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

"Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit in 1953, he debuted as "Little Carl" Carlton, but changed his stage name and moved to Houston after he was signed to the local label Back Beat Records. He had a minor soul-scene hit in 1971 with "I Can Feel It," and broke through nationally in 1974 when his regal cover of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love" hit No. 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 and spent 15 weeks on that chart."

"Carlton is perhaps best known for his 1981 single, "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)," a grooving and awestruck ode to the female form that hit No. 22 on the Hot 100 and helped his self-titled album that year reach gold status. The song has enjoyed a long life in popular culture - it's been sampled by rappers like Foxy Brown, BigXThaPlug and Flo Milli, and frequently appeared on soundtracks for TV shows and films like "Friends.""

Carl Carlton died at 72, with his son Carlton Hudgens II confirming the death on social media and not citing a cause. Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit in 1953, he began performing as "Little Carl" before changing his stage name and moving to Houston after signing with Back Beat Records. He scored a minor soul hit in 1971 with "I Can Feel It" and reached national success in 1974 when his cover of "Everlasting Love" hit No. 6 and spent 15 weeks on the Hot 100. His 1981 single "She's a Bad Mama Jama" reached No. 22, helped the album go gold, has been widely sampled and featured in TV and film, and he continued releasing music into the 1980s with later appearances and a 2010 gospel album, "God Is Good."

Read at Los Angeles Times