12 BUDDY APRIL 2019

B L U E S – R O C K

Coming from a musical fam-ily, Clark began playing pianoaround age 7. He took lessons inClassical music from a teacherhe describes as “strict”. But at thesame time he started listening topopular music. It was a timewhen pop music had quite a fewpiano playing stars like Jerry LeeLewis and Little Richard. Glensavored every chance to watchthem. “But on television,” he says,“there weren’t too many travel-ing shows coming through FortWorth.”

Although he continued toplay, he majored in English, notMusic, in college. Glen did makea few musician friends there thatended up on the West Coast.“Jazz musicians moved to NewYork. Los Angeles was more rockand freeform,” he says “With theInternet and technology, itdoesn’t really matter where youstart your career now.”

I MET WITH GLEN CLARK ON AN UNSEASON-Iably warm spring day. I passed longhornIcattle on my way to his place in the country. Hemet me at the gate with his attentive canine com-panion, Buddy. Seemed like a fitting introductionto a musician who has left the hustle and bustle ofCalifornia and come home to his roots in Texas.

CaliforniaCLARK LOOKS BACK ON THEold process “It culled out whocould really ‘do’ it. I was fortu-nate to be born in an era whenmusic was all live. But back then,that’s (Los Angeles) where thework was. You had to spendmoney to make a record. It wasn’tlike it is now where you can setup a decent home studio. Youcouldn’t just decide to make arecord. You had to finance it.Dallas had studios, but there weremore resources in L.A. When Imoved there you could livecheap, play a lot of places andplay your own music. Peoplewent out for music in L.A. InDallas, people didn’t want to hearoriginal music. L.A. was muchmore acceptable and open.” SoGlen Clark headed to California.

And work he did. He wassavvy enough to set up his own

publishing company in 1972. “Igot very good advice early on:never sell everything. Sell halfyour publishing. Keep control.Have everything revert back toyou after a certain period of time.I was able to move my entirecatalogue from ASCAP to BMIlater, which was a better deal forme. Because everything was in-tact, it was possible to do that.”He also learned early to get ev-erything in writing. “Get a goodlawyer and pay them”, says Clark.“It pays off to take care of yourbusiness.”

In the early ’70s, he formed aduo with fellow Texan DelbertMcClinton (who he knew grow-ing up in Fort Worth). Afterreleasing a couple of albums to-gether as “Delbert and Glen,”Clark went on to tour with KrisKristofferson, Willie Nelson andBonnie Raitt. He continued towrite songs and began produc-ing. In the early ’80s, Glen co-wrote one of ASCAP’s most per-formed songs “Do I Have ToDraw A Picture” with Bill Swan.

Around 1996 while stillworking with Raitt, Dan Aykroydand Jim Belushi asked him tocome play a show with them aspart of the Sacred Heart BluesBand. He continued to play withthem until 2013. ”“We openedevery House of Blues in thatband,” quipped Clark “but I gottired of touring so much.” Hespent eight years doing musicfor Belushi’s TV show AccordingTo Jim. “The TV and film indus-tries in L.A. – you are protectedby the unions. But you have tobe professional in both yourmusic and business. I didn’t re-ally write specifically for TV un-

New CDHIS SON-IN-LAW SUGGESTEDhe do a project – “You’ve got allthese songs. You need to make arecord. Those songs ended upbeing his recent release “You TellMe”, and his first solo projectsince 1994’s “Looking For AConnection”. Bassist Jim Milan(Juke Jumpers, Anson Funder-burgh & the Rockets, DoyleBramhall) and Glen went “wayback”.

He met drummer John Bryantin 2013 when Glen reunited withDelbert McClinton to release thealbum “Blind, Crippled, andCrazy”. Accomplished guitaristand lifelong Dallasite Sam Swankrounds out the band. (Also ap-pearing on the album are JamesPennebacker on guitar, Jeff Silbaron acoustic guitar, Jim Foster ontrumpet and Ron Jones on sax.)

Jim and John prodded Glenalong – instrumental, in Glen’swords – in him staying with it.Most were existing songs (thereis one cover, the Kris Kristof-ferson penned–“This Old Road”).

He and his new bandmates will perform at the 10th Annual KNON Fort Worth Blues Festival on April 15 at Lola’s Saloon : Glen Clark

“I was fortunate to be born inan era when music was all live.But back then, that’s (LosAngeles) where the work was.You had to spend money tomake a record. It wasn’t like itis now where you can set up adecent home studio. Youcouldn’t just decide to make arecord. You had to finance it.Dallas had studios, but therewere more resources in L.A.When I moved there you couldlive cheap, play a lot of placesand play your own music.People went out for music inL.A. In Dallas, people didn’twant to hear original music.L.A. was much moreacceptable and open..”

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––GLEN CLARK

til “Jim”. Before that, it was place-ment – they sought out workthey wanted to use. Sometimesthat was by happenstance, some-times by connections. L.A. was agreat place to make connections.”

Coming homeBUT WHEN THE SERIESended, his life had changed. Hegot divorced, his kids weregrown. That’s when he decidedto come home to Texas. “I en-joyed California“– the food andthe outdoors. But Los Angeles ismuch faster paced. I have familyin Texas and I love the outdoorshere as well. I like that Fort Worthhas held on to that original smalltown vibe.”

A gifted keyboardist and tal-ented vocalist, the real magic ofGlen is his craft of songwriting.McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, EttaJames, Dizzy Gillespie and JohnMayall are just a few of the artiststhat have recorded his songs.

“I love the process”, he saidwhen asked about the art. “See-ing where the songs going to.The important thing is finding aplace to come from that doesn’tfeel contrived.”

Although he enjoys writingwith someone (one of thosepeople being his longtimesongwriting partner DelbertMcClinton) he also writes alone.Like many fine craftspeople, hesays the “Muse” is overrated. “Atitle may come to me first, or justa thought from something thathappens.

“Being a songwriter meanssometimes you work when you’dlike to be relaxing or doing some-thing else instead. I work onsongs every day.”

They began curating the CD,fleshing out the demos selected.“I wanted to document thesesongs and this period in my life,”says Glen. The songs are mix ofthe musical influences of Clark’slife: blues, country, R&B, gos-pel, soul and a little funk. Areflective collage representingeverything starting from whenhe started out playing in bars atage 16 in Fort Worth in the 1960’sto present day.

It has proved a popular mixfor fans and critics alike with“You Tell Me” ranking in the Top10 on both the Texas and BluesRoots Music charts. But Glen isalready thinking about his nextproject. “I want to do an all bluesalbum, pick up some gigs, andget out playing locally.” The DFWarea is lucky indeed that he hasbrought his musical magic home.

Glen Clark headlines the 10thAnnual KNON Fort Worth BluesFestival on April 15 at Lola’sSaloon. Tickets and more infor-mation at knon.org.

Triumphant returnof a fortunate man

Glen Clark brings his musical magic home to Fort Worth roots and joined by old fiends to form new bandBy Blue Lisa, photos by David Lanford

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The new band relaxes down on the farm: Jim Milan, Sam Swank, Glen Clarkand John Bryant