Gary Lee Clark Jr.[1] (born February 15, 1984) is an American guitarist and singer who fuses blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop.[2] In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released The Bright Lights EP.[3] 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, documented by Gary Clark Jr. Live (2014) and Gary Clark Jr Live/North America (2017).[4]
In 2014, Clark was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song "Please Come Home".[5] In 2020, he won the Grammy 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.
Career
Early career
Gary Clark Jr. began playing guitar at the age of 12. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Clark played small gigs throughout his teens until he met promoter Clifford Antone, proprietor of the Austin music club Antone's. Antone's was the launch pad where Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan redefined blues at the time.[7] 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]
On August 28, 2012, Keys revealed via Twitter that Clark's new album and major label debut called Blak and Blu would be released on October 22, 2012.[12] Released by Warner Records, Blak and Blu peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 album chart, and number one on the Blues Albums chart.[citation needed]
In 2014, Clark's first live album, Gary Clark Jr. Live, was released. A double album recorded over the course of an 18-month-tour between 2013 and 2014, Gary Clark Jr. Live received generally positive reviews from critics.[13][14][15]
Clark had a guest appearance on Tech N9ne's 2016 album The Storm, providing the chorus for the song "No Gun Control". Clark appeared on Childish 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.[19]
Clark's cover version of the Beatles' 1969 song "Come Together", was released in early 2017. It became his first charting single, appearing on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, where it peaked at number 15. Clark's version of "Come Together" was featured in the 2017 Zack Snyder-directed superhero film Justice League.[21]
On January 10, 2019, Clark announced the March 1, 2019, release of his album This Land via Warner Bros.[22] On the same day he released the title song from the album supported by a Savanah Leaf directed music video for the song.[23]This Land was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.[24]
In June 2011, Clark played at the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee,[30] 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.[31]
In June 2012, Clark guested with the Dave 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 the Bridge School Benefit Concert, Bridge XXVI. On December 8, 2012, Clark appeared at the Rolling Stones' first US-gig of their 50th anniversary tour at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, to perform the Don Nix song "Going Down" with the band.[35] 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.[36]
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. Clark joined the Stones in playing the Freddie King 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 Rolling Stones (the previous night) well into second place' and on October 25, 2013, he appeared on long-running British music show Later... with Jools Holland.[37]
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][42]
Clark was featured in the May 3, 2016 Episode of NCIS: New Orleans (S2 E22) as a Street Performer. Appears in two scenes performing and one scene being interviewed.
Clark appears playing the songs "If Trouble Was Money" and "Bright Lights" live in a club during the episode "Straighten It Out" of the Netflix series Luke Cage.[47]
Kirk Watson, the Mayor of Austin, proclaimed May 3, 2001, to be Gary Clark Jr. Day. Clark was seventeen years old at the time.[48][49][50] Clark won the Austin Music Award for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist, on three different occasions.[25]
Clark was Spin's breakout artist for the month of November 2011.[51]
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Clark's Bright Lights EP (named for the title track, an homage to Jimmy Reed and his song of the same name), number 40 on its list of its top 50 albums of 2011.[52]
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.[54][55]
As of 2020, Clark has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, and has won four of them.
Clark uses .011-.049 D'Addario Strings EXL 115.[61]
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.[62]
Personal life
Clark married Australian model Nicole Trunfio in 2016.[63] They have three children.[64] In late 2016, Clark and Trunfio purchased a 50-acre horse ranch in Kyle, Texas.[65] A series of racist questions from a neighbor about Clark's ownership of the ranch served as inspiration for the song "This Land."[66]
