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About JC Clark
View the Picture Gallery! FEEL THE EXCITEMENT! HEAR THE SENSATIONAL SOUNDS! WITNESS THE SUPERB ARTISTRY! BE TOUCHED BY THE INCREDIBLE ANNOINTING! These declarations only begin to describe the extraordinary talent of James Clark, best known and loved as “JC”. He was born in Mission, Texas to Claude and Velma Clark. Sadly, his father was killed in an industrial accident when he was only eight years of age. As a toddler, JC showed an increasing interest in music. When his sister Naomi began taking piano lessons, he would wait for her to complete her practice and then go to the piano and repeat what he had heard. As he grew older, he would listen to the radio and play along with the music. At the age of 10 he became the church pianist! JC began doing recording lessons and playing “live” radio in Houston, Texas at the age of 12. At age 13, he amazed the world with his extraordinary talent by playing his first hit record “Chantilly Lace” with the Big Bopper. He began his professional career in Gospel music playing for the Klaudt Indian Family and the Kingsmen, a local Houston group, later renamed the Inspirationals Quartet, with Jory Walden, Bob Wills, John Hall and Roger Mc Duff. He was picked up on Friday after school and returned on Monday morning in time for school. He also played for the Harmoneers Quartet in Atlanta, Georgia with Happy Edwards, Bob Crews, Seals “low note” Hilton and Byron Burgess. He also felt priviledged to be part of the Weatherford Quartet with Lily Fern and Earl Weatherford, Buddy Campbell, Norman Huxman, Glen Couch, Bob Thacker and Fulton Nash. While part of the Weatherfords he arranged and produced five albums in which he played and sung. After the Weatherfords moved back to California JC joined the staff of Calvary Baptist in Bellflower,California. He also started doing recording sessions in Hollywood, California which turned into full time work, leaving no time for travel. He was one of the only artists that held two union cards for the musician’s unions of Hollywood and Nashville. Session work included playing soundtracks for the Bonanza TV show, and movie sound tracks for Elvis Presley and playing live on Hollywood Palace with the biggest stars of the era including Bob Hope! There was much debate showing his face on TV because they would have to pay him as an actor as well as a musician. An agreement was reached that they would show only his hands on camera. That made him the only musician in makeup……his hands of course. Recordings were also done with Charlie Pride, Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Inman, Buck Owens and multiple movie stars needing recordings in their portfolios. JC said one of his greatest blessings was the privilege of recording and producing Gospel albums for numerous singing groups. In the 70’s JC played and produced recording sessions at Benson Sound in Oklahoma. At that time, Benson Sound was the largest and busiest Gospel recording studio in the world. After a long absence from playing his favorite music he returned to Gospel Quartet music, spending much of the 90’s with the Blackwood Brothers. Early influences in his life, outside his family are his beloved piano teacher, Melda Bigham; Dr. H. Frank Collins and Joe Thomas…..also the Saturday Night Gospel Sing in Pasadena, Texas, The Jubilaires Quartet with Hal Tomlinson; The Bunch Twins; Joe Ball; the great piano player, David Ingles; Newman Miller and Ray Ludwig, the greatest Hammond B3 organ player who later spent 10 years with Jimmy Swaggart. JC spent his final years traveling and giving concerts. When not on the road, he taught piano, orchestration and arranging in Houston and ran his own state of the art recording studio where he recorded all of his own music as well as other artists. JC's one prayer and wish was to be used of God both in his testimony and the talent and anointing God has blessed him with. He passed away on April 16th, 2014. View the Picture Gallery!   |
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