James Carr (June 13, 1942 - January 7, 2001), was a United States soul music singer. Originally a gospel singer, Carr was not as popular among general audiences as contemporaries like Otis Redding or Solomon Burke, but was widely considered one of the greatest American soul singers of the 1960s. Carr found fame on the Goldwax Records label with a number of hits, including his most famous, Dark End Of The Street, written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham , and You've Got My Mind Messed Up. Carr's vocal performances on select tracks are still considered unmatched by many soul music and rhythm & blues fans.

Unfortunately, Carr suffered from mental health issues for most of his life (in the words of one music writer; "Carr's mind popped out for a pack of cigarettes in 1972 and never came back"), which affected his career. This was sadly evident during a tour of Japan in the 1970s when he froze in front of an audience and had to cancel the remainder of the tour.