|
|
Praise for the music of Cletus Black |
“Cletus Black’s … character-driven lyrical stories about poor
souls, small time life, and getting by compellingly hold the
songs together.”
– Laura DeMarco, Cleveland Free Times
“Cletus Black is one of the most distinctive
singer-songwriters in the area and – given his knack for
lyrics, one whose reach beyond the region is way overdue.”
– Duane Verth, Scene Magazine
“Every song has a distinctive hook, and the lyrics are …
mature and esoteric.”
– Steve Byrne, Scene Magazine,
Cleveland, Ohio
“…great songwriting by Cletus Black, a nominee for the
Cleveland Free Times Music Awards for best Singer/Songwriter
for the last two years … sharing his stories with all who care
to stop and listen. … throw on some Cletus Black and take a
trip … to a place where black is black and the rock is right.
–Sheehan’s Shenanigans |
|
 |
Cletus Black was born in Cleveland Ohio, and started writing
when he was in high school. He graduated from Ohio
University with a BS in Journalism and a lack of patience for
long art forms. Soon after at a party, a songwriter offered him
$50 for two of his poems, and other musicians started setting
his poems to music, so he thought he would try to do both
himself. He sent away for a Sears Silvertone mail-order guitar,
and though, like John Lennon before him, he didn’t even know how
to tune it, he taught himself to play, and started writing
songs. |
| His
first album, Basic Black, was received well enough that it was
followed by two others. Cut to 1996, and due to an unusual
series of events too long and arcane to go into here, he put out
a compilation CD of his three albums, called Shades of Black. He
followed up in 1997 with a CD of all-new material titled Back It
Up. Since then he’s become an important and popular artist. He
has been been nominated for, and won, several awards for his
songwriting, and he releases a CD of new songs every couple
years. His most recent, Down Those Tracks, was recorded with his
5-piece band, the Cletus Black Revue, in 2007. He performs solo
and with the Revue throughout the Midwest. |
|
|
|
