Carson's playing inspired bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Al Jackson Jr. to re-emerge, along with Stax session guitarist Bobby Manuel in place of Steve Cropper, as The MG's, releasing an album in 1973.
Whitsett's first major success as a songwriter also came in 1980 with a number one song on the Adult Contemporary chart (#18 Pop, #30 Country), J. Fred Knobloch's "Why Not Me".
With longtime collaborator and friend Dan Penn and Hoy Lindsey, Whitsett penned the title track to Solomon Burke's Grammy winning album Don't Give Up on Me, later covered by Joe Cocker and Susan Boyle.
In 2002, Whitsett served as arranger for Patti Page, on her Sweet Sounds of Christmas CD, and in 2006, played on Janis Ian's Folk Is the New Black.
He teamed again with Dan Penn and Hoy Lindsey, writing a dozen songs, arranging, and playing on the Better to Have It album by Bobby Purify in 2005.
He played on several Tony Joe White albums including The Heroines in 2004 with singers Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne, Jessi Colter, and Emmylou Harris and 2006's Uncovered, which featured guest appearances by Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale, Michael McDonald, Mark Knopfler, and also Waylon Jennings in one of his last performances.