Gary Lee Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American musician from

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. He is known for his fusion of blues,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...

with elements of hip hop. In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released ''The Bright Lights'' EP. It was followed by the albums '' Blak and Blu'' (2012) and '' The Story of Sonny Boy Slim'' (2015). Throughout his career, Clark has been a prolific live performer, which has been documented in two releases: ''Gary Clark Jr. Live'' (2014) and ''Gary Clark Jr Live/North America'' (2017). He has shared the stage with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

. In 2014, Clark was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song "Please Come Home". His latest album, '' This Land'', was released in 2019. In 2020, he won the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance" for the song " This Land" from his album of the same name.

Career

Gary Clark Jr. began playing guitar at the age of 12. Born and raised in

, Clark played small gigs throughout his teens until he met promoter

Clifford Antone Clifford Antone (October 27, 1949 – May 22, 2006) was the founder of the eponymous Austin blues club Antone's and independent record label Antone's Records and Tapes, as well as a mentor to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson, ...

, proprietor of the Austin music club Antone's. Antone's was the launch pad where

Jimmie Jimmie is a variation of the given name James. Jimmie may refer to: * Jimmie Adams (1888–1933), American silent film comedian * Jimmie Åkesson (born 1979), Swedish politician * Jimmie Allen (born 1986), American country music singer * Jimmie A ...

and Stevie Ray Vaughan redefined blues at the time. Soon after meeting Clifford, Clark began to perform with other musical icons, including Jimmie Vaughan. Vaughan and others in the Austin music community helped Clark along his musical path. Clark sang on the 2010 bonus track cover of the

Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

's "

I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...

" on Sheryl Crow's album ''

100 Miles from Memphis ''100 Miles from Memphis'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow. It is her final release for A&M Records. The album was written and produced by Crow, Doyle Bramhall II and Justin Stanley and features the musicians T ...

''. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' declared Clark "Best Young Gun" in its April 2011, "Best of Rock" issue. In 2012 Clark recorded with

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

on two different songs in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. He co-wrote the song Fire We Make with Alicia Keys,

Pop Wansel Andrew "Pop" Wansel (born April 27, 1988) is an American record producer, musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the son of Philadelphia soul musician Dexter Wansel, Pop grew up in the music industry and began writing and pr ...

and

Oak Felder Warren "Oak" Felder (born November 9, 1980)Dale KawashimaSongwriter Universe, September 7, 2017. is a Turkish-born American songwriter and record producer based in Atlanta and Los Angeles. He is known for his work as part of the production duo Po ...

for the album Girl on Fire. On August 28, 2012, Alicia Keys revealed via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that Clark's new album and major-label debut called '' Blak and Blu'' would be released on October 22, 2012. Clark worked with the Foo Fighters on the track " What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" on their 2014 album ''

Sonic Highways ''Sonic Highways'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on November 10, 2014, through Roswell and RCA Records. Similar to their previous album, ''Wasting Light'' (2011), it was produced by the band with Butch ...

'' recorded at KLRU-TV Studio 6A in Austin. Gary Clark released his new album ''The Story of Sonny Boy Slim'' on September 11, 2015. Clark also had a guest appearance on

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two ...

's album The Storm. The album was released on December 9, 2016. Clark provided the chorus for the song "No Gun Control". On Childish Gambino's album

"Awaken, My Love!" ''"Awaken, My Love!"'' is the third studio album by American recording artist Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was released by Glassnote Records on December 2, 2016. Consisting of tracks being sung rather than rapped, its ...

Clark performs the guitar solo on the track, "The Night Me and Your Mama Met". Clark collaborated with

ZZ Ward Zsuzsanna Eva Ward (born June 2, 1986) known professionally as ZZ Ward, is an American singer-songwriter. Ward released her debut EP, ''Criminal'', on May 8, 2012. Her debut album, '' Til the Casket Drops'', was released on October 16, 2012. "P ...

on "

Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...

" from the soundtrack to the 2017

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

film ''

Cars 3 ''Cars 3'' is a 2017 American computer-animated sports comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The sequel to ''Cars 2'' (2011) and the third installment of the ''Cars'' film series, the ...

''. Clark's cover version of the Beatles' 1969 No. 1 hit "

Come Together "Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with " Somethi ...

", released in early 2017, has become his first charting single on ''Billboard''s

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...

chart, peaking at #15. In 2018, Clark featured on two songs on Bun B's album ''

Return of the Trill ''Return of the Trill'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Bun B. The album was released on August 31, 2018 by 2 Trill Enterprises, Double Dose Entertainment and EMPIRE Distribution. The album features guest appearances from Big K.R.I. ...

'', "Blood on the Dash" and "Gone Away" also featuring

Leon Bridges Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges (born July 13, 1989) is an American soul singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2015 song " Coming Home", which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify. Brid ...

. Clark was featured on

Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...

's album

The Atlas Underground ''The Atlas Underground'' is the fourth studio album by American rock musician Tom Morello and the first one released uniquely under his own name. The album was released on October 12, 2018, by Mom + Pop Music. The album features guest appearanc ...

, providing vocals and guitar on the song "Where It's At Ain't What It Is." On January 10, 2019, Clark announced the March 1, 2019, release of his new ''This Land'' album via Warner Bros. On the same day he also released the title song from the album supported by a Savanah Leaf directed music video for the song. ''This Land'' was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

Live appearances

Clark performed at the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival as part of the promotion for

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and '' ...

' 2007 film '' Honeydripper''. Clark performed at the 2010

Crossroads Guitar Festival The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a series of music festivals and benefit concerts founded by Eric Clapton. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center in Antigua. The concerts showcase a variet ...

alongside

, Eric Clapton,

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

, Steve Winwood, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Beck, and

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...

. He joined

Doyle Bramhall II Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968) is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall. Early life Bramhall was born i ...

and Sheryl Crow on stage for their performance with Eric Clapton, and also debuted several original songs. In June 2011, Clark played at the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in

Manchester, Tennessee Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,213 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County. The city is located halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga on Interstate 24. Manchester i ...

, at the Miller Lite On Tap Lounge. On June 10, 2012, Clark again played at Bonnaroo, and his performance was streamed live online via the Bonnaroo MusicFest Channel on YouTube. In February 2012, Clark performed alongside blues legends at the ''Red, White and Blues'' event at the White House. The event, aired on PBS, also included

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

, Jeff Beck and

, 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". In June 2012, Clark guested with the

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

playing "Can't Stop" and "

All Along the Watchtower "All Along the Watchtower" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his eighth studio album, '' John Wesley Harding'' (1967). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. The song's lyrics, which in its original ve ...

" at dates in Virginia Beach and Indianapolis and on October 21 and 22, 2012, Clark appeared as the opening act at the Bridge School Benefit Concert, Bridge XXVI. On December 8, 2012, Clark appeared at

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

' first US-gig of their 50th anniversary tour at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, to perform the

Don Nix Don Nix (born September 27, 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, United States) is an American songwriter, composer, arranger, musician, and author. Although cited as being "one of the more obscure figures in Southern soul and rock", he is a key figure in ...

song "Going Down" with the band. On December 15, 2012, he joined them onstage again to play the same song, along with John Mayer, during the last date of the Stones' mini-tour at the

Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the men's basketball program of Seton Hal ...

. 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's

TD Garden TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...

. Clark joined the Stones in playing the

Freddie King Freddie King (September 3, 1934December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and B.B. King, none of whom were blood related). Most ...

tune "Going Down". On June 30, 2013, he appeared on the Avalon stage at the Glastonbury Festival. His performance was declared 'the most electric performance of the festival, knocking the legendary appearance of

(the previous night) well into second place' and on October 25, 2013, he appeared on long-running British music show '' Later... with Jools Holland''. On February 9, 2014, Clark performed

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

song "

While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...

", along with Dave Grohl and

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr ...

for The Beatles: the Night that Changed America. On February 16, 2014, Clark performed in the

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, ...

Halftime Show with Trombone Shorty, Earth Wind and Fire, Doctor John, and Janelle Monáe and on May 29, 2014, Gary Clark Jr performed solo at

Rock in Rio ''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas. Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...

in Lisbon. Clark performed guitar, as a guest, on an episode of the PBS cable television show ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...

'', with the Foo Fighters, that aired on February 7, 2015. He and the Foo Fighters were accompanied, on stage, by another guest guitarist, Jimmie Vaughan. On May 24, 2015,Clark opened for

at Petco Park in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

and on JUNE 2018, Clark plays firefly music festival July 4, 2015, played as part of the lineup for the Foo Fighters 20th Anniversary show at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. On June 8, 2016, he performed alongside

Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists in various genres of music (Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, L ...

and Stay Human as musical guest of

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...

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 the Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis. On January 10, 2019, Clark appeared on

for which he performed "This Land" and "Feed the Babies". The latter he performed along with

and Stay Human as a "bonus track". On February 16, 2019, Clark performed "Pearl Cadillac" and "This Land" on NBC's ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

''. On February 28, 2019, Clark performed "This Land" on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show with Trevor Noah''. On March 29, 2019, Clark invited a young fan, by the name of Jeff, onstage to perform a rendition of "Catfish Blues" at The Met in Philadelphia. The video of that performance went viral and Clark was praised in his act of generosity that many saw as bringing his career full circle by offering Jeff the same opportunities he had once been offered by his own idols. On July 7, 2019, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones' concert at Gillette Stadium during their 2019 No Filter Tour. Clark also provided guest vocals and guitar with the Stones during their performance of "Ride 'Em on Down." Clark led the band (and Bruce Springsteen) at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

during Jon Stewart's Mark Twain Prize ceremony on April 24, 2022.

Film and television appearances

* Clark starred alongside Danny Glover,

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

, and Charles Dutton in

' 2007 film '' Honeydripper''. * In 2010, Clark and his band played onscreen in an episode of the acclaimed television series '' Friday Night Lights''. * Clark appears with his band performing "Travis County" and "When My Train Pulls In" in the 2014 Jon Favreau film '' Chef''. * Clark was featured in the 2015

Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned nom ...

motion picture '' Miles Ahead'' as part of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

' band. * Clark appears playing the songs "If Trouble Was Money" and "Bright Lights" live in a club during a 2018 episode of

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

series ''

Marvel's Luke Cage ''Marvel's Luke Cage'' is an American television series created by Cheo Hodari Coker for the streaming service Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), acknowledging the continuit ...

''. * Clark portrays Arthur Crudup in the 2022

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962), known professionally as Baz Luhrmann, is an Australian film director, producer, writer and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music and recording industries, he is re ...

film ''

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

''.

In popular culture

* The song "Don't Owe You a Thang" is played in the Clint Eastwood movie ''

Trouble with the Curve ''Trouble with the Curve'' is a 2012 American sports drama film directed by Robert Lorenz and starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman. The film revolves around an aging baseball scout whose dau ...

'' and '' Longmire''. * "Bright Lights" can be heard in a 2011 Jack Daniel's commercial as well as in the 2012 video game ''

Max Payne 3 ''Max Payne 3'' is a 2012 third-person shooter video game developed and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on May 15, 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; a Microsoft Windows port was released on May 29, 2012, followed by an OS X ...

''. It has also been used in soundtrack of ''

Stand Up Guys ''Stand Up Guys'' is a 2012 American black comedy crime film directed by Fisher Stevens and starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin. The film was released in North America on February 1, 2013. "Stand up guy" is an American phrase ...

'', in the final shootout scene. The song was also featured in the opening montage sequence of season 6 premiere of BET's The Game as well as in the USA Network series '' Suits'' in the episode "High Noon" and in the Showtime series ''

House of Lies ''House of Lies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Matthew Carnahan. The show, which premiered on Showtime on January 8, 2012, is based on the book ''House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tel ...

'' in the episode "Gods of Dangerous Financial Instruments". * In 2012 Clark teamed up with Nas to create a remix of the song for ESPN's NFL draft coverage. * "Ain't Messin 'Round" was featured in the motion picture ''Identity Thief'' in 2013. * Clark's song "Take Me Down" is heard during the closing credits of the 2016

Peter Berg Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964) is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), the action comedy ''The Rundown'' (2003), the sports drama '' Friday Night Lig ...

film ''

Deepwater Horizon ''Deepwater Horizon'' was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig owned by Transocean and operated by BP. On 20 April 2010, while drilling at the Macondo Prospect, a blowout caused an explosion ...

''. * His version of "Come Together" plays during the closing credits of the 2017

Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with '' Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film of the same name. Since t ...

film ''

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

''. Clark appeared in two music videos of the song, the first is the original and the second is

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

edition featuring five YouTube stars

Todrick Hall Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a huge following on YouTu ...

J.Fla Kim Jung Hwa (born June 10, 1987), better known by her stage name J.Fla, is a South Korean singer, music artist, songwriter, and YouTuber. She signed with Sony Music Japan, and later Ostereo, Ostereo Records. Music career On August 22, 2011, ...

, Mario Bautista, Samantha Harvey and Clara Marz, with Clark playing guitar. * "The Healing" was featured on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

during their commercials for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

Awards and recognitions

Kirk Watson Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk'' ...

, the Mayor of Austin, proclaimed May 3, 2001, to be Gary Clark Jr. Day. Clark was seventeen years old at the time.About Musicians Off the Record , Communication Studies , Moody College of Communication , The University of Texas at Austin
. Motr.communication.utexas.edu. Retrieved on April 12, 2017. Clark won the Austin Music Award for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist, on three different occasions. Clark was Spin's breakout artist for the month of November 2011. ''

'' magazine ranked Clark's Bright Lights EP (named for the title track, an homage to

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

and his song of the same name), number 40 on its list of its top 50 albums of 2011. "Bright Lights" can be heard in the video game ''

'', the premiere episode of ''

'', as well as in the movie ''

Think Like a Man ''Think Like a Man'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story, written by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, and produced by Will Packer. It was based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The fil ...

'' near the end when the guys are in the bar before reconciling with their respective ladies, and "Don't Owe You a Thang" can be heard in '' Need for Speed: The Run''

Kirk Hammett Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica, he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, ...

from Metallica introduced Clark onstage before his performance at the

Orion Festival The Orion Music + More was a touring music festival created by American thrash metal/heavy metal music, heavy metal band Metallica. On February 7, 2012, the band announced plans to launch the festival, which took place at Bader Field in Atlantic Ci ...

in Atlantic City, NJ. While playing music festivals such as

Coachella Coachella may refer to: * Coachella, California * Coachella Canal, in California * Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California * "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey See also

* Coachell ...

JazzFest The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of vi ...

, Memphis Beale St., Hangout, High Sierra,

Sasquatch Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims of ...

, Mountain Jam, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest,

Hard Rock Calling Calling Festival (formerly Hyde Park Calling and Hard Rock Calling) was an annual music festival, formerly held in Hyde Park, London, from 2006 until 2012, and from 2013 in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. In September 2013, Hard Rock In ...

Newport Folk Festival Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...

, Orion Music Festival,

Osheaga The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival (french: Festival musique et arts Osheaga) is a multi-day indie music festival in Montreal, Quebec, that is held every summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène. The festival takes place on six stages ...

, Lollapalooza, and ACL Music Festival, Clark was awarded ''

SPIN Magazine ''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012. Histor ...

s Golden Corndog award for performing in more major North American Music Festivals in 2012 than any other musician on the planet. 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" (from ''Blak 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 a Blues Music Award in the 'Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year' category. As of 2020, Clark has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, and has won four of them.

Grammy Awards

, - , rowspan="2" align=center, 2014 , "Please Come Home" ,

Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

, , - , "Ain't Messin' 'Round" ,

Best Rock Song The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre. Honors in several ...

, , - , rowspan="4" align=center, 2020
, '' This Land'' ,

Best Contemporary Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album was awarded from 1988 to 2011 and from 2017 onwards. Until 1992 the award was known as Best Contemporary Blues Performance and in 1989 was awarded to a song rather than to an album. The award was ...

, , - , rowspan="3", " This Land" , Best Rock Performance , , - ,

, , - ,

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

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Instruments

Gary Clark Jr. mainly uses

Epiphone Casino The Epiphone Casino is a thinline hollow body electric guitar manufactured by Epiphone, a branch of Gibson. The guitar debuted in 1961 and has been associated with such guitarists as Howlin' Wolf, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, K ...

, both

P-90 The P-90 (sometimes written P90) is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. Gibson is still producing P-90s, and there are outside companies that manufacture replacement versions. Compared to other single coil desi ...

and

Humbucker A humbucking pickup, humbucker, or double coil, is a type of guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out the noisy interference picked up by coil pickups. In addition to electric guitar pickups, humbucking coils are sometimes used in ...

Gibson SG The Gibson SG is a solid-body electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1961 as the Gibson Les Paul SG. It remains in production today in many variations of the initial design. The SG (where "SG" refers to Solid-Body Guitar) Standard is Gi ...

, and both

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...

and

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

electric guitars, as well as

Epiphone Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that traces its roots to a musical instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After taking over his f ...

Masterbilt and Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitars. Clark has his own signature Blak & Blu

which features

Gibson Gibson may refer to: People * Gibson (surname) Businesses * Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment * Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based * Gi ...

USA made

pickups. Clark uses .011-.049 D'Addario Strings EXL 115. Clark uses a Fender Vibro-King amp purchased from Zapata (who currently tours with him and plays rhythm guitar) paired with a Fender Princeton. He is known for extensive use of fuzz pedals, with his most frequently used pedal being the Fulltone Octafuzz, and regular use of a

wah pedal A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of electric guitar effects pedal that alters the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The ped ...

Charity

Clark performed at

Keep a Child Alive Keep a Child Alive (KCA) is a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare, housing, and other support services to HIV/AIDS-affected communities in Africa and India. Co-founded by Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys, the organization aims to "realize ...

Black Ball benefit, in an effort to raise money for children with

AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS originated in Africa in the early 20th century and is a major public health concern and cause of death in many African countries. AIDS rates vary significantly between countries, though the majority of cases are concentrated in Southern ...

. The two performed the Beatles' "

" as a tribute to George Harrison.

Personal life

Clark married model

Nicole Trunfio Nicole Trunfio (born 16 March 1986) is an Australian model. Early life Trunfio was born on 16 March 1986 in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia to father, Giuseppe and mother, Kim. She is the youngest of three siblings. Her father was of Italian ...

in 2016. They have three children. In late 2016, Clark and Trunfio purchased a 50-acre horse ranch in

Kyle, Texas Kyle is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. Its population grew from 28,016 in 2010 to 45,697 in 2020, making Kyle one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Geography Kyle is located in eastern Hays County at (29.989080, –97.875947 ...

. A series of racist questions from a neighbor about Clark's ownership of the ranch served as inspiration for the song "This Land."

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

EPs

;Others * 2012 – ''Gary Clark Jr. Presents Hotwire Unlimited Raw Cuts Vol. 1'' – Hotwire Unlimited/Warner Bros. – released April 30, 2012 .K. vinyl 45rpm * 2013 – ''Gary Clark Jr. Presents Hotwire Unlimited Raw Cuts Vol. 2'' – Warner Bros. – released April 21, 2013 .K. vinyl Side A – 33 rpm, Side B – 45rpm

Singles

Guest appearances

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...

– "Austin City Blues" on '' Sound the Alarm (Booker T. Jones album)'' (2013) *

The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...

– "Too Early" on ''

IV Play ''IV Play'' is the fifth album by American recording artist The-Dream. The album was released on May 28, 2013, by Radio Killa Records and Def Jam Recordings. It features guest appearances from Jay-Z, Big Sean, Beyoncé, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Ke ...

'' (2013) *

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...

– "Demonology" (featuring

Big K.R.I.T. Justin Lewis Scott (born August 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T. (a backronym for King Remembered in Time), is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he started his musical career in 2005. Af ...

) on ''

Gravitas ''Gravitas'' () was one of the ancient Roman virtues that denoted "seriousness". It is also translated variously as weight, dignity, and importance and connotes restraint and moral rigor. It also conveys a sense of responsibility and commitment ...

'' (2013) * Foo Fighters – " What Did I Do? / God As My Witness" on ''

'' (2014) *

– "No Gun Control" (featuring

Krizz Kaliko Samuel William Christopher Watson IV (born March 7, 1974), better known by his stage name Krizz Kaliko, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and voice actor. He is a longtime collaborator with fellow hometown native Tech N9ne and was signe ...

) on '' The Storm'' (2016) * Childish Gambino – "The Night Me And Your Mama Met" on ''

'' (2016) *

– "

" on ''

'' soundtrack (2017) *

Trae Tha Truth Frazier Othel Thompson III (born July 3, 1980), better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth (or simply Trae), is an American rapper and record executive from Houston, Texas. Embarking on a musical career in 1998, he soon established himself ...

– "I'm on 3.0" (featuring T.I.,

Dave East David Lawrence Brewster Jr. (born June 3, 1988), better known by his stage name Dave East, is an American rapper. East began his career in 2010, and gained attention in 2014 from his eighth mixtape, ''Black Rose''. Its release garnered the attent ...

Tee Grizzley Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr. (born March 23, 1994), known professionally as Tee Grizzley, is an American rapper best known for his singles " First Day Out", "No Effort", "Colors", and "From the D to the A" (featuring Lil Yachty). After being relea ...

Royce Da 5'9 Markus Bennett is an American hip-hop recording artist. People Surname * Ed Royce (born 1951), American politician * Elwyn E. Royce (1868–1960), American politician * Henry Royce (1863–1933), cofounder of the Rolls-Royce automobile company * H ...

Curren$y Shante Scott Franklin (born April 4, 1981), better known by his stage name Currensy (often stylized as Curren$y), is an American rapper. In 2011, he founded the label Jet Life Recordings. Music career 2002–2008: No Limit and Young Money ...

, DRAM, Snoop Dogg,

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

, Rick Ross, Chamillionaire, G-Eazy,

Styles P David R. Styles (born November 28, 1974), better known by his stage name Styles P (also known mononymously as Styles), is an American rapper, best known as a member of hip hop group the Lox, alongside childhood friends Sheek Louch and Jadakiss ...

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, ...

Mark Morrison Mark Morrison (born 3 May 1972) is a British R&B singer. His single, " Return of the Mack", became a No. 1 or top 10 hit in several European countries in 1996. The song peaked at No. 2 in the United States the following year. Career Mark M ...

) on '' The Truth, Pt. 3'' (2017) *

– "What It's At Ain't What It Is" (featuring Nico Stadi) on ''

'' (2018) * Sir Sly – "Citizen" (2020)

Mixtapes

*2014 – '' Blak and Blu The Mixtape'' – presented by D-Nice – released April 30, 2014

References

External links

* * *
Crossroadsguitarfestival.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Gary Jr. 1984 births Living people American blues guitarists American male guitarists Male actors from Texas American male film actors American male television actors Space rock musicians Lead guitarists African-American guitarists African-American rock musicians American blues singers Blues rock musicians Electric blues musicians Texas blues musicians Singer-songwriters from Texas American blues singer-songwriters Contemporary blues musicians Soul-blues musicians American neo soul singers African-American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters American contemporary R&B singers American tenors Grammy Award winners Warner Records artists Film directors from Texas Guitarists from Texas 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century African-American male singers Musicians from Austin, Texas Austin High School (Austin, Texas) alumni