Rick Clark grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where music was a part of everyday life. His first records were 45s by Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Charlie Rich, as well as New Orleans Dixieland jazz by Sweet Emma & The Preservation Hall Band and British Invasion albums by The Yardbirds and The Kinks.
Clark's first concert was James Brown & His Famous Flames in 1966, which had a profound impact on him and inspired him to pursue a career in music. By high school, he was working at Poplar Tunes, a record shop in Memphis where local artists like Isaac Hayes and Al Green would hang out, as well as bands from England who would visit.
During the 1970s, Clark played live and in sessions with various artists, including members of Big Star, the Memphis Horns, and the Memphis Power Pop scene. He also started a radio show at WLYX-FM Memphis and became known for creating great road music mix cassettes.
Clark's enthusiasm for music led him to start a successful business programming music for venues throughout the South and other parts of the country. He wrote for numerous national publications, including Billboard, Mix, Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, and others. He also authored several books, including "The Expert's Encyclopedia of Recording" and "Mixing, Recording and Producing Techniques of the Pros."
Clark began producing and compiling album releases for major and indie labels, as well as writing liner notes for artists like Ricky Nelson, Dave Edmunds, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He also worked as a curator, music consultant, and independent A&R for clients like museums, magazines, and films.
As a producer, Clark worked on projects like Los Super Seven, Death Cab For Cutie, and Emmylou Harris. He also composed and produced music for IBM's International Globalnet and had his photography featured in gallery shows, record albums, and ad campaigns.
Clark's work on the Oxford American Magazine music CDs earned him recognition from artists like T-Bone Burnett, Hunter Thompson, and Dolly Parton. He produced and compiled the first seven volumes of the award-winning series, featuring music from legendary artists like Bob Dylan and Randy Newman to obscure blues, jazz, and Cajun music recordings.
In 2012, The Oxford American brought Clark back to produce their future music issues and CDs, including a two-CD set featuring music from Louisiana, Texas, and Tennessee. As a Music Supervisor, Clark's credits include working on films like Up In The Air, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, and Jayne Mansfield's Car, as well as TV shows like Hell On Wheels, Greenleaf, and Hap And Leonard.
Clark has also created and produced additional music for shows and films, including Irish music, Mariachi-influenced Spaghetti Western, Disco, gut bucket blues, and Chinese music sung in Cantonese.
