Gary Clark Jr.: Austin’s Guitar Truth

Today is the birthday of Gary Clark Jr. He is 43 today.

Gary Clark Jr. was born in Austin, Texas on February 15, 1984. He grew up playing guitar around East Austin, getting noticed at Antone’s while still in his teens. Clifford Antone himself started booking Clark when he was seventeen. That kind of early mentorship in Austin’s blues tradition gave Clark a foundation nobody could take away — and a sense of responsibility to carry it forward.

The Next Link in the Chain

Clark signed with Warner Bros. in 2011. His debut album Blak and Blu came out in 2012 and earned him two Grammy Awards. But the studio records barely capture what Clark does live — he plays guitar with the abandon of someone who knows exactly where the music came from and exactly where he wants to take it. He’s performed with the Rolling Stones and the Foo Fighters. He’s played the White House. And he still shows up at Austin clubs on a Tuesday night when he feels like it. Find his place items on Texas Music Map.