Career
Clay Willis
Recording and Live Performances
1962-1985
For more than 25 years, Clay traveled the United States, based out of Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA and performed for thousands of people in concerts, nightclubs, on radio and television. He wrote or co-wrote most of the songs he recorded and sang popular songs of the day in his own unique style.
He performed on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, both at the Ryman Auditorium and the later Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland, hosting radio station WSM’s luncheons at Nashville’s annual Fan Fair, headlined at the Sweet Corn Festival, Millersport, OH, concerts at Hershey Park and various 6 Flags over America theme parks, hundreds of small venue concerts and night clubs and local radio and television shows all over the country.
Nashville never really considered Clay to be truly a “country” artist. His use of brass and strings in the early 1960’s was completely avant-garde to his contemporaries. Introducing country music to people who didn’t know they liked country music and “pop” music to country music fans was his strong suit. Incorporating songs from Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett with those of Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, George Jones, Mel Tillis, Kenny Rogers and those of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins brought him a lot of fans but did not endear him to the Nashville establishment.
1962: You Think You’ve Got A Heartache © Joyce Allsup JoyAll Records, Gower Studios, Nashville, TN (The use of a trumpet and “background” singers on a country record caused one Nashville country radio station to refuse to play “You Think You’ve Got A Heartache” but they opted to play the “B” side, “Just In The Crowd”. The trumpet on this record was played by a then unknown musician named Danny Davis who later became famous as Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass)
[Clay’s music career was interrupted in 1967 by a 3-year stint in the U. S. Army including a year in Viet Nam.]
Left to right: photograph from Army Times on receiving “American Spirit Honor Award” in basic training Ft. Benning, GA; Decca Navigation System training crew Ft. Gordon, GA 1967; photograph posted in Con Son (civilian) library honoring his teaching a conversational English class to Con Son Vietnamese citizens and military; unusual “friend” photographed on a wall overlooking the bay on Con Son Island; honored by U. S. Signal Corps for entertaining the troops and song writing while in Viet Nam with a commissioned poster lauding two of the songs written on Con Son Island that were to become his first recordings after honorable discharge 1969
During his Army years, Clay met David Hoskins, a poet from Sulphur, Louisiana who liked writing song lyrics. David and Clay were stationed on Con Son Island, about 90 miles off the southern delta of Viet Nam. They arrived in Viet Nam in late April 1968 just in time for the “May Offensive”, when the Viet Cong put on their second largest assault of the war. (The biggest was the infamous “Tet Offensive” in February that same year.) David and Clay wrote songs, swam in the mile-and-one-half sheltered bay just over the dunes from their quarters on Con Son, snorkeled by the two live reefs, fought off the boredom and looked forward to the bi-monthly mail planes from Saigon — their only contact with the outside world other than for radio. When they left Viet Nam in early 1969, they parted good friends and have maintained some contact since that time. David is an attorney in Lake Charles, LA.
Here are two of the songs they wrote:
Performing unique arrangements of songs from these artists and original music that was a blend of “popular” music, country music and rock ‘n’ roll made him a fascinating entertainer to a lot of people but kept him from obtaining the radio air play that might have made him a national star.
Studio Recording
- 1962: Just In The Crowd© 1962 Joyce Allsup JoyAll Records Gower Studios, Nashville, TN
- 1972: No Meat and No Potatoes © 1973 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Bill Blaylock)
Tennessee (You’ll Never See The Back of Me Again) © 1973 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Diana Duke) (For 2 years, Clay joined forces with banjo picker Bill Blaylock, who had appeared on the television variety series Hee Haw and who had authored and sold the world’s largest selling mail order banjo instruction course. This was immediately after the movie Deliverance and its theme song, “Dueling Banjos”, made bluegrass music a hot genre.)
1974: The Billboard Song © 1974 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Clay Willis, Linda Willis) (Clay’s wife, Linda, collaborated in writing “The Billboard Song” and producing 3 beautiful daughters)
1975: Recognition © 1975 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Clay Willis) (The second most played single release — the title song of the LP “Recognition”)
1977: Elizabeth Ann © 1975 Louis Brown/Clay Willis (One of many collaborations with the great lyricist, Louis Brown. Live performance at the Stadium Hotel, Atlanta, GA 1983)
[1978-1979 career break for finishing college degree in Psychology and Communications]
1983: Lady In Waiting © 1980 Perry Barton Recorded in Meridian, MS 1983 (Perry Barton, a brilliant keyboardist and songwriter, played in Clay’s band in 1982.)
1984: I Ain’t Never © 1952 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Mel Tillis) Recorded at Axis Studios, Atlanta, GA 1984
1984: I Hope You Find Someone (Who Loves You Like I Do) © 1982 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Zack Van Arsdale) Recorded at Axis Studios, Atlanta, GA 1984 (“I Hope You Find Someone” came closest to becoming a national hit in my recording career. Played on over 1600 country radio stations nationwide. Also the largest selling record ever for Clay. (Reek Havoc [Donnie Snipes], R. C. McNeal, Alan Vining, Eddie Taylor played on this record)
Left to right R. C. McNeal (not seen) and Eddie Taylor (not seen) Donnie Snipes “Reek Havoc” – guitar), Clay Willis and Alan Vining – Bass [Clay’s note: Donnie Snipes (who nicknamed himself “Reek Havoc”) was one of the finest guitarists and persons I’ve ever worked with. His unmely demise in his mid – 30’s from colon cancer was a tragedy for those of us who loved him and for all those people who never got to hear him play guitar. Fortunately, some of his work is preserved on the Axis recording session.]
Live Performance
1973: Blue Velvet © (Originally performed by Bobby Vinton) (Clay formed a trio with Rick Pitts and Alan Vining. This song was recorded live at the Stepping Stone in Buford, GA.
Left to right Rick Pitts, Alan Vining and Clay Willis
1976 Oh Me, Oh My
For the opening of the Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, GA in 1976 and for one Midwestern tour, Clay shared his spotlight with a very beautiful and talented young woman , Debi Engram.
Rick Pitts – Acoustic Guitar, Joe Carpenter – Steel and Electric Guitar
1981: Slow Hand © 1980 Cedarwood Publishing Company (Michael Clark) (Recorded live at the Stepping Stone, Buford, Georgia. Recorded for release immediately after Pointer Sisters “pop” hit and just before Nashville “friends” convinced Conway Twitty to cover the Pointer Sisters by playing Clay’s recording before it was released.
1981: You Are So Beautiful/And I Love You So (medley) (Recorded live at the Stepping Stone, Buford, Georgia)
Clay’s note: Alan Vining is one the most talented individuals I ever worked with. He did the band arrangements and helped me produce my most successful studio recordings. He played drums, guitar, keyboards and a variety of other instruments and is an extremely skillful harmony singer. He also sings solo quite well as evidenced by these live recordings.
Left to right Alan Vining – Bass, Tim Feltner – Drums, Clay Willis, Dale Kelly – Guitar,
R. C. McNeal – Piano
1984 Do You Right Tonight/Pretty Woman (Recorded live at the concert amphitheater, Hershey Park, Pennsylvania) (AUDIO COMING SOON)
Joke Track One (AUDIO COMING SOON)
American Medley (AUDIO COMING SOON)
Clay and Alan Vining wrote and produced some quasi-religious songs which seem a bit prophetic these days, with references to the new fascists rising up in “the East”. Take a listen:
