Gerald Clark

Gerald Clark is one of South Africa's best-known blues musicians, singer/songwriter recognised for his extraordinary ability to tell a story with his music. Clark has voice that gets down to the soul and honesty that is the blues. But Gerald isn’t just a bluesman, always original in his approach towards music, he keeps exploring while taking the blues into new territory.

As the former lead singer of South African blues band Delta Blue, Gerald Clark has been a solid presence on the South African live music scene starting with their their first gig in 1997. Since going solo a few years later, there have been numerous excursions with South African legends such as Albert Frost, Dan Patlansky, Koos Kombuis, Theo Crous, Luna Paige and Van Coke Kartel, as well as local and international tours.

He has whooped and hollered on stage with the best of them, including at Kirstenbosch Gardens, Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen, Oude Libertas and Aardklop, picking up a guitar lick or two in the process.

2016 was a big year for Gerald Clark. He spend a full year on the road, doing what he loves most – adventure and music. The road took him to many festival’s main stage, into Africa where he played shows in Namibia and Zambia, to Stellenbosch where he received a WoordTroFee nomination for Best Solo Act at the Woordfees (he was nominated alongside Yvonne Chaka Chaka) and finally to Europe

It was Clark’s second time in Europe. In Belgium he collaborated with Stefan Dixon and played to music lovers across the country. In 2012 he took his golden voice to Czech Republic and did a 20 show, 20 town, 20 day tour, where he was honoured with soldout shows and standing ovations. Last year he only performed 17 shows over 17 days and all ready they want him back in 2018.

This year Clark is keeping busy with exciting collaborations. One of which he worked with the drummer, Barry van Zyl – a true legend, one who has performed with Johnny Clegg, Annie Lennox, Carlos Santana and Robert Plant. With Gerald on the acoustic guitar and vocals and Barry with his masterful touch on the drums and percussion, this project produced top class music and a brand new album, Afrocoustic.


Albums

While keeping one foot firmly planted in the blues, Gerald stepped outside traditional music boundaries. His acoustic Afrikaans album ‘Sweepslag’ (‘Whiplash’) was nominated as the best Afrikaans Alternative Music Album at the 2009 SAMA (South African Musicians & Artists) awards. Huisgenoot’s Tempo awards nominated Gerald for the Best Newcomer and Best Kopskuif (‘Headbopping’) Album, and the Vonk awards were quick to follow suit with nominations for the Best Newcomer, Crossover & Alternative categories.

In 2010, Sweepslag was followed by the gentler ‘Blues and Love Songs’, as well as nationwide gigs and international performances at the Big Wheel Blues Fest on the Isle of Man and the Ain’t Nothing But The Blues Bar in London. In 2011, Gerald wrote and composed ‘Marry Me’, the official song for South African Wedding Week and ‘As the Crow Flies’ with Theo Crous for the Volkswagen Amarok campaign.

Clark’s second and third album was an international success. Black Water and Follow the River was praised by the media, fans, made it to the airwaves, and left many a venue pleading for more. Black Water, gave him a taste of international success when the title track’s music video was nominated for an MTV Europe Animation Award.

His 4th album, AfroBoer & the GoldenGoose was recorded in an old farmhouse with some of the country’s best musicians that shared his dynamic musical ideas. It’s raw, it’s blues, it’s rock, it is a piece of his honesty. The diversity within this album will shake your bones and burn your toes.

Look out for his 5th studio album, Afrocoustic, recorded with South African drumming legend Barry van Zyl.