Stanley Clarke

Biography

Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings attain Gold certification.

Clarke is the recipient of five Grammy Awards, with fifteen nominations, three as a solo artist, one with the Stanley Clarke Band, and one with Return to Forever. Clarke was selected to become a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship. A Stanley Clarke electric bass is permanently on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Clarke has composed many TV and film scores, beginning with one episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse in 1987 for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1988. Notable film scores by Clarke include Boyz n the Hood (1991), Passenger 57 (1992), The Book of Love (2016) and Halston (2019). His television work includes music for episodes of Tales from the Crypt, Hull High and Knightwatch.

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