for Goldwax through the 1960s, putting out songs like “Pouring Water on a Drowning Man,” “Love Attack,” “I’m a Fool for You,” “Life Turned Her That Way,” “Forgetting You,” “You Got My Mind Messed Up,” and “A Man Needs a Woman,” Carr established his talent through soulful expression. In 1966 he made a triumphant appearance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, which he followed up with a performance tour throughout the South and East. Also in 1968, in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in Memphis, he recorded his first-ever message song, the powerful liberation anthem “Freedom Train.” His LP You Got My Mind Messed Up has been cited as one of the top soul music albums of all time. Carr released a total of four studio albums during his career. These albums showcased his exceptional vocal abilities and his mastery of soul music.

What made Carr unique was not his stage presence or persona, rather it was his instrument, his powerful, deep voice which earned him the unofficial title, “World’s Greatest Soul Singer.” Without the stage charisma of Otis Redding or Sam and Dave, Carr focused fully on his instrument.

Despite his musical talent, Carr struggled with severe depression and bipolar disorder, which, along with medication to control those afflictions, sometimes affected his ability to perform and tour consistently.

After Goldwax Records closed in 1969, Carr faced challenges in his career. Although he released singles with other labels, including Atlantic Records in 1971 and on his manager Roosevelt Jamison’s River City Records, and even toured Japan in 1979, he never regained the same level of success. However, a renewed interest in his music in the 1980s, partly due to Peter Guralnick’s book Sweet Soul Music, brought him back into the spotlight. The book portrayed Carr as a “magisterial singer” dealing with mental illness and a difficult personality, reviving interest in his once-forgotten career.

Thanks to the book, Carr returned to the music scene in 1992, including his first New York City performance in 25 years at the club Tramps. He also performed at the iconic Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta, Italy. He recorded singles and albums for the resuscitated Goldwax Records, including Take Me to the Limit in 1991 and Soul Survivor in 1994, which was followed by live tour dates in the U.S. and Europe. The Essential James Carr, a collection of his recordings from 1964 to 1969, was released in 1995 by Razor and Tie Records. There are even a few unreleased James Carr songs that have surfaced over the years.

He spent his remaining years living with his sister Rose, occasionally attempting to record or tour. James Carr passed away on January 7, 2001, in Memphis, Tennessee after a battle with cancer. While cancer took this dynamic performer way too early, his soulful and emotional recordings and powerful performance footage continue to influence and inspire musicians and fans, solidifying his legacy.

Watch James Carr’s Induction