Kerry Patrick Clark returns to town with online concert
Norman Rockwell painted everyday American scenes of small town life with affection, charm and humor. What Rockwell did with paint, Kerry Patrick Clark does with music. The award-winning singer-songwriter gives us musical portraits of everyday life that show us what we as a people have in common. His ability to do this with affection, charm and humor has earned him the title of “The Musical Norman Rockwell.”
A native of Ohio, Clark’s music, which centers around stories of love, faith, family, friends and the dreams we aspire to, should resonate well with Tehachapi. He will return to town, virtually, on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m., via the Fiddlers Crossing Facebook page. The singer-songwriter was booked to play the venue in person on this date before the pandemic. As with all concerts of this type, admission is free but donations, using a link provided during the show, are strongly encouraged. One hundred percent of the donated amount will go to the artist.
Clark’s career spans more than three decades, with chart-topping singles in the Country, Americana and folk genres, and seven CDs to his credit. He was a member of the folk group the New Christy Minstrels. His songs have been used in film and TV. His song, “Ground Zero,” was included on Wolf Blitzer’s CNN special commemorating the six-month milestone after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Other songs Clark wrote in response to the attack were featured in the PBS special, “Reclaiming Hope,” and recorded on his CD, “Songs to Heal a Nation.” His latest album, released earlier this year, is titled “What a Show” and is earning rave reviews around the country.
Clark’s take on themes from humbleness and humility, loving, serving, choosing, healing and yearning appear like a slice of daily life resonating across the lines that would try to divide us by age, race, gender and religion. Ultimately his music brings people together under the auspices of all that is good in each of us. What lies behind his music is Clark’s belief that “as we share our stories of loss, love, hope and fear, we connect on a deeper level.”
Along with his humor and charm, what comes across to the audience most of all is, like in a Norman Rockwell painting, Kerry Patrick Clark’s absolute honesty in his depiction of everyday life. Given the challenging times in which we live, Kerry Patrick Clark’s gentle, warm and reassuring presence should be just what the doctor ordered.
For more about Kerry Patrick Clark, visit www.kerrypatrickclark.com.
To enjoy the concert, visit the Fiddlers Crossing Facebook page at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.
Deborah Hand-Cutler owns Mountain Music, where she teaches cello and mountain dulcimer.