Artist Spotlight: JAY CLARK

Jay Clark grew up in Winchester, TN and began playing guitar during his high school years. Since leaving Winchester to attend college, he has been actively involved in songwriting and performing.
During the summers of 1993 and 1994, Jay performed at Dollywood and various bluegrass festivals with Keith Garrett (currently with Blue Moon Rising) in a traditional bluegrass brother-style duet. Later, he helped form a traditional bluegrass band, The Stringbeans, with Joel Keebler, Clint Cagle, and Robin and Cruz Contreras. The Stringbeans played frequently in Knoxville and were voted the “Best Bluegrass Group” in 1999 by the Readers Poll of Knoxville’s alternative weekly, The Metropulse.
In 1999, Jay moved to Stillwater, OK to pursue a PhD in Wildlife Ecology at OSU. While in Oklahoma, he continued songwriting and would occasionally return to Knoxville to perform with Robinella and the CC Stringband, a band formed by Robin and Cruz. Robinella and the CC Stringband landed a major recording contract with Columbia, released their debut album with Columbia in May 2003, and their newest release, Solace for the Lonely, on Dualtone Records in February 2006.
After returning to Knoxville in 2003, Jay performed numerous shows backed by the CC Stringband, opened for artists such as Billy Joe Shaver, the John Cowan Band, and Malcolm Holcomb, and frequently performed with Robinella and the CC Stringband. In May 2004, he released his debut album, Pen to Paper, which featured 12 original songs written or co-written by Jay. He also contributed to Robinella’s most recent album by singing harmony on two songs and co-writing another.
Jay recently moved to Hazel Green, Alabama where he is continuing his songwriting and performing. His follow-up album Progress was released in February 2006. Both albums are available at both Disc Exchange locations in Knoxville, both Cats Records locations in Knoxville, Cats Records in Oak Ridge, or online at www.jayclarkmusic.com.

http://www.jayclarkmusic.com