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The Clark Brothers
by Angie 1/29/2008, 9:58 pm
Remember them? I found an article about them at roanoke.com
Franklin County band of brothers returns to big time
The Clark Brothers got a recording contract with 19 Entertainment after they won a Fox network contest.
Franklin County’s Clark Brothers are “The Next Great American Band.”
Ashley, Austin and Adam Clark survived nine weeks of competition with 12 bands on the Fox network show before Friday night’s finale, which was taped in Los Angeles on Sunday. With the win, the Clark Brothers got a recording contract with 19 Entertainment, the production company that also created “American Idol.”
Like the Clarks, the other two bands — Sixwire, and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra — were also based in Nashville, Tenn.
But the brothers weren’t in either L.A. or Music City on Friday. Instead, they were gathered with friends and fans at the Franklin Center, in Rocky Mount, to watch the finale. They had flown back east after taping it on Sunday.
The show has had a small TV audience, consistently finishing at the bottom of the pack in its Friday night time slot. In Rocky Mount, though, about 185 excited folks filled two rooms at the Franklin Center to support the band. At least 50 of the audience were Clark family members, said Scott Martin, Franklin County director of tourism and leisure.
The rooms exploded with applause as show host Dominic Bowden announced the brothers’ victory.
So did a conference room inside the center, where the band, immediate family and media were watching. The brothers had already done a TV interview when the show started.
“Dude, I’m still in shock,” dobro player Austin Clark said just after reliving the moment via cable TV. “Just seeing it again, it’s amazing. I was getting shaky all over again.”
Then he and his brothers went into the big conference room and played gospel songs for the live audience.
“Jesus is on the main line, tell him what you want,” they sang. “Call him up and tell him what you want.”
It’s been five years since the Clarks and three of their brothers stepped off one music business roller coaster.
Now they’re on another, this one powered by 19 Entertainment.
Even if “The Next Great American Band” never happened, the Clarks already would have a great music business story to tell.
They and their six other siblings started on the road as youngsters, traveling in wintertime with parents Freddy and Sylvia in a revival show. When the weather warmed, they hit the bluegrass circuit.
The six eldest children — Alan, Aaron, Adam, Ashley, Andrew and Austin — began performing their own high-octane, bluegrass/pop-country fusion. Freddy Clark videotaped their performances, and sent the tapes to cable outlets to promote upcoming shows.
One of those tapes impressed Sherman Halsey in the mid-1990s. Halsey, who has produced and directed videos and TV shows for the likes of Tim McGraw and the Oak Ridge Boys, tracked down the six brothers and brought them to Nashville.
The band signed with Curb Records, and in 2001, it had the 13th best-selling single on the Billboard country chart, “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch.” But Curb was slow to release the Clarks’ debut CD, which had been produced by McGraw. No one in the band wrote the hit, so they weren’t making any money from publishing rights.
Touring wasn’t profitable. They couldn’t make rent. They couldn’t keep their bus running. They had to let their manager go.
They moved back to Rocky Mount and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy.
Five years ago, a judge ruled in the Clarks’ favor, but by that time, the band was fractured. Austin, Ashley and Adam migrated back from Franklin County to Nashville. Ashley and Austin were set to go on the road with Carrie Underwood for a tour that is coming to Roanoke on Feb. 16. Adam was with SheDaisy’s touring band.
But after Ashley sent a videotape of a brotherly jam to “The Next Great American Band,” the producers asked them to audition. They took a shot.
Clark brother Alan, who is now working as in investigator for lawyer Daniel Crandall, his uncle, said he is proud of the three who stuck with music.
“I’m so grateful that they can go on and pursue their dream,” said Alan, the oldest of the siblings. “They’ve got a major label record deal again.”
Franklin County band of brothers returns to big time
The Clark Brothers got a recording contract with 19 Entertainment after they won a Fox network contest.
Franklin County’s Clark Brothers are “The Next Great American Band.”
Ashley, Austin and Adam Clark survived nine weeks of competition with 12 bands on the Fox network show before Friday night’s finale, which was taped in Los Angeles on Sunday. With the win, the Clark Brothers got a recording contract with 19 Entertainment, the production company that also created “American Idol.”
Like the Clarks, the other two bands — Sixwire, and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra — were also based in Nashville, Tenn.
But the brothers weren’t in either L.A. or Music City on Friday. Instead, they were gathered with friends and fans at the Franklin Center, in Rocky Mount, to watch the finale. They had flown back east after taping it on Sunday.
The show has had a small TV audience, consistently finishing at the bottom of the pack in its Friday night time slot. In Rocky Mount, though, about 185 excited folks filled two rooms at the Franklin Center to support the band. At least 50 of the audience were Clark family members, said Scott Martin, Franklin County director of tourism and leisure.
The rooms exploded with applause as show host Dominic Bowden announced the brothers’ victory.
So did a conference room inside the center, where the band, immediate family and media were watching. The brothers had already done a TV interview when the show started.
“Dude, I’m still in shock,” dobro player Austin Clark said just after reliving the moment via cable TV. “Just seeing it again, it’s amazing. I was getting shaky all over again.”
Then he and his brothers went into the big conference room and played gospel songs for the live audience.
“Jesus is on the main line, tell him what you want,” they sang. “Call him up and tell him what you want.”
It’s been five years since the Clarks and three of their brothers stepped off one music business roller coaster.
Now they’re on another, this one powered by 19 Entertainment.
Even if “The Next Great American Band” never happened, the Clarks already would have a great music business story to tell.
They and their six other siblings started on the road as youngsters, traveling in wintertime with parents Freddy and Sylvia in a revival show. When the weather warmed, they hit the bluegrass circuit.
The six eldest children — Alan, Aaron, Adam, Ashley, Andrew and Austin — began performing their own high-octane, bluegrass/pop-country fusion. Freddy Clark videotaped their performances, and sent the tapes to cable outlets to promote upcoming shows.
One of those tapes impressed Sherman Halsey in the mid-1990s. Halsey, who has produced and directed videos and TV shows for the likes of Tim McGraw and the Oak Ridge Boys, tracked down the six brothers and brought them to Nashville.
The band signed with Curb Records, and in 2001, it had the 13th best-selling single on the Billboard country chart, “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch.” But Curb was slow to release the Clarks’ debut CD, which had been produced by McGraw. No one in the band wrote the hit, so they weren’t making any money from publishing rights.
Touring wasn’t profitable. They couldn’t make rent. They couldn’t keep their bus running. They had to let their manager go.
They moved back to Rocky Mount and filed for Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy.
Five years ago, a judge ruled in the Clarks’ favor, but by that time, the band was fractured. Austin, Ashley and Adam migrated back from Franklin County to Nashville. Ashley and Austin were set to go on the road with Carrie Underwood for a tour that is coming to Roanoke on Feb. 16. Adam was with SheDaisy’s touring band.
But after Ashley sent a videotape of a brotherly jam to “The Next Great American Band,” the producers asked them to audition. They took a shot.
Clark brother Alan, who is now working as in investigator for lawyer Daniel Crandall, his uncle, said he is proud of the three who stuck with music.
“I’m so grateful that they can go on and pursue their dream,” said Alan, the oldest of the siblings. “They’ve got a major label record deal again.”
Angie- Webmaster
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Re: The Clark Brothers
by geewindu 2/9/2008, 8:52 pm
I hope they do really well. I voted for them when I could. I heard they were recording their new album now. There's an interview on myspace. Unfortunately though I don't have a link.
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