Born in Salem, Oregon in 1954 and living in Texas since 1991, JB Clark was raised in Southern California until the age of 11 when his mother passed and the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he lived until joining the Air Force when he was 17. “My dad gave me my first guitar for my 14th birthday, and except for my time in Vietnam, I’ve never been without a guitar since.”
His first paying gig was with a friend at The Zodiac Room, while stationed with the Air Force in Duluth, Minnesota in ’75. “That’s the year I turned 21, and I was performing regularly at the clubs on Base.” “Life was GOOD”. After Minnesota he was sent on a one-year assignment to Galena, Alaska. He played in and put together bands that were constantly losing and gaining members who were completing or starting their tour of duty.
Then, on to Aviano, Italy. “I had purchased the PA system from the band in Alaska, and I got my first civilian gig in a bar off-base called Da Bepi’s”. “The best advice I ever got was when the owner said, “Don’t try to be so perfect.” “If they wanted perfect, they’d put money in the juke box.” So I started hamming it up a little, and the response was remarkable.
First guitar was an arch-top jazz guitar. I think it was a Silvertone, and the action was extremely high. In '73 I bought a Yamaha FG-230, 12 string in Okinawa. That was a darn good guitar. In '75 I bought a Montgomery Ward 6 string and used that guitar for my first gigs in Minnesota and Alaska. Then I purchased my first Ovation guitar; a Custom Balladeer, deep bowl, with a dark brown sunburst finish. That guitar was SA-WEET.
The first song I learned to play was, “Blowing in The Wind”, by Bob Dylan. The first song I learned to fingerpick was, “Puff the Magic Dragon”. My first tunes were mostly folk songs and tunes by Paul Simon: Kathy’s Song, April Come She Will, and Homeward Bound. My favorite kind of music would be what I now call Folk-Rock Baby Boomer Music, and some of my favorite artists are: Paul Simon, Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin, John Denver and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Favorite Kinds of music are Folk, Rock, Blues, Old Country, and I especially love listening to classical guitar music. It gives me chills sometimes.
In 1974 I bought my first car; a 1966 Chevy Impala Supersport with a 283 V-8 engine, Metalflake green with a black vinyl top. What a car, too, except it burned more oil than gas. I traded it in when I bought my first brand-new car in ’75 with the money I got for re-enlisting. That car was a '75 Corrola SR-5, but I only kept it a few months before I bought a 74 Dodge Van. I wanted the van for my music gigs and also for partying back then.
I left the Air Force in '79 and stayed in Italy. I was planning on becoming a full time musician, until I got married and I had to find a “real” job. So I spent the next 25 years working in radio communications in various parts of the world. The problem was deep down I wasn’t happy and I didn’t know why until I started playing professionally again in November '02 at a place called the Classic Café in Southlake, Texas.
I performed two nights a week for 18 months and I was hooked. I loved the work. I loved the people I met while working there, and I never missed a performance. I still haven't
My most memorable childhood experience was when I finally flew my solo flight because I had to wait until I turned 16, and I had 19 hours by then. I could legally fly an airplane solo, but I couldn’t drive a car. In fact, I didn’t get my drivers license until I was twenty. I finally realized my childhood dream when I earned my Private Pilot License in February '94. It was close, but I got it done before I turned 40.