Gary Clark Jr. | |
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 Clark performing at theNorth Coast Music Festival 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gary Lee Clark Jr. |
| Born | (1984-02-15)February 15, 1984 (age 41) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | garyclarkjr |
Gary Lee Clark Jr.[1] (born February 15, 1984) is an American guitarist and singer who fusesblues,rock andsoul music with elements ofhip hop.[2] In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and releasedThe Bright Lights EP.[3] It was followed by the albumsBlak and Blu (2012) andThe Story of Sonny Boy Slim (2015). Throughout his career, Clark has been a prolific live performer, documented byGary Clark Jr. Live (2014) andGary Clark Jr Live/North America (2017).[4]
In 2014, Clark was awarded aGrammy for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song "Please Come Home".[5] In 2020, he won theGrammy Award for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance" for the song "This Land" from that album.[6] His most recent album,JPEG Raw, was released in 2024.
Born and raised inAustin, Texas, Clark got his first guitar as a Christmas present when he was 13, anIbanez RX20. He taught himself to play guitar by checking out how-to-play-guitar books at the Covington Middle School library and by listening toGreen Day,Nirvana,Jimmy Reed andStevie Ray Vaughan.[7] Clark played small gigs throughout his teens until he met promoterClifford Antone, proprietor of the Austin music club Antone's. Antone's was the launch pad whereJimmie andStevie Ray Vaughan redefined blues at the time.[8] After meeting Clifford, Clark began to perform with other musicians, including Jimmie Vaughan. Vaughan and others in the Austin music community helped Clark in his musical career.[citation needed]
Clark sang on the 2010 bonus track cover of theJackson 5's "I Want You Back" on Sheryl Crow's album100 Miles from Memphis.[9][10]
Rolling Stone declared Clark "Best Young Gun" in its April 2011, "Best of Rock" issue.[11]
In 2012, Clark recorded withAlicia Keys on two different songs. He co-wrote the song "Fire We Make" with Keys,Pop Wansel andOak Felder for the albumGirl on Fire.[12]
On August 28, 2012, Keys revealed viaTwitter that Clark's new album and major label debut calledBlak and Blu would be released on October 22, 2012.[13] Released byWarner Records,Blak and Blu peaked at number six on theBillboard 200 album chart, and number one on the Blues Albums chart.[citation needed]
In 2014, Clark's firstlive album,Gary Clark Jr. Live, was released. Adouble album recorded over the course of an 18-month-tour between 2013 and 2014,Gary Clark Jr. Live received generally positive reviews from critics.[14][15][16]
Clark worked with theFoo Fighters on the track "What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" on their 2014 albumSonic Highways recorded atKLRU-TV Studio 6A in Austin.[17][18]
Clark released his albumThe Story of Sonny Boy Slim on September 11, 2015.[19]
Clark had a guest appearance onTech N9ne's 2016 albumThe Storm, providing the chorus for the song "No Gun Control". Clark appeared onChildish Gambino's album"Awaken, My Love!", released that same year, performing the guitar solo on the track "The Night Me and Your Mama Met".[citation needed]
In 2017, Clark released his second live album,Live North America 2016.[20]
Clark collaborated withZZ Ward on "Ride" from the soundtrack to the 2017Pixar filmCars 3.[21]
Clark's cover version ofthe Beatles' 1969 song "Come Together", was released in early 2017. It became his first charting single, appearing onBillboard'sMainstream Rock chart, where it peaked at number 15. Clark's version of "Come Together" was featured in the 2017Zack Snyder-directed superhero filmJustice League.[22]
In 2018, Clark featured on two songs onBun B's albumReturn of the Trill, "Blood on the Dash" and "Gone Away" also featuringLeon Bridges.[citation needed]
Clark was featured onTom Morello's albumThe Atlas Underground, providing vocals and guitar on the song "Where It's at Ain't What It Is".[citation needed]
On January 10, 2019, Clark announced the March 1, 2019, release of his albumThis Land via Warner Bros.[23] On the same day he released the title song from the album supported by aSavanah Leaf directed music video for the song.[24]This Land was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' byAllMusic.[25]
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Clark performed at the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival as part of the promotion forJohn Sayles' 2007 filmHoneydripper. Clark performed at the 2010Crossroads Guitar Festival.[26][27][28] He joinedDoyle Bramhall II and Sheryl Crow on stage for their performance with Eric Clapton, and also debuted several original songs.[29][30]
In June 2011, Clark played at the annualBonnaroo Music Festival inManchester, Tennessee,[31] at the Miller Lite On Tap Lounge. On June 10, 2012, Clark again playedat Bonnaroo, and his performance was streamed live online via the Bonnaroo MusicFest Channel on YouTube.[32]
In February 2012, Clark performed alongside blues musicians at the Red, White and Blues event at the White House. The event, aired on PBS, includedB.B. King,Mick Jagger,Jeff Beck andBuddy Guy, among others. Clark played "Catfish Blues" and "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)", as well as contributing to performances of "Let the Good Times Roll", "Beat Up Old Guitar", "Five Long Years" and "Sweet Home Chicago".[33][34][35]
In June 2012, Clark guested with theDave Matthews Band playing "Can't Stop" and "All Along the Watchtower" at dates in Virginia Beach and Indianapolis and on October 21 and 22, 2012, Clark appeared as the opening act at theBridge School Benefit Concert, Bridge XXVI. On December 8, 2012, Clark appeared atthe Rolling Stones' first US-gig of their50th anniversary tour at theBarclay's Center in Brooklyn, to perform theDon Nix song "Going Down" with the band.[36] On December 15, 2012, he joined them onstage again to play the same song, along withJohn Mayer, during the last date of the Stones' mini-tour at thePrudential Center.[37]
On May 13, 2013, Clark opened for Eric Clapton & His Band at the LG Arena, Birmingham, England, and on June 12, 2013, Clark was the guest performer with the Rolling Stones at Boston'sTD Garden. Clark joined the Stones in playing theFreddie King tune "Going Down". On June 30, 2013, he appeared on the Avalon stage at theGlastonbury Festival. His performance was declared 'the most electric performance of the festival, knocking the legendary appearance of the Rolling Stones (the previous night) well into second place' and on October 25, 2013, he appeared on long-running British music showLater... with Jools Holland.[38]
On February 9, 2014, Clark performed the Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", along withDave Grohl andJoe Walsh forThe Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles. On February 16, 2014, Clark performed in theNBA All-Star Game Halftime Show with Trombone Shorty, Earth Wind and Fire, Doctor John, and Janelle Monáe. On May 29, 2014, Clark performed atRock in Rio inLisbon. Clark performed guitar, as a guest, on an episode of the PBS cable television showAustin City Limits, with theFoo Fighters, that aired on February 7, 2015. He and the Foo Fighters were accompanied by Jimmie Vaughan.[39]
On May 24, 2015, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones atPetco Park inSan Diego. On July 4, 2015, played as part of the lineup for the Foo Fighters 20th Anniversary show atRFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. On June 8, 2016, he performed alongsideJon Batiste andStay Human as musical guest ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert and on June 26, 2016, he performed during West Holts Stage,Glastonbury Festival, and on July 8, 2016, performed on the Preferred One Stage at theBasilica Block Party in Minneapolis.[citation needed]
On January 10, 2019, Clark appeared onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, on which he performed "This Land" and "Feed the Babies".[40] The latter he performed along withJon Batiste andStay Human as a bonus track.[citation needed]
On February 16, 2019, Clark performed "Pearl Cadillac" and "This Land" on NBC'sSaturday Night Live.[41][42]
On February 28, 2019, Clark performed "This Land" onComedy Central'sThe Daily Show with Trevor Noah.[citation needed]
On July 7, 2019, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones' concert at Gillette Stadium during their 2019 No Filter Tour. Clark provided guest vocals and guitar with the Stones during their performance of "Ride 'Em on Down".[citation needed][43]
Clark led the band (andBruce Springsteen) at theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts duringJon Stewart'sMark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony on April 24, 2022.[44]
Clark is scheduled to kick off a 17-date U.S. tour in Reno, Nev. on Feb. 19, 2025 that will conclude in Highland, Calif. on April 25, 2025. He is also set to do three shows in Australia Feb. 14-17, 2025.
Kirk Watson, the Mayor of Austin, proclaimed May 3, 2001, to be Gary Clark Jr. Day. Clark was seventeen years old at the time.[49][50][51] Clark won the Austin Music Award for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist, on three different occasions.[26]
Clark wasSpin's breakout artist for the month of November 2011.[52]
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Clark's Bright Lights EP (named for the title track, an homage toJimmy Reed and his song of the same name), number 40 on its list of its top 50 albums of 2011.[53]
While playing music festivals such asCoachella,JazzFest, MemphisBeale St., Hangout,High Sierra,Sasquatch,Mountain Jam,Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest,Hard Rock Calling,Newport Folk Festival, Orion Music Festival,Osheaga,Lollapalooza, andACL Music Festival, Clark was awardedSpin Magazine's Golden Corndog award for performing in more major North American music festivals in 2012 than any other musician.[54]
Clark swept the 31st annual Austin Music Awards for 2012–2013, collecting eight awards, he earned the following: Band of the Year, Musician of the Year, Song of the Year – "Ain't Messin Round" (fromBlak and Blu), Album of the Year –Blak and Blu, Electric Guitarist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Blues/Soul/Funk Artist of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year.
In 2014 and 2015, Clark won aBlues Music Award in the 'Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year' category.[55][56]
As of 2020, Clark has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, and has won four of them.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Please Come Home" | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Won |
| "Ain't Messin' 'Round" | Best Rock Song | Nominated | |
| 2020 [57] | This Land | Best Contemporary Blues Album | Won |
| "This Land" | Best Rock Performance | Won | |
| Best Rock Song | Won | ||
| Best Music Video | Nominated |
Gary Clark Jr. mainly usesEpiphone Casino, bothP-90 andHumbuckerGibson SG, and bothFender Stratocaster andFender Telecaster electric guitars, as well asEpiphone Masterbilt andGibson Hummingbird acoustic guitars. Clark has his own signature Blak & BluEpiphone Casino which featuresGibson USA madeP-90 pickups.[58][59][60][61]
Clark uses .011-.049 D'Addario Strings EXL 115.[62]
Clark uses a Fender Vibro-King amp purchased fromKing Zapata (who currently tours with him and plays rhythm guitar) paired with a Fender Princeton. He is known for extensive use offuzz pedals, with his most frequently used pedal being theFulltone Octafuzz, and regular use of awah pedal.[63]
Clark married Australian modelNicole Trunfio in 2016.[64] They have three children.[65] In late 2016, Clark and Trunfio purchased a 50-acre horse ranch inKyle, Texas.[66] A series of racist questions from a neighbor about Clark's ownership of the ranch served as inspiration for the song "This Land."[67]
Clark performed atAlicia Keys'Keep a Child AliveBlack Ball benefit, in an effort to raise money for children withAIDS in Africa.[68] The two performed theBeatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a tribute toGeorge Harrison.[69]
| Title | Peak positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [70][71] | AUS [72] | FRA [73] | GER [74] | NLD [75] | NZ [76] | UK [77] | |
Worry No More
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
110
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Blak and Blu
| 6 | 34 | 93 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 44 |
The Story of Sonny Boy Slim
| 8 | 18 | 126 | 74 | 10 | 13 | 40 |
This Land
| 6 | 23 | 139 | 36 | 50 | — | 97 |
JPEG Raw
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Title | Peak positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [70] | AUS [72] | BEL [78] | FRA [73] | NLD [75] | UK [79] | |
Gary Clark Jr. Live
| 26 | 55 | 95 | 159 | 94 | 159 |
Live North America 2016
| 80 | 32 | 71 | — | — | — |
| Title and details | Notes |
|---|---|
Gary Clark Jr. EP
|
|
The Bright Lights EP
|
|
The Bright Lights EP Australian Tour Edition
|
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AAA [81] | US Alt. [82] | US Main. Rock [83] | US Rock [84] | FRA [85] | |||
| "Bright Lights" | 2012 | 29 | — | — | — | — | Blak and Blu |
| "Ain't Messin' Around" | 10 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Healing" | 2015 | 18 | — | — | — | — | The Story of Sonny Boy Slim |
| "Come Together" | 2017 | — | 39 | 15 | 7 | 66 | Justice League (soundtrack) |
| "This Land" | 2019 | 34 | — | — | 42 | — | This Land |
| "What About Us" | — | — | 25 | — | — | ||
| "Wild"[86] (withJohn Legend) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | Bigger Love |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
