Saturday May 22, 2021 “Slip Away” Jimmy (Clarence) Carter
Jimmy Carter had a tumultuous presidency with many accomplishments like establishing the Department of Energy and Department of Education as cabinet level positions, pursuing Middle East peace with the Camp David Accord and creating the Panama Canal Treaty which would give the canal ultimately to Panama. He also had to deal with many problems like the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster and the Summer Olympics boycott.
Clarence Carter had a couple of hits like today’s “Slip Away”.
Blind from birth Clarence Carter taught himself to play guitar listening to the classics from John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. Carter then went to Alabama State University where he learned to transcribe musical charts and arrangements into Braille.
Today’s song “Slip Away” with it’s mischievous lyrics was a top ten hit for Carter and he followed it with a morbid tune about death and responsibility called “Patches” both songs prominently featuring his rich baritone. Am saving that one for ‘morbid song’ week to be included with hits like “Teen Angel”, “Tell Laura I Love Her”, “Dead Man’s Curve” and the other “Patches” by Dickey Lee.
Stay safe and well...and the backing musicians are the great Muscle Shoals studio band, whose drummer Roger Hawkins recently passed. Great documentary, Muscle Shoals on this studio and the many artists they worked with.