Larry Clark can be seen around Plant City playing saxophone and flute at open mic events and church services. But this represents only a fraction of his musical endeavors.
He has been a member of a rhythm and blues band called The Sensational Epics since it formed in 1963 in South Carolina, and this month, the band was inducted into the South Carolina Beach Music Awards Hall of Fame.
The Sensational Epics arose from a group of teenage friends who wanted to play music together. At first, their repertoire was mostly limited to songs by The Beatles.
“Within a year or so, it gradually morphed into what was more popular in the South, which was rhythm and blues,” Clark said.
In 1970, the five original members of the band thought they had broken up for good, each continuing to pursue other musical opportunities independently. As an officer in the U.S. Air Force, Clark played flute in church a few times a year. He kept his saxophones around, though they were starting to collect some dust.
In 1996, the band came back together for one night to play at the musicians’ 30-year high school reunion.
“We had fun, but we all just went our separate ways again after that,” Clark said.
But in 2001, the band was invited to play a benefit concert for a children’s shelter. After that performance, the band members decided to commit to playing together more regularly.
By this point, Clark had moved to Plant City, but he did not want to quit on his band. So, since the reunion, Clark has made the 500-mile drive to South Carolina 10 or more times each year to perform with The Sensational Epics. For him, the trek is worth the reward.
“One the way up there almost every time, I say, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then as soon as I get on stage, the chemistry of the band — we’re like a family,” Clark said.
Last spring, the band found out that they would be inducted into the South Carolina Beach Music Awards Hall of Fame, an honor that has been bestowed upon the best beach music bands since 1995.
“I thought it was pretty cool,” Clark said. “Then I started realizing the only way to get into the Hall of Fame is to be old.”
Beach music is a genre intended to accompany the “Shag,” the state dance of South Carolina.
“The whole genre is relatively slow, so you dance holding hands,” Clark said. “It’s kind of like what you might think of jitterbug or something like that, but it’s much more slow, and it’s a much more graceful dance.”
Clark and seven of the other band members convened in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a weekend of ceremonies and celebrating Thursday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 9.
“We’re still kind of surprised that we won, because we don’t hang around the beach much, even though we play a lot of beach music,” Clark said. “Most of our jobs are weddings or special events.”
When he’s not traveling to play with The Sensational Epics, Clark plays solo and with a few groups around Plant City. He enjoys playing with the praise band at First United Methodist Church and sometimes as a guest musician at other churches. He also plays at open mic events at Big Dog’s Patio and O’Brien’s Irish Pub.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.