Musicians - James Carr

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	Musicians - James Carr

James Carr (June 13, 1942 - January 7, 2001), was a United States soul music singer.

Born to a Baptist preacher's family in rural Mississippi, Carr began singing in church and was performing in gospel groups and making tables on an assembly line in Memphis, Tennessee when he began recording in the mid-'60s for Goldwax Records, a small Memphis based label. Carr first made the R&B charts in 1966 with "You've Got My Mind Messed Up", followed by his most famous song Dark End Of The Street, written by Dann Penn and Chips Moman. Carr continued to record for Goldwax until the label closed in 1969 but failed to reach the same heights with his subsequent releases.

Unfortunately, Carr suffered from mental health issues for most of his life (in the words of one music writer; "Carr's mind popped out for a pack of cigarettes in 1972 and never came back"), which affected his career. This was sadly evident during a tour of Japan in the 1970s when he froze in front of an audience following an overdose of anti-depressants and had to cancel the remainder of the tour. A resurgence in interest in his music, spurred by his portrayal in the 1986 book Sweet Soul Music, helped return Carr to the recording studio but failed deliver any further chart success.

While Carr was never as popular among general audiences as contemporaries like Otis Redding or Solomon Burke, his vocal performances on select tracks are still considered unmatched by many soul music and rhythm & blues fans.

Discography

You've Got My Mind Messed Up

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Musicians - James Carr

Discography

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