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Gary Clark, Jr.

Gary Clark, Jr.

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
birthday
15th
February, 1984
Birth Place
Austin, Texas
Birth Sign
aquarius
Biography

Gary Lee Clark Jr. is a singer, guitarist, actor, and songwriter from Austin, Travis County, Texas. Born on February 15, 1984, the 37-year-old musician is considered one of the premier blues and rock guitarists of the modern age, and he’s known for blending elements of R&B, soul, and other genres into his songs. 

Clark is proficient in numerous instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, keyboards, and harmonica. Clark has performed with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Buddy Guy, and he’s the recipient of numerous awards for his three studio albums. 

He’s also performed on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Austin City Limits, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Today Show, at the White House, and numerous other notable locations. He’s also played at legendary festivals like the Crossroads Guitar Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. 

Get to know Gary Clark Jr. and his music by reading below.

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instruments played
bass
drums
Guitar
Harmonica
keyboards
trumpet
Vocals
Birth Name

Gary Lee Clark Jr.

Genres

Blues rock soul R&B

Labels

Hotwire Unlimited Warner Bros.

Website

garyclarkjr.com

Years Active

1996 present

Name

Gary Clark, Jr.

Nationality

United States of America

Wiki Link

Clark's Origins 

Gary Clark Jr. got his first guitar at just 12 years old. Growing up in Austin, young Gary honed his skills playing around town, but he had his big break when he met club owner and promoter Clifford Antone. With help from Antone, Gary was able to link up with musician Jimmie Vaughan, who helped Gary start his career.

Early Musical Efforts

Clark started getting active in the music industry in the 2000s. One of his earliest appearances on a song was on Sheryl Crow's cover of The Jackson 5 classic "I Want You Back," which was featured on Crow's album 100 Miles from Memphis. Clark went on to collaborate with the likes of Alicia Keys, Foo Fighters, Childish Gambino, Tech N9ne, and ZZ Ward throughout the 2010s. 

Blak and Blu 

While the American guitarist had previously released two albums – Worry No More in 2001 and 110 in 2004 – Clark's first major-label release was Blak and Blu, an album produced by Clark, Mike Elizondo, Rob Cavallo, and Tim Kelley. The album's sound has been described as a mix of blues-rock, Neo-soul, R&B, and hard rock, and it was supported by the singles "Ain't Messin 'Round" and "Numb." His Warner Records debut album Blak and Blu made it to number 6 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The record earned a Blues Music Award nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album.  The album's release was followed by a companion mixtape on April 30, 2014. That project features cameos from Talib Kweli (on "Bright Lights"), Big K.R.I.T. (on "When My Train Pulls In"), and several others, including Bilal and Robert Glasper. He would win an award at that year’s Grammy Award ceremony for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Please Come Home,” which skyrocketed his career to even greater heights.  

The Story of Sonny Slim 

Gary's second studio album, The Story of Sonny Slim, was released on September 11, 2015. The record debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart and also earned slots on several other charts.

This Land

Gary followed up The Story of Sonny Slim with his third full-length studio album, This Land. That record won Gary a Grammy Award, earning the award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The record's title track also won two more Grammys – Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. This Land earned critical acclaim from numerous outlets, including Pitchfork, Paste, Exclaim, and more. The release of the record was accompanied by performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and Good Morning America.

Gary as a Featured Artist 

In addition to releasing three successful albums on his own, Gary is also a sought-after collaborator for artists in several genres. Some of his most notable collaborations include:
  • “Austin City Blues” by Booker T. Jones
  • “Too Early” by The Dream
  • “The Night Me And Your Mama Met” by Childish Gambino
  • “Ride” by ZZ Ward
  • “Citizen” by Sir Sly
  • “What It’s At Ain’t What It Is” by Tom Morello featuring Nico Stadi

Clark’s Personal Life 

Gary is married to Nicole Trunfio. Trunfio, a model, and Clark got married in 2016, and they’re parents to three children. The couple owns a ranch in Texas that they bought shortly after getting married, and they’ve lived there since. The song “This Land” has lyrics that were inspired by one of Clark’s neighbors. In an interview with NPR, Gary shared that a neighbor, after seeing the size of Gary’s home, said, “There’s no way you can live there.” The neighbor was asserting that Gary, a black man, couldn’t possibly have the means to own so much land. The racist statements inspired Gary to write the song, which features the lyrics, “I saw you looking out your window, can’t wait to call the police on me.”  In the same NPR interview, Clark explained that he’s drawn inspiration from a wide array of genres and artists. He cited funk and soul legends like Sly and the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder as some of his biggest influences but also acknowledged that he grew up around a melting pot of genres. “Going up and down 6th Street,” Clark told NPR, “You can hear jazz, reggae, blues, Americana, country, hip-hop, EDM, everything was there.”

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