Sue Cassidy Clark is an American music journalist and photographer who specialized in soul, gospel, and rock music in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Many of the individuals with whom Clark conducted interviews were musical pioneers, and the period in which the interviews took place was a time when American popular music was evolving rapidly. Over the course of her life, Clark has interviewed many notable musicians, including

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

, Jerry Wexler, Creedence Clearwater Revival,

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie,

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Jimi Hendrix,

The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decade ...

, Etta James, Jefferson Airplane, B. B. King,

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

, Patti LaBelle, Little Richard,

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor ...

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Martha Reeves Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and pop singer. She is the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas which scored over a dozen hit singles, including " Come and Get These Memories", " Nowhere to R ...

, Smokey Robinson, Rolling Stones,

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

Chaka Kahn Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Q ...

David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Clas ...

, and

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...

Publications

Clark authored ''Rock: A World Bold as Love'' in 1970 and ''The Superstars: In Their Own Words'' in 1972. She spent most of her time conductive interviews and writing record reviews for major music publications. Clark's work appeared in many magazines, including '' Billboard'', ''Black Stars'', ''Creem'', ''Hit Parader'', ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', ''Rock'', ''Soul Illustrated'', and ''Soul Sounds'', ''Manchete'' (Brazil).

Archival collections

Sue Cassidy Clark's papers exist in two repositories: Columbia College Chicago's Center for Black Music Research - Sue Cassidy Clark Papers, 1948–1999 (Bulk 1968–1979) This collection includes Clark's recorded interviews, interview transcripts, photographs, published articles, correspondence, handwritten notes, clippings, promotional print material, and commercial sound recordings related mostly to Soul, Gospel and R&B. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum - Sue Cassidy Clark Collection, 1966-1974 This collection focuses on artists in the San Francisco psychedelic rock scene as well as prominent rock bands of that era. The Collection is composed mainly of interviews Clark conducted on audiocassettes and their transcripts. Also included in the Collection is biographical research and clippings related to the artists about whom Clark was interviewing and writing, as well as flyers, pamphlets, clippings, and sheet music for bands and artists performing in and around the San Francisco Bay area.

References

External Links

Guide to the Sue Cassidy Clark Collection
Center for Black Music Research, Columbia College Chicago
Sue Cassidy Clark Collection
at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Sue Cassidy American women journalists American music journalists Living people Writers from Chicago 20th-century American women writers Women writers about music 20th-century American non-fiction writers Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women