Gary Lee Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American musician who combines blues, rock, and soul music with influences from hip hop. In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros. Records and released an EP called The Bright Lights. This was followed by the albums Blak and Blu (2012) and The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (2015). Throughout his career, Clark has been known for his energetic live performances, which were recorded in live concerts titled Gary Clark Jr. Live (2014) and Gary Clark Jr. Live/North America (2017).

In 2014, Clark received a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for the song "Please Come Home." In 2020, he won two Grammy Awards: Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for the song "This Land" from that album. His most recent album, JPEG Raw, was released in 2024.

Career

Clark was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He received his first guitar, an Ibanez RX20, as a Christmas gift when he was 13 years old. He learned to play guitar by using how-to-play-guitar books from the Covington Middle School library and by listening to music by Green Day, Nirvana, Jimmy Reed, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. During his teenage years, Clark performed at small shows until he met Clifford Antone, the owner of the Austin music club Antone's. Antone's was a starting point where Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan helped change the way blues music was played. After meeting Clifford, Clark began performing with other musicians, including Jimmie Vaughan. Vaughan and other musicians in Austin supported Clark's musical growth.

In 2010, Clark sang on a bonus track cover of the Jackson 5's song "I Want You Back" for Sheryl Crow's album 100 Miles from Memphis.

Rolling Stone magazine named Clark "Best Young Gun" in its April 2011 "Best of Rock" issue.

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

On August 28, 2012, Keys shared on Twitter that Clark's new album, Blak and Blu, would be released on October 22, 2012. Released by Warner Bros. Records, Blak and Blu reached number six on the Billboard 200 album chart and number one on the Blues Albums chart.

In 2014, Clark released his first live album, Gary Clark Jr. Live. This double album was recorded during an 18-month tour from 2013 to 2014 and received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Clark worked with the Foo Fighters on the track "What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" from their 2014 album Sonic Highways, which was recorded at KLRU-TV Studio 6A in Austin.

Clark released his album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim on September 11, 2015.

In 2016, Clark appeared on Tech N9ne's album The Storm, providing the chorus for the song "No Gun Control." He also performed the guitar solo on the track "The Night Me and Your Mama Met" from Childish Gambino's album Awaken, My Love!.

In 2017, Clark released his second live album, Live North America 2016. He also collaborated with ZZ Ward on the song "Ride" from the soundtrack of the 2017 Pixar film Cars 3.

Clark's cover of the Beatles' 1969 song "Come Together" was released in early 2017. It became his first charting single, reaching number 15 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. This version was featured in the 2017 superhero film Justice League, directed by Zack Snyder.

In 2018, Clark appeared on two songs from Bun B's album Return of the Trill: "Blood on the Dash" and "Gone Away," which also featured Leon Bridges. He also contributed vocals and guitar to the song "Where It's at Ain't What It Is" on Tom Morello's album The Atlas Underground.

On January 10, 2019, Clark announced the release of his album This Land on March 1, 2019, through Warner Bros. Records. On the same day, he released the title song from the album, which was accompanied by a music video directed by Savanah Leaf. This Land was named a "Favorite Blues Album" by AllMusic.

Live appearances

Clark performed at the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival as part of the promotion for John Sayles’ 2007 film Honeydripper. He also performed at the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival. During this event, Clark joined Doyle Bramhall II and Sheryl Crow on stage for their performance with Eric Clapton and introduced several original songs.

In June 2011, Clark played at the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, at the Miller Lite On Tap Lounge. On June 10, 2012, Clark performed again at Bonnaroo, and his performance was broadcast online via the Bonnaroo MusicFest Channel on YouTube.

In February 2012, Clark performed alongside blues musicians at the Red, White and Blues event at the White House. This event, which was aired on PBS, included B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, and Buddy Guy, among others. Clark played “Catfish Blues” and “In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)” and contributed to performances of “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Beat Up Old Guitar,” “Five Long Years,” and “Sweet Home Chicago.”

In June 2012, Clark performed with the Dave Matthews Band, playing “Can’t Stop” and “All Along the Watchtower” at dates in Virginia Beach and Indianapolis. 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 performed at the Rolling Stones’ first U.S. gig of their 50th anniversary tour at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, playing the Don Nix song “Going Down” with the band. On December 15, 2012, he joined the Rolling Stones again onstage to perform the same song, along with John Mayer, during the last date of the Stones’ mini-tour at the Prudential Center.

On May 13, 2013, Clark opened for Eric Clapton & His Band at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England. On June 12, 2013, Clark performed with the Rolling Stones at Boston’s TD Garden, joining the band to play the Freddie King tune “Going Down.” On June 30, 2013, he appeared on the Avalon stage at the Glastonbury Festival. His performance was described as “the most electric performance of the festival, knocking the legendary appearance of the Rolling Stones (the previous night) well into second place.” On October 25, 2013, he appeared on the long-running British music show Later… with Jools Holland.

On February 9, 2014, Clark performed the Beatles song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” alongside Dave Grohl and Joe Walsh for The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles. On February 16, 2014, Clark performed in the NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show with Trombone Shorty, Earth Wind and Fire, Doctor John, and Janelle Monáe. On May 29, 2014, Clark performed at Rock in Rio in Lisbon. He also performed guitar as a guest on an episode of the PBS cable television show Austin City Limits with the Foo Fighters, which aired on February 7, 2015. He and the Foo Fighters were accompanied by Jimmie Vaughan.

On May 24, 2015, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones at Petco Park in San Diego. On July 4, 2015, he performed 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 and Stay Human as a musical guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. On June 26, 2016, he performed during West Holts Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. On July 8, 2016, he performed on the Preferred One Stage at the Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis.

On January 10, 2019, Clark appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, performing “This Land” and “Feed the Babies.” The latter song was performed with Jon Batiste and Stay Human as a bonus track.

On February 16, 2019, Clark performed “Pearl Cadillac” and “This Land” on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

On February 28, 2019, Clark performed “This Land” on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

On July 7, 2019, Clark opened for the Rolling Stones’ concert at Gillette Stadium during their 2019 No Filter Tour. He 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 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during Jon Stewart’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ceremony on April 24, 2022.

Clark is scheduled to begin a 17-date U.S. tour in Reno, Nev., on Feb. 19, 2025, which will end in Highland, Calif., on April 25, 2025. He is also set to perform three shows in Australia on Feb. 14–17, 2025.

Film and television appearances

• Clark appeared in John Sayles' 2007 film Honeydripper.
• In 2010, Clark and his band performed on screen in an episode of the television series Friday Night Lights.
• Clark performed with his band, playing the songs "Travis County" and "When My Train Pulls In," in the 2014 Jon Favreau film Chef.
• Clark was part of Miles Davis' band in the 2015 Don Cheadle film Miles Ahead.
• Clark appeared as a street performer in the May 3, 2016 episode of NCIS: New Orleans (S2 E22). He performed in two scenes and was interviewed in one scene.
• Clark performed live in a club, playing the songs "If Trouble Was Money" and "Bright Lights," during the episode "Straighten It Out" of the Netflix series Luke Cage.
• Clark played the role of Arthur Crudup in the 2022 Baz Luhrmann film Elvis.
• Clark played the role of T-Bone in the 2023 film Sweetwater.

Awards and recognitions

On May 3, 2001, Kirk Watson, the Mayor of Austin, declared the day Gary Clark Jr. Day. At that time, Clark was seventeen years old. He received the Austin Music Award for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist three times.

In November 2011, Spin Magazine named Clark its breakout artist. Rolling Stone magazine listed Clark’s Bright Lights EP, which includes a song titled after Jimmy Reed’s classic track, as number 40 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2011.

Clark performed at many music festivals, including Coachella, JazzFest, Memphis Beale St., Hangout, High Sierra, Sasquatch, Mountain Jam, Wakarusa, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Hard Rock Calling, Newport Folk Festival, Orion Music Festival, Osheaga, Lollapalooza, and ACL Music Festival. For performing at more major North American festivals in 2012 than any other musician, Spin Magazine awarded him the Golden Corndog award.

In 2012–2013, Clark won all eight awards at the 31st annual Austin Music Awards. These included 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, and Male Vocalist of the Year.

In 2014 and 2015, Clark won Blues Music Awards in the "Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year" category. As of 2020, Clark had been nominated for six Grammy Awards and had won four of them.

Instruments

Gary Clark Jr. often uses several types of electric and acoustic guitars. His electric guitar choices include the Epiphone Casino, both P-90 and Humbucker models of the Gibson SG, as well as the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster. For acoustic guitars, he uses the Epiphone Masterbilt and Gibson Hummingbird. He also has a special version of the Epiphone Casino called the Blak & Blu, which includes Gibson USA-made P-90 pickups.

Gary Clark Jr. uses D'Addario Strings EXL 115 with a gauge of .011-.049.

For amplification, he uses a Fender Vibro-King amplifier bought from King Zapata, who currently tours with him and plays rhythm guitar. This amplifier is paired with a Fender Princeton. He frequently uses fuzz pedals, with the Fulltone Octafuzz being his most common choice. He also regularly uses a wah pedal.

Personal life

In 2016, Clark married Australian model Nicole Trunfio. Together, they have three children. Later that year, Clark and Trunfio bought a 50-acre horse ranch in Kyle, Texas. A neighbor asked Clark unfair questions about owning the ranch, which inspired the song "This Land."

Clark performed at Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive Black Ball benefit event to help raise money for children living with AIDS in Africa. During the event, Clark and Alicia Keys performed the Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to honor George Harrison.

Discography

• 2012 – Gary Clark Jr. Presents Hotwire Unlimited Raw Cuts Vol. 1 – Hotwire Unlimited and Warner Bros. – released on April 30, 2012 [U.K. vinyl record at 45 revolutions per minute]

• 2013 – Gary Clark Jr. Presents Hotwire Unlimited Raw Cuts Vol. 2 – Warner Bros. – released on April 21, 2013 [U.K. vinyl record – Side A at 33 revolutions per minute, Side B at 45 revolutions per minute]

• Booker T. Jones – "Austin City Blues" from the album Sound the Alarm (2013)
• The-Dream – "Too Early" from the album IV Play (2013)
• Talib Kweli – "Demonology" (featuring Big K.R.I.T.) from the album Gravitas (2013)
• Foo Fighters – "What Did I Do? / God As My Witness" from the album Sonic Highways (2014)
• Tech N9ne – "No Gun Control" (featuring Krizz Kaliko) from the album The Storm (2016)
• Childish Gambino – "The Night Me And Your Mama Met" from the album Awaken, My Love! (2016)
• ZZ Ward – "Ride" from the Cars 3 soundtrack (2017)
• Trae Tha Truth – "I'm on 3.0" (featuring T.I., Dave East, Tee Grizzley, Royce Da 5'9, Curren$y, DRAM, Snoop Dogg, Fabolous, Rick Ross, Chamillionaire, G-Eazy, Styles P, E-40, and Mark Morrison) from the album The Truth, Pt. 3 (2017)
• Tom Morello – "What It's At Ain't What It Is" (featuring Nico Stadi) from the album The Atlas Underground (2018)
• Sir Sly – "Citizen" (2020)
• Slash – "Crossroads" from the album Orgy of the Damned (2024)

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