| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Sarah Jean Perkins |
| Alias: | Jean Carne |
| Birth Date: | 15 March 1947[1] |
| Birth Place: | Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Origin: | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Vocals |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Years Active: | 1969–present |
Jean Carn, also spelled Jean Carne (born Sarah Jean Perkins;[2] March 15, 1947)[1] is an American R&B/soul and jazz singer. In mid-career, she added a final e to her name. Carn is a vocalist credited with a five-octave vocal range.[3] [4]
Carn was born Sarah Jean Perkins in Columbus, Georgia. At the age of four, she became a member of her church choir.[2]
After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, where she learned to speak fluent Russian, Perkins accepted a scholarship to Morris Brown College. At Morris Brown, she continued to study Russian and performed a wide genre of musical including musical theater and opera.[5] Carn planned on furthering her studies at Juilliard School of Music in New York City when she met and married jazz pianist Doug Carn and became a featured vocalist in his jazz fusion band. The couple based themselves in Los Angeles, California, where Carn appeared on three of his four early albums, Infant Eyes, Spirit of the New Land, and Revelation on Black Jazz/Ovation. The couple later divorced.[6]
In 1976, Carn was signed to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records.[2] She released her debut album Jean Carn in 1976.[7] The debut single "Free Love" went to number 23 R&B.<ref name="AllMusic"/> In June 1978, her second album for the label, Happy to Be With You, was released. It included the hit single "Don't Let It Go to Your Head".[2]
Carn's third Philadelphia International album When I Find You Love was issued in 1979.[2] "My Love Don't Come Easy" peaked at number 43 on the R&B chart. The album included the Jerry Butler penned track "Was That All It Was?" which, despite not charting on the R&B charts, was a big disco hit in the UK clubs.
At this time, Carn moved from the Philadelphia International label to the subsidiary TSOP imprint for her 1981 album Sweet and Wonderful.[2] Carn moved to Motown Records in 1982, making her label debut with her only album on the label, Trust Me. The single "If You Don't Know Me By Now," a cover of the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes hit with backing vocals by The Temptations, went to number 49 on the R&B chart.
By 1986, Carn signed to Omni Records. Closer Than Close, produced by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. went to number one on the R&B charts.[2] Her 1988 album You're a Part of Me was her only release on Atlantic Records.[2] In 2014, Carn was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award present by the National R&B Music Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[8] In 2020, Carn was one of the performers aboard on the Soul Train Cruise.[9]
On October 16, 2022, Carn's life was featured on the documentary TV One series, Unsung.[10] [11]
On April 28, 2025 Carn was inducted into the National R&B Music Society's Atlantic City Walk of Fame at Brighton Park in Atlantic City, NJ. Stuart Bascombe of Black Ivory and producer Dave Wooley were the inductors. The Stylistics, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Blue Magic and the late Phyllis Hyman were also Inducted.[12] Carn is the 11th inductee honored with a plaque into The Atlantic City Walk of Fame.
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [13] | US R&B | US Jazz | |||||||||||||
| 1976 | Jean Carn | 122 | 46 | 26 | Philadelphia International | ||||||||||
| 1978 | Happy to Be with You | — | 55 | — | |||||||||||
| 1979 | When I Find You Love | — | 42 | 28 | |||||||||||
| 1981 | Sweet and Wonderful | 176 | 38 | — | TSOP | ||||||||||
| 1982 | Trust Me | — | 37 | — | Motown | ||||||||||
| 1986 | Closer Than Close | — | 9 | — | Omni | ||||||||||
| 1988 | You're a Part of Me | — | 40 | — | Atlantic | ||||||||||
| 1995 | Carn Sings McCoy | — | — | — | Vammi | ||||||||||
| 1996 | Love Lessons | — | — | — | Moja | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Dan | UK [14] | ||||||||||||
| 1971 | "Peace" | — | — | — | — | Infant Eyes | |||||||||
| 1975 | "Valentine Love" (with Norman Connors & Michael Henderson) | 97 | 10 | — | — | Saturday Night Special | |||||||||
| 1977 | "Free Love" | — | 23 | 18 | — | Jean Carn | |||||||||
| "You Got a Problem" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "If You Wanna Go Back" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | "Happy to Be with You" | — | — | — | — | Happy to Be with You | |||||||||
| "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" | — | 54 | — | — | |||||||||||
| "There's a Shortage of Good Men" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1979 | "My Love Don't Come Easy" | — | 43 | — | — | When I Find You Love | |||||||||
| "Start the Fire" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| "Was That All It Was" | — | — | 22 | — | |||||||||||
| "What’s On Your Mind" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Give It Up" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1980 | "I'm Back for More" (with Al Johnson) | — | 26 | — | — | Back for More | |||||||||
| 1981 | "Sweet and Wonderful" | — | — | — | — | Sweet and Wonderful | |||||||||
| "Love Don't Love Nobody (Part 1)" | — | 35 | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1982 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | — | 49 | — | — | Trust Me | |||||||||
| "Let's Stay Together" (with Bobby Militello) | — | 74 | — | — | Blow | ||||||||||
| 1986 | "Closer Than Close" | — | 1 | — | — | Closer Than Close | |||||||||
| "Flame of Love" | — | 21 | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1987 | "Everything Must Change" | — | 79 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1988 | "Heartache" | — | — | — | — | You're a Part of Me | |||||||||
| "Ain't No Way" | — | 23 | — | — | |||||||||||
| "Let Me Be the One" | — | — | — | 95 | |||||||||||
| 1996 | "Don't Stop Doin' Whatcha Doin'" | — | 109 | — | — | Love Lessons | |||||||||
| 1998 | "Make Love" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2002 | "Somebody Bigger" (with Jeff Majors) | — | 111 | — | — | Gotta Have Gospel | |||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
