Gary Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American guitarist and actor based in Austin, Texas. Described as being the future of Texas blues, Clark's resume has included sharing the stage with various legends of rock and roll. He has stated that he is "influenced by blues, jazz, soul [and] country, as well as hip hop". Clark's musical trademarks are his extremely fuzzy guitar sound and smooth vocal style. GARY CLARK JR.began playing guitar in 1996 at the ripe young age of 12.