Carter was a self-taught guitarist who was born blind in Montgomery, Alabama. Clarence Carter performs on a TV show in the UK, circa 1972. Michael Putland/Getty Images Trending on Billboard Clarence Carter, the blues and soul musician and singer/songwriter with the raspy, emotional vocals whose hits included the sentimental “Patches” and the salacious “Strokin,’” has died at age 90. Carter’s death was confirmed by Bill Carpenter, a spokesman for his former wife and fellow singer, Candi Staton. Carter died Wednesday of natural causes, according to Carpenter. Carter, a self-taught guitarist who was born blind in Montgomery, Alabama, and majored in music at Alabama State College, had his biggest hit in 1970 with “Patches,” a plaintive tale about a poor country boy who must become a man and run his family’s farm after his father dies that peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 . His 1970 Patches album was also his highest-charting on the Billboard 200 , peaking at No. 44.…