Clarence Spady, 1997 W.C. Handy nominee for Best New Artist, has been an underground marvel since his initial release in 1996, Nature of the Beast. He received international recognition as one of Living Blues Magazine’s Top 40 Blues Artist Under 40, and was awarded Trophees France Blues – Best International Blues Artist of the Year two years later.
Once described as “the future of the blues” by Bill Dahl of the Chicago Tribune, his sound now is even more distinguishable; having played in Hong Kong, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and all parts of the U.S. helped hone his craft, and his growing fan base is spreading the word of his moving guitar playing, rough, street-edged vocals, strong songwriting and live improvisations.
Born Clarence Sloan Spady on July 1, 1961 in Paterson, NJ, Spady’s dad, Clarence “Pops” Sr. moved the family to the safer suburbs of Scranton, PA in 1996. But that didn’t stop the family from traveling to NJ every weekend to play with Uncle Fletchy’s R & B band. After Aunt Bea found him backstage playing “High Heeled Sneakers” on his father’s guitar, Clarence was called on stage for his first professional gig at the Elks Club. He was 5. He’s been stunning audiences with his immense, God-given talent ever since.
The Jazz Café in Hong Kong touts Clarence as, “a soulful singer and hot guitarist who takes the blues of BB King and Albert Collins and mixes it with the soul of Ray Charles and some funk of James Brown.” In short, Clarence Spady is one of those artists who can actually move people.
Clarence continues to wow audiences all over the country, whether that be during his annual performances at the Concert for Planet Earth in Boulder, CO, at his regular appearances at New York City’s Terra Blues, or at the River Street Café in his home base of Pennsylvania. Catch him live if you can and hear for yourself. If you can’t, get hip to the sounds of Clarence Spady on his 2008 Severn Records release, Just Between Us.
DISCOGRPAHY
Just Between Us (Severn CD-0045 © 2008)
Nature of the Beast (Evidence)
