Researching Mike Clark

Michael Jeffrey Clark was born in Sacramento, California, United States. He traveled around the country with his father, a drummer himself and a union man for the railroad. His dad had a great appreciation for jazz and blues music, and Mike absorbed the music of America while riding the rails. He credits this exposure as forming the foundation for his ability to synthesize many different regional styles. From age 4, he was a prodigy, sitting in - and getting "house"- with bands in Texas and New Orleans. By the time he reached his early twenties he was known as one of the founders of the distinctive East Bay Sound coming out of Oakland, California.

Mike has performed with such well-known jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Nicholas Payton, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Eddie Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Vince Guaraldi, Woody Shaw, Donald Harrison, Albert King, Larry Coryell, Michael Wolff, Wallace Roney, Billy Childs, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, Bobby McFerrin, Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown Jr., and Gil Evans and his orchestra.

His latest recordings include "Retro Report" with Delbert Bump on Rope-a-Dope label, "Life Cycle" with Mark Sherman, Chase Baird, and Felix Pastorius, also on Rope-a-Dope; Eddie Henderson's "Be Cool" on the Smoke label; Charnett Moffett's "Music from Our Soul" on Motima; and "Indigo Blue: Live at the Iridium" with Christian McBride, Donald Harrison, Rob Dixon, Randy Brecker, and Antonio Farao on Highnote.

Clark endorses DW drums, Istanbul Agop cymbals, Evans drumheads, and Innovative Percussion drumsticks. He has played Remo drumheads, Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian cymbals, and Paiste cymbals in the past.

Throughout his time with Suicidal Tendencies, Clark was very active in the band's songwriting, writing much of the music for his first album with the band, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today. His early compositions were mostly thrash-oriented but stuck to the bands already melodic sound. He continued to write music for the band that covered many different styles, best illustrated by The Art of Rebellion. As Clark claimed in an interview, "This is definitely our most diverse album yet, but it wasn't really planned that way, it's just the way we've grown musically."

Clark has had endorsement deals with B.C. Rich, Jackson and Yamaha guitars. He used to play a custom made BC Rich Gunslinger guitar with a skull wearing the classic Suicidal flip cap painted on it. Since the mid-1990s, he has played only Fernandes guitars, which he continues to endorse. Clark's early trademark image was his straight long hair and the "Suicidal" flip-cap. He has since cut his hair and began wearing a blue bandana.

On May 31, 2012, in Santa Cruz, California, Clark suffered a head injury during a pre-show incident resulting in concussion that also required nine staples to a gash on his head. This prompted Clark to leave Suicidal Tendencies. He did, however, provide rhythm guitar on four tracks from the band's 2013 album 13 ("Shake It Out", "God Only Knows Who I Am", "Who's Afraid?" and "Cyco Style"), where he is credited as an "additional musician".

On June 6, 2012, a music video by one of Clark's bands, Phenagen, was released.

Clark and his wife Shannon have a daughter named Christina, who was seen at the end of the live video for "War Inside My Head".

Clark was born in Dayton, Ohio. He attended Detroit Country Day High School and was a Parade Magazine High School All American soccer player. He then attended Indiana University where he was team captain, starting every game and a mainstay on the Hoosiers soccer team from 1991 to 1994. He started 91 games during his four seasons and was selected as a 1994 third team All American.

In 1995, he signed with the Richmond Kickers of the USISL. That season, the Kickers won both the USISL and Open Cup championships. In February 1996, the Columbus Crew selected Clark in the fourth round (thirty-first overall) in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. He is the most capped player for the Crew and was also voted to two MLS All-Star Games. In 1997, Clark married a nurse, Laura Hetrick Clark. In 2000 he had his first child, Michael Sean Clark Jr. In 2003 he had his 2nd and last child, Sophia Leigh Clark. He retired on March 16, 2004 holding the Crew record for games played, minutes played and games started. He also played 22 playoff and 18 U.S. Open Cup games.

Before his retirement, he had entered the business world, owning two Great Clips franchises and working at a mortgage company.

He coached for the “Canterbury high school” Varsity Men’s soccer team and led them to numerous state victories.Clark also started the “Mike Clark Soccer Camp” in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In 2018 Clark and his family moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Wilmington, North Carolina. Where Clark currently works as a Medical Sales Representative for Hologic.

Clark was a native of Camden, New Jersey. He stood tall and weighed . His career began in the Cardinal farm system in 1940 and continued through 1959, interrupted by three years of service in the United States Army during World War II.

In the Majors, he appeared in 29 of his 35 games in relief, and allowed 78 hits and 35 bases on balls (with 27 strikeouts) in 61 innings pitched. He was undefeated in three decisions and recorded one save. As a minor leaguer, he compiled a 163–146 win-loss record in 556 games, including an 18-win 1949 season for the Columbus Cardinals of the Class A Sally League.