W. C. Clark – born Wesley Curley Clark on November 16, 1939, in Austin, Texas – was a blues guitarist and vocalist who was referred to as the ‘Godfather of Austin Blues.’ His musical journey began when he sang gospel music in a church choir as a young boy. He learned to play the guitar when he was 15 and was drawn to blues and jazz music. Although he also learned to play bass, W. C. Clark’s guitar playing began to catch the attention of blues artists such as Albert Collins, Little Johnny Taylor, and Big Joe Turner. In the late 1960s, he became disillusioned with the Austin R&B scene and joined the Joe Tex Band. During a tour with Joe Tex, the band passed through Austin, where W. C. Clark played bass for blues musicians Jimmie Vaughan and Paul Ray. Reinvigorated by the Austin music scene, he left Joe Tex’s band and moved back to Austin, where he connected with many musicians of the blues and rock scenes. By 1975, he had formed the W. C. Clark Blues Revue and played local venues, often supporting blues greats such as B.B. King, Albert King, Freddy King, James Brown, Sam and Dave, Bobby Blues Bland, and many others. For several months in late 1977 and early 1978, he performed in the blues quintet Triple Threat Revue alongside Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lou Ann Barton. W. C. Clark nurtured and supported the local blues scene, teaching young musicians – including Charlie and Will Sexton – how to play the guitar. The W. C. Clark Blues Revue released their debut album, Something for Everybody, in 1987. He followed that up with a series of solo albums including Heart of Gold (1994) and Texas Soul (1995). In 1997, he was involved in a van accident that killed his fiancé and his drummer, an incident that inspired songs on his 1998 album Lover’s Plea. More albums followed including From Austin with Soul (2002), Deep in the Heart (2004), Were You There (2011), and W. C. Clark (2018). On March 2, 2024, W. C. Clark died at the age of 84.
