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1 : Biography : Page 2 |
| BIOGRAPHY
BASICS |
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AWARDS |
| Birthdate: |
Tuesday,
January 14, 1936 |
1981 |
Come
Back Artist of the Year |
| Birthplace:
|
Montgomery,
Alabama |
Sept.
2002 |
Georgia
Music Hall of Fame |
| Education: |
Westside
High School, Alabama school for the blind
in Talladega Alabama,Alabama State College
in Montgomery, B.S. degree in music |
Oct.
- 2002 |
alabama
Music Hall of Fame |
| First
Guitar: |
Christmas
Present1947 |
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| First
Record Deal: |
Duke
Records
" the CL. Boys" |
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| First
Royalty Check: |
25
Cents |
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I
was born in Montgomery, Alabama on January 14, 1936.
On a cold cloudy Tuesday morning. My first recollection
of
life occurred when my grandmother took me to visit
a neighbor and I played with the neighbor's granddaughter.
I
started school when I was six years old at the Alabama
school for the blind in Talladega Alabama. My high
school Education was
divided between the blind school and Westside High
School which was also in Talladega.
Getting
into college was not an easy task because it was
hard trying to convince the officials in Alabama
to pay for a "black" to go to college;
likewise it was more difficult persuading College
Presidents that blind students could perform in
college. However, through steadfast perseverance,
several of us were able to attend Alabama State
College in Montgomery, where in 1960; I graduated
in August with a B.S. degree in music.
My music career began with a school pal of mine,
Calvin Scott, and we signed a contract with "Duke
Records" from which we had two releases that
you probably never heard. We were known by several
names, Clarence and Calvin and sometimes were called
the CL. Boys. The songs that we recorded were, "You
Stole My Heart" and "Money and women".
I think one of the funniest thoughts about the experience
with Duke Records happened the day when we received
our first royalty check that amounted to twenty-five
cents. |
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It
is said that all things happen for the better,
however when it happens, you cannot understand
why. I am referring to the time when I was eleven
years old and my mother told me that Santa would
not be coming to me anymore. Though this news
was disappointing to me at first, I quickly recovered
when she told me that she bought me a guitar for
Christmas.
I
had a hard time learning how to play the guitar
for I had no one to teach me how to play but,
I was determined to play and I did so by listening
to other people play and copy what I heard.
My association with Calvin was short lived because
in 1966, we had an automobile accident that caused
us to choose different careers. I then signed
a contract with Rick Hall, who owned Fame Records,
which was located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This
was probably one of the wisest moves I have ever
made. I learned how to write songs, how to sing
professionally and how songs were produced into
hit records.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, the name of my first
record on Fame Records; it was "Tell Daddy
All About It". My association with Fame Records
lasted from 1966 until 1973. During this time,
we had records like: "Slip Away" in
1968, "Too Weak To Fight" in 1969 and
"Patches" in 1970. All three of these
records were in the top ten positions on the charts.
Atlantic Records proved to be a good idea that
Rick Hall had for my career, for it was that company
that gave stability in the music business for
me.
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