Carole Felt Carroll, an impresario of fun and an ardent supporter and advocate of the arts and philanthropy in Baltimore, passed away on March 19, 2026. She was a leader in pioneering and energizing many events and organizations, including the Night of 100 Elvises, the Baltimore Blues Festival, and the Hungry for Music charity. Ms. Carroll died at Northwest Hospital after a brief illness, with friends in attendance; she was 74.
Carole Carroll was born on June 17, 1951, in Atlanta to Ruth Rodenhi Felt, a Baltimore artist, and Norris Elliott Felt, an aerospace engineer and WWII veteran. Her family came to Baltimore in the mid 1950s when her father got a job at the Martin Company in Middle River, and they lived in Catonsville, Baltimore’s Union Square neighborhood, and Lutherville. She graduated from Towson High School in 1969, took classes at the now-closed Institute of Notre Dame on Aisquith Street, and graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 1974 with a degree in psychology. After her mother's death, she moved across the country, staying in Houston for several years, and returned to Baltimore permanently in 1986 to care of her Aunt Catherine.
Ms. Carroll was an integral part of the city’s arts and culture scene beginning in the mid-1980s, supporting and volunteering at Sowebo music festivals, Artscape, and other events across the Baltimore region. In the days before cell phones and GPS, she would use paper maps and pay phones to provide Baltimore-bound bands with driving directions to shows. She was a tireless fundraiser for local charities, and in 2008 even raised and sent $1,000 to musician Leon Russell when he fell ill. She also served as a magician’s assistant to Baltimore illusionist The Great Dantini.
Ms. Carroll harnessed Baltimore and Maryland’s make-your-own-fun ethos, using her event skills to stage the Canoe Cannonball Run Patapsco Drainage Basin Cup Race; the Annie Oakley Festival in Cambridge, MD; the city's first MicroBrew Music Festival (featuring real in-the-nude streakers); and the Rocking USA Boxing under the Hanover St. Bridge in Federal Hill. The storied Night of 100 Elvises, which often featured several dozen Elvis tribute artists along with regional bands, became a treasured Baltimore holiday tradition and raised tens of thousands of dollars for Hungry for Music and other charities.
"Carole was an extraordinary, caring friend," said Anita Rozenel, who with her husband Sam have been long-standing music and arts philanthropists for charities including Hungry for Music and Kids Helping Hopkins. “She was very selfless, and her heart overflowed with love and concern for others. She had a gift for bringing joy to the countless lives she touched but stayed far from the spotlight in every setting, reflecting a deep sense of humility. Carole always chose paths to let others shine as she gracefully remained a guiding light and steady presence in the background.”
In later years, Ms. Carroll was a resource of information on a wide array of almost-famous Baltimore personalities, often providing background information and insights to local media for obituaries of characters such as Captain Dan Davis of Port Covington’s Dead Eye Saloon.
She is survived by her husband of more than 30 years, Craig Curley, of Glyndon, MD; brother Michael Felt of Houston; niece Elizabeth Wiles of Columbia, MD; and the thousands of fun lovers who benefited from her magic.
Carole's graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 9. The funeral procession to the grave will begin at 10:45 a.m. from the Druid Ridge Cemetery Office, located at 7900 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD.
A wake will be held after graveside service at Jilly's Bar & Grill, 1010 Reisterstown Rd. Pikesville MD. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Hungry for Music or Moveable Feast.
