CLINT HOLMES
Clint Holmes is more than a singer. Like a painter with a blank canvas, he makes every performance an original. His powerful voice and magnetic stage presence embrace the upbeat side of his life. When he is on stage, anything can happen. And it usually does.
Born in England, Clint is the son of an African-American jazz musician and a British opera singer. When he was eight, his musical indoctrination began with his mother teaching him classical vocal techniques at home, while his dad showed him how to scat sing in the jazz clubs. Clint admits it was the best of two musical worlds. Today he says, “My mom taught me how to sing correctly and my dad taught me how to enjoy it.”
Clint’s first break came when Joan Rivers invited him to be her sidekick and announcer on the now defunct “The Late Show.” This was followed by a two year stint on “Entertainment Tonight,” for which he served as their musical feature event correspondent.
Although his visibility was greatly enhanced by those roles, it wasn’t until he landed his own Emmy winning talk/variety show on WWOR – TV that it all came together for Clint. “New York at Night” featured celebrity guests from the worlds of film, TV, theatre and music. Clint, in his duel role as host and singer, has the opportunity to showcase the full range of his talents as he performed, interviewed guests and interacted with his audience.
Television producers from coast-to-coast have long recognized the added value of including Clint in their productions and it has led to his numerous appearances on network TV programs including two “Miss America Pageants,” “The Peoples Choice
Awards,” “The Parade of Stars” and the Emmy Awards.”
His CD, “Edges,” explores his multiple creative sides as singer with the album’s cover single, “Feel Like Makin’ Love and as singer and writer with songs such as the romantic “Shouldn’t it Be Easy Now,” and “I Know What I Need,” the playful “Gotta Get Up” and “Sexuality,” and the extremely thought provoking, “Let My Son See Africa.” With “Edges” Clint proves his versatility more than with any other single work of his career.
Among his various recordings, Clint had a “Top Ten,” smash hit, “Playground In My Mind (My Name Is Michael).”
Named Atlantic City’s Entertainer of the year three times, the multi-talented, charismatic Holmes is an American reassure. He starred in “Clint Holmes’ Sophisticated Rhythm,” a dynamic stage show journey through music of the 1940’s through the present. In an overwhelming success, “Sophisticated Rhythms” played to two sold out performances nightly at the Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
In July 1992, Clint was honored to be asked to be the featured performer at the Democratic National Convention.
To prove he’s popular in both camps, he also appeared at The White House performing for President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President and Mrs. Quayle “The National Literacy Honors” which aired on ABC.
In February of 1996, Clint’s show “Comfortable Shoes,” opened at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, New Jersey. Met with incredible popular and critical acclaim, this world premiere musical is a poignant and uplifting journey into Clint and his interracial family’s struggle to find its identity. With the book written by Clint and music and lyrics by Clint and Nelson Kole, “Comfortable Shoes” is Clint’s life story is-a-bi-racial story of racism and diversity, triumph over prejudice and most importantly of acceptance, fitting in and being comfortable with oneself.
In September of 2002, a new and updated version of “Comfortable Shoes” opened to rave reviews at the Royal Theatre in Chicago. During its’ limited run, The Chicago Tribune called the show “A night of fully realized theatrical entertainment!” while The Chicago Sun-Times labeled it “A vibrant and highly polished musical with a hugely talented cast! The score is brilliantly inventive and the band is dynamic.
Clint, Harrah’s “Entertainer of choice for the Millennium,” recently starred for six years in “Clint Holmes at Harrah’s,” a nightly show seen at Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. On March 22, 2002, Harrah’s named their main showroom the “Clint Holmes Theatre,” a rare honor received only by a handful of entertainers in Las Vegas History and a first for an African American performer. Clint was also heralded as “Best Singer” in Las Vegas by the readers of Las Vegas Review-Journal.
When Clint is not rehearsing and working on his new Broadway-Bound musical “JAM,” he is touring and performing extensively.
