Larry Carlton Biography

Larry Carlton was born in 1948 in Torrance, California. Larry was only six when he picked up the guitar for the first time, and he began studying the instrument with enthusiasm right away. Later on, in high school, he developed an appreciation for jazz and chose that style of music his focus for his studies. Young Larry’s perseverance led to gigs as a session musician in the 1970’s, and he could often be found providing tracks for such notable musicians as Billy Joel, Barbara Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones, and Christopher Cross, and even Michael Jackson, providing music for his record-breaking album Off the Wall.  

In the early 1970’s, Larry Carlton began performing with the group The Crusaders, but he set his sights on a solo career and signed his own recording contract in 1977. Carlton’s debut, Larry Carlton, was released in the following year to critical acclaim, and a string of albums followed for the next two decades: Strikes Twice (1980), Friends (1983), Last Nite (1986), Discovery (1987), On Solid Ground (1989), Kid Gloves (1992), Renegade Gentleman (1993), Larry & Lee (1995), and The Gift (1996.) Larry also provided music for the soundtracks for the film Against All Odds (1984) and the television shows Magnum, P.I. and Hill Street Blues, the latter with which he is most frequently associated. For his achievements during this time, Larry Carlton received four Grammy Awards.

Larry Carlton’s career has continued well into the new millennium. He most recently released the albums Fingerprints (2000), Deep Into It (2001), Sapphire Blue (2003), Fire Wire (2006), and Take Your Pick (2010), a collaboration with Tak Matsumoto which earned him a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2011. Carlton most recently released Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia (2011), and he continues to perform and record.