“Toreadores” before moving to Ontario in Canada, where she spent eight years. She recorded her debut single, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” in Toronto and a version of Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come”, which became a local hit.

By 1980, she went back to Jamaica and performed her songs like “It Must Be Love,” Peace and Love,” “Winnie Mandela,” “Dial My Number,” and “Going Down to Paradise” at various Reggae festivals. She then released several albums in the 80s and became one of the most recognized female reggae artists. She was acknowledged as the best female vocalist at the Caribbean Music Awards.

She gave prominence to the Christian faith and started re-recording gospel music after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. She released “Vessel” in 1998 and “This Island Needs Jesus” in 2000, which became a favourite in many Caribbean countries. The same year, she was announced as the minister of music for the Family Church on the Rock in Kingston. She was awarded a doctorate in pastoral counselling from the Trinity Theological Seminary in South Florida in 2006. She started her recording studio, Judah Recording and the Glory Music Productions record label during the same period.

Carlene Davis released “Dripping Blood” in 2014 and allocated 25% of the royalties to a US-based charity organization. Samaritan’s Purse. This album hit number 3 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. “The Assignment” was her last album, released in 2018.