CLARK
Gary

• 1. Career

Gary Lee Clark Jr. is an American musician from Austin, Texas. He is known for his fusion of blues, rock and soul music 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 and the Rolling Stones. 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 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 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. 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's "I Want You Back" on Sheryl Crow's album 100 Miles from Memphis.

Rolling Stone declared Clark "Best Young Gun" in its April 2011, "Best of Rock" issue.

In 2012 Clark recorded with Alicia Keys on two different songs in New York City. He co-wrote the song Fire We Make with Alicia Keys, Pop Wansel and Oak Felder for the album Girl on Fire.

On August 28, 2012, Alicia Keys revealed via Twitter 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 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'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!" Clark performs the guitar solo on the track, "The Night Me and Your Mama Met".

Clark collaborated with ZZ Ward on "Ride" from the soundtrack to the 2017 Pixar film Cars 3.

Clark's cover version of the Beatles' 1969 No. 1 hit "Come Together", released in early 2017, has become his first charting single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at #15.

In 2018, Clark featured on two songs on Bun B's album Return of the Trill, "Blood on the Dash" and "Gone Away" also featuring Leon Bridges.

Clark was featured on Tom Morello's album The Atlas Underground, 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.