Artist description Michigan based singer-songwriter plays a mixture of folk rock, country and blues. Known for his heartfelt lyrics and gravely vocal style.

Music Style Heartland American folk rock with some blues and country

Musical Influences Singer'Songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty,Van Morrison and Townes Van Zandt.

Similar Artists John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Bob Segar, Townes Van Zandt, Van Morrison or John Mellencamp.

Artist History Originally from the small town of Petoskey in Northern Michigan, Gil has traveled extensively in the U.S. and Europe. He has shared the stage with many musical legends including Taj Mahal, Peter Green, Country Joe McDonald and Rob Tyner. Gil played his first gigs as a teenager and then moved to Detroit to attend Wayne State University. He became involved in the thriving artistic community there and appeared regularly at clubs such as Alvins, The Old Miami, Fourth Street, The Latin Quarter, Union St. and The Community Concert Series. It was during this period that Gil formed a musical partnership with the late Rob Tyner of the MC5. Rob played harmonica on Gil's song "Round and Round" and Gil returned the favor by singing backup vocals on Tyner's Blood Brothers LP. When not playing in a band, Gil writes and records his own material. "Singin Songs" was released in 1985. "Live From the Rhythm Room" followed a few years later. In 1999, Gil traveled to Nashville to record "Ridin' On" with a group of top notch players directed by Motown bassist Bob Babbitt. A new CD is forthcoming.Some as yet unreleased material is available on MP3.com

Group Members Gil Clark- guitars and vocals, other musicians Gil has recorded with include: Bob Babbitt- Bass, Rob Tyner-harmonica, Mike Gentry - guitars and drums, Amy Willacker- piano, Tim Smith- drums, Mike Schrimpf-keyboards, Jimmy Clark- violin, pedal steel,electric guitar and mandolin, Bill Kelly- guitars, Ted Ribbens, drums, Lindsay Tomasic- backup vocals, guitars, bass, keys and engineering, .

Instruments Acoustic guitar, drums, mandolin, electric bass, lap steel, violin

Albums Singin' Songs, Live at The Rhythm Room, Ridin' On

Press Reviews Bay City Times, Michigan - "Michigan native hits stride on fourth CD" by Scott Baker. ...Clark picks up the pieces left behind by the late singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt and moves forward as a completely well-rounded musician with many influences and an endless book of songs. "This album came about because of the people who were involved and where they were at in their lives," said Clark, 38, of Pinckney. "I had 40 songs I could have recorded. I seemed to wind up picking the ones that were pretty positive. This music all tended to be more positive and spiritual." Born in Petosky, Clark's timeless mix of country folk rock from the past, along with a solid update of today's technology, appeals to lovers of all genres. Best of all, it speaks to the common listner. "I finally got the internet thing happening where it's available from Amazon.com and CDnow and all that stuff," said Clark. "The response has been really good. The guy on the street seems to really like the record and that's the most important thing." Clark assembled musicians from bands around Nashville for the CD.... "They were like a well oiled machine when I walked into them," Clark said. "Actually the first song on the CD is the first song we recorded. Twelve songs and only two days later, all the cutting was done. Six days total studio time for me." Recording the songs live in a short period not only saved him money but provided a raw energy that comes across in the songs. "No click track, no bunch of overdubs," said Clark. "Very minimal, it's really for real."Clark's involvement in the Michigan music scene started in the '80s when he and Rob Tyner, lead vocalist of the MC5, would go out and play acoustic shows together. "I always credited myself with getting Rob to come out of the closet with his autoharp and do solo gigs," said Clark. "All through the '80s we did a lot of acoustic solo stuff together." When Clark's debut cassette (now available on CD) was released in the '80s, he found many fans would compare him to Van Zandt. It didn't take long for Van Zandt to hear Clark. "My brother used to do shameless promotions of me, and he actually gave Townes a tape the first time we ever saw him. The next time I saw Townes, he told me, 'Man I listened to that tape all the way from Michigan to Oklahoma.' That was the best compliment in the world." While Clark juggles being a husband, father of four, and owner of Discs and Tapes Unlimited in Brighton, he hopes to see sales of this CD continue to grow. "I want to make some more music. I'm going to keep that trend (of positive stuff). That's pretty much what I'm interested in doing." To purchase the CD, call (810) 227-9191.

Location Pinckney, MI - USA

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