Clarence Carter

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=90110" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#AAAAAA" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c467d1euxmic.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Kristi Singer</b></FONT><B>     </b><B>|     </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kristi Singer"><U><B>home</b></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Catching Red"><U>Catching Red</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id218.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chicago"><U>Chicago</U></A>   |   <B>Clarence Carter</b>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Collective Soul"><U>Collective Soul</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Color"><U>Color</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cowboy Mouth"><U>Cowboy Mouth</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cravin Melon"><U>Cravin' Melon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id243.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Crossfade"><U>Crossfade</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writing Samples"><U><B>Back to Articles</b></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Clarence Carter</div> <div> <B>Carter embraces technology</b></div> <div> <B>By Kristi Singer</b></div> <div> <I>Morning-Star Correspondent</I></div> <div> Published April 27, 2001</div> <bR> <div>      Can the music of the late '60s/ early '70s be revived with modern recording technology? Southern soul singer, Clarence Carter is proof that it's possible. </div> <bR> <div>      "The technology has made it so that you have electronic music," he said. "I wouldn't say it changed for the worst." </div> <bR> <div>      Mr. Carter is aware of the changes in the music industry: the influences of rap, technology and electronic music. He bought into the modern production technology, using the MIDI program to create entire songs on his own in his home studio. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and is a popular tool among electronic musicians. </div> <bR> <div>      Mr. Carter used this process when recording one of his most well known singles, <I>Strokin'</I>. </div> <bR> <div>      "No one played instruments in that but me," Mr. Carter said. </div> <bR> <div>      Mr. Carter is currently working on a new album in his home studio. He hopes that it will be complete and on the sale racks by mid summer. Most describe Mr. Carter's music as blues, but he prefers producing dance music. </div> <bR> <div>      "If I go to a concert and all the music is slow, I might fall asleep. At my shows I want them up and clapping," Mr. Carter said. </div> <bR> <div>      What sets this musician's performances apart from others is that he cannot see the audience. </div> <div>      Mr. Carter was born blind, but it doesn't bother him, he said, because he doesn't know the difference. </div> <bR> <div>      "It's all I've learned to do," Mr. Carter said. "I've been like this all my life. It doesn't feel like a handicap to me. It's more like an inconvenience." </div> <bR> <div>       Mr. Carter said that performing without sight is natural for him. He wonders if seeing the crowd would cause stage fright -- but doesn't spend much time harping on it, or being blind for that matter. </div> <bR> <div>       He looked up to the successful soul/jazz/R&B artist Ray Charles for inspiration and set his goals to achieve similar success. </div> <bR> <div>      "I used to listen to Ray Charles, since he is blind, too. He used to be the barometer by which I measured success," Mr. Carter said. "I realized from him, that it doesn't matter if you're blind, people will still like you." </div> <bR> <div>       In addition to a role model like Ray Charles, Mr. Carter also had a supportive mother who showed him how to believe in himself. </div> <bR> <div>       "My mother was one of those mothers who supported me no matter what," Mr. Carter said. "I know for a fact when we were young. . . She was determined that we were going to have her around for support." </div> <bR> <div>       His mother was aware of his interest in music, giving him a guitar for a Christmas gift when he was 11. Mr. Carter self taught himself the instrument. </div> <bR> <div>       The Alabama native made his way into the music scene in the late '60s and early '70s and made a mark with his 1970 Atlantic single, <I>Patches</I>. </div> <bR> <div>       While recording a new album, Mr. Carter said he likes to get away from the studio by performing. </div> <bR> <div>       "A lot of artists take time off to record. But I like to go do shows, get away from it and come back," Mr. Carter said. </div> <bR> <div>       Mr. Carter's said his greatest triumph comes from the ability to write music that people enjoy. </div> <bR> <div>       "What means more to me than anything is to be able to create something other people like," he said. </div> <bR> <div>        Mr. Carter released <I>Clarence Carter: Greatest Hits in 2000, </I>as well as the single <I>Slip Away</I>, which was included on the <I>Almost Famous</I> movie soundtrack. </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>