Gary Clark Jr. is a Musicheads Essential artist. The Grammy-winning artist led a revival of blues rock in the 2010s and is one of the most revered guitarists of the modern era.

Gary Lee Clark Jr., was born and raised in the musical city of Austin, Texas, and started making a mark on the city when he was still a teenager. In fact, he was only 17 years old when the mayor of Austin proclaimed May 3, 2001, to be Gary Clark Jr. Day in his hometown.

It didn't take long for the larger music industry to take note of Gary Clark Jr.'s obvious talent for performing and songwriting. After burning up the festival circuit with early gigs at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, he made his major label debut with the genre-spanning album Blak and Blu in 2012, released by Warner Brothers Records. It shot to number one on the Billboard blues album chart and broke into the top 10 on the Billboard 200, solidifying Gary Clark Jr.'s reputation as an influential artist.

In addition to sharing the stage with rock legends like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Rolling Stones, and the blues icon BB King, Gary Clark Jr. has also become a leading voice in the modern Black Renaissance, especially with his more politically fueled album, This Land. The title track was inspired by an interaction that Gary had with a neighbor after purchasing a 50-acre farm in rural Texas, and celebrated winning the awards for Best Rock song and Best Rock Performance by giving an incendiary performance of the track with The Roots at the 2020 Grammys.