Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke was born on June 30, 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Philadelphia Academy of Music before moving to New York City, where he joined Horace Silver’s band and also collaborated with other jazz musicians like Stan Getz. He later met another jazz musician, Chick Corea, and they hit it off and created the band Return to Forever together.

Clarke received job offers from the popular band The Doors, however he turned them down and allowed Corea to produce his first album in 1973 titled Children of Forever. Throughout the following decade, Clarke teamed up with several different musicians to create bands and go on tours. One notable collaboration is that of Clarke and Jeff Beck, who is a highly respected rock musician.  

Clarke has also written music for television shows and film. He made music for the very popular show Pee-wee’s Playhouse, which earned an Emmy nomination. Other notable projects include writing music for the film Boyz n the Hood and making a video for Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time. He has won three Grammy Awards (1977, 2011, and 2012) as well as a Miles Davis Award (2011) and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 for Bass Player.