On this day (November 6) in 1941, Guy Clark was born in Monahans, Texas. Clark grew up surrounded by poetry and music. Later in life, he learned to play guitar and sing. After meeting another songwriting legend, he began writing songs. In the early 1970s, he moved to Nashville, fostered a small community of artists, and helped form the Americana genre. While he never found mainstream success, his songs have been covered by George Strait, Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, and many others.
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As a child, Clark’s family didn’t have a radio or record player. As a result, they would read poetry to one another for entertainment. He found that he enjoyed the works of poets like Vachel Lindsay, who told stories. He got his first guitar at the age of 17 and learned to play and sing.
According to PBS, Clark’s early repertoire was full of Spanish songs, inspired by his father’s law partner, Lola Bonner. “She played guitar and sang Mexican songs, Mariachi, and South Texas music. I was just captivated by it,” Clark recalled. “So, I went to Mexico and bought a $12 guitar and started trying to learn how to play it. I was just eaten up with it.”
In the 1960s, Clark was part of the folk music revival, singing and playing in Houston, Texas. There, he met Townes Van Zandt. The pair became fast friends and, after hearing the songs Van Zandt wrote, Clark decided to start writing songs. The pair wrote together and encouraged one another. After a decade in Houston, Clark moved to California.
“If I Can Just Get Off of This L.A. Freeway…”
Guy and Susanna Clark lived in Los Angeles for a while. There, he worked at a dobro factory while honing his songwriting skills and hoping for a publishing deal. Finally, in the early 1970s, he landed a job with RCA’s publishing division in Nashville. As a result, the couple packed their bags and headed to Tennessee. This experience inspired Clark to write “L.A. Freeway,” which appeared on his 1975 debut album, Old No. 1.
Clark had no way of knowing that he wasn’t just moving to Nashville to take a publishing job. He would soon be the nucleus around which a new scene of forward-thinking nonconformist songwriters would form. The likes of Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, and Emmylou Harris would spend time at the Clark residence, sharing songs and fellowship. This group of songwriters, with Clark at the fore, planted the seeds of Americana.
Guy Clark Might Have Written Your Favorite Song
Fans of country music who have never heard of Guy Clark have likely heard his work in the past. He never found mainstream success, but his songs landed in the hands of some of the biggest names in country and Americana.
For instance, Alan Jackson recorded the Clark co-write “Boats to Build” twice. First with Jimmy Buffett in 2004, and a solo version three years later. The Highwaymen had a minor hit with “Desperados Waiting for a Train” in 1985. Ricky Skaggs took “Heartbroke” to No. 1 in 1982. George Strait recorded a version of the song the same year.
Johnny Cash had minor hits with two Guy Clark songs in the 1970s. Clark penned “The Last Gunfighter Ballad” and “Texas 1947,” both of which landed in the top 40 of the country chart.
The list of artists who have covered Clark’s songs goes on and on. It includes Bobby Bare, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Jeff Walker, Vince Gill, Chris Stapleton, Jack Ingram, Rodney Crowell, and many more.
Clark’s final album, My Favorite Picture of You, won the Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2014. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
Guy Clark died on May 17, 2016, after a battle with lymphoma. His work as a songwriter, recording artist, and musical mentor created a legacy that will long outlive even the youngest of his fans.
Featured Image by Frans Schellekens/Redferns
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