Carson Whitsett facts for kids

James Carson Whitsett (born May 1, 1945 – died May 8, 2007) was an American musician. He was a talented keyboard player, songwriter, and record producer. Carson Whitsett was known for his amazing skills on the B-3 organ and for writing many popular songs.

Carson Whitsett's Early Life and Music Journey

Carson Whitsett was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He started his music career playing in his older brother Tim's band. The band was called Tim Whitsett & The Imperials. Later, it became known as The Imperial Show Band. Carson quickly became famous for his incredible playing on the B-3 organ.

Joining Stax Records

After his first band broke up, Carson played music in Canada for a while. Then, he was invited to join Stax Records. This was a very famous record company. His brother Tim was already working there. Carson's keyboard playing was so good that it inspired other musicians. He helped bring back the famous rhythm section of Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson Jr.. With guitarist Bobby Manuel, they formed a new version of The MG's. They even released an album in 1973.

Playing at Malaco Records

Later, Whitsett moved to Malaco Records. There, he became part of the Malaco Rhythm Section. This group of musicians played on many hit songs. He played on Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon album. He also played on Anita Ward's "Ring My Bell" and Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue". Carson played on albums for many blues artists too, like Z. Z. Hill, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Johnnie Taylor.

Carson also wrote songs for some Malaco artists. He even produced Fern Kinney's song "Together We Are Beautiful". This song became a number one hit in the UK in 1980.

Carson Whitsett: A Talented Songwriter

Carson Whitsett had great success as a songwriter. His first big hit was in 1980. It was a song called "Why Not Me" by J. Fred Knobloch. This song reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Writing Hits for Famous Singers

Many famous singers recorded songs written by Carson.

• Lorrie Morgan recorded his song "Dear Me". It became her first top ten hit.
• He co-wrote "Mississippi Moon" with Tony Joe White for John Anderson.
• One of his most famous songs was "Don't Give Up on Me". He wrote it with his friends Dan Penn and Hoy Lindsey. This song was the title track for Solomon Burke's album. That album won a Grammy Award.
• "Don't Give Up on Me" was also sung by other famous artists. These included Joe Cocker and Susan Boyle.
• Actor Peter Gallagher even sang it on the TV show The O.C.

Other Artists and Blues Standards

Carson Whitsett wrote or co-wrote songs for many other artists. These included:

• Blues and soul singers like Etta James, Eddie Floyd, and Wilson Pickett.
• Country stars like Conway Twitty and Barbara Mandrell.
• Gospel singers such as Albertina Walker and The Staple Singers.

He also played music and wrote songs for B. B. King, Jerry Butler, and Irma Thomas. Two of his songs became well-known blues songs. These are "Blues of the Month Club" by Joe Louis Walker and "One Foot in the Blues" by Johnny Adams. The song "One Foot in the Blues" even won a W.C. Handy Award.

Later Career and Legacy

In his later years, Carson Whitsett continued to work on many music projects.

• In 2002, he helped arrange music for Patti Page's Christmas CD.
• In 2006, he played on Janis Ian's album Folk Is the New Black.
• He worked with Dan Penn and Hoy Lindsey again. They wrote many songs for Bobby Purify's album Better to Have It in 2005.
• Carson also played on several albums by Tony Joe White. These albums featured guest artists like Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale, and Mark Knopfler.

For several years, Carson was the keyboard player for Kathy Mattea. He also recorded three solo piano albums. In 2005, he was featured in Keyboard Player Magazine.

Carson Whitsett passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 8, 2007. He died from brain cancer. His friend and music partner Dan Penn said that Carson played with the most real R&B feeling of anyone he had ever worked with.