Sonny Clark was born Conrad Yeatis Clark on July 21, 1931 in Herminie, Pennsylvania, learned to play the piano and by age 12 was living in Pittsburgh. When visiting an aunt in California at age 20, he decided to stay and began working with saxophonist Wardell Gray. Clark went to San Francisco with Oscar Pettiford and after a couple months, began working with clarinetist Buddy De Franco in 1953, subsequently touring the U.S. and Europe until 1956. It was then he became a member of The Lighthouse All-Stars, led by bassist Howard Rumsey.

Wishing…