Gary Clark Jr.

Early career

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Clark got his first guitar as a Christmas present when he was 13, an Ibanez RX20. He taught himself to play guitar by checking out how-to-play-guitar books at the Covington Middle School library and by listening to Green Day, Nirvana, Jimmy Reed and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Clark played small gigs throughout his teens until he met promoter Clifford Antone, proprietor of the Austin music club Antone's. Antone's was the launch pad where Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan redefined blues at the time. After meeting Clifford, Clark began to perform with other musicians, including Jimmie Vaughan. Vaughan and others in the Austin music community helped Clark in his musical career.