Meeting at the crossroads of affectionate sophisti-pop, lush soft rock, and more passionate college rock, Gary Clark is known as a member of charting U.K. trio Danny Wilson, as well as for his later work as a soloist, songwriter/producer for hire, and soundtrack composer. After forming in the mid-'80s, his group scored a U.S. Top 30 and U.K. Top Three hit with "Mary's Prayer" from their debut album, 1987's Meet Danny Wilson. Named for the 1952 Frank Sinatra film, its cool, sophisticated arrangements revealed the influence of '60s soul, Burt Bacharach, and Steely Dan. The band only put out one more album, the U.K. Top 30-charting Bebop Moptop, before members went their separate ways in 1991. Clark released a similarly styled solo album called Ten Short Songs About Love in 1993, and took part in a couple of short-lived bands (King L, Transister), then began racking up producing credits for the likes of Natalie Imbruglia, Nick Carter, and Melanie C. At the same time, examples of his songwriting appeared on albums for Lloyd Cole, Deacon Blue, Liz Phair, and many others. In 2007, Clark moved across the pond to Los Angeles, where he contributed to Demi Lovato's Billboard 200-topping album Here We Go Again (2009) and Delta Goodrem's Australian number two, Child of the Universe (2012), along with continued demand for his behind-the-scenes skills. After moving back to the U.K. in 2014, he struck up a partnership with film writer/director John Carney, and their work included the soundtrack for the hit indie film Sing Street and songs for the titular fictional '80s band. Clark and Carney worked together again on the 2023 film Flora and Son. Born in Dundee, Scotland in 1961, Gary Clark played in a number of London-based bands in the early '80s with his friend Ged Grimes, among them Clark's Commandos and Dream Kitchen. After returning to Dundee in 1984, they formed the trio Spencer Tracy with Gary's brother Kit Clark. Partly influenced by classic soul, and with a lush sophisti-pop sound that drew comparisons to bands such as the Big Dish, Deacon Blue, and Prefab Sprout, they signed with Virgin Records in 1986 but rebranded to Danny Wilson (after the 1952 Frank Sinatra film Meet Danny Wilson) after receiving complaints from actor Spencer Tracy's estate. Released in April 1997, the band's debut album, Meet Danny Wilson, was written entirely by Gary Clark, including the lead single "Mary's Prayer." The song was a surprise U.S. hit, entering the Top 30 of the Hot 100 at number 23, and the band toured the States in support of Simply Red later that year. Although it had missed the Top 75 in the U.S., it reached as high as number three in the U.K. when it was reissued by Virgin U.K. in 1989. That year, the song was also featured in the hit romantic comedy There's Something About Mary. Meanwhile, the album peaked at number 65 in the U.K. and 79 on the U.S. album chart. The follow-up, Bebop Moptop, arrived on Virgin in July 1989 and featured a pair of songs by Kit Clark, one of which he co-wrote with Grimes, in addition to songs by his brother. Although it failed to chart abroad, it posted at a career-high number 24 in the United Kingdom. With members collectively dissatisfied over which songs to include on a planned third album, ongoing confusion over the band name, and more, they amicably parted ways and released the collection Sweet Danny Wilson in 1991. That year, Kit Clark issued the solo EP Lovedung (Reverb Records), and the songs Gary Clark had written for the unrecorded third Danny Wilson album ended up on the full-length solo release Ten Short Songs About Love. Both Kit Clark and Ged Grimes performed on the album. Kit went on to form bands including Pony and the Swiss Family Orbison in addition to recording solo, and Ged Grimes worked as a music writer as well as playing with Deacon Blue and making his debut as bassist for Simple Minds in 2010. Alongside stints in the bands King L (who released the album Great Day for Gravity in 1995) and Transister (1997's Transister) -- both with bassist Eric Pressly, and the latter with singer Keely Hawkes -- Gary Clark became increasingly busy as a producer and songwriter. He filled both roles on the song "Breed" for Lauren Christy; it was included on the platinum-selling soundtrack to 1997's Batman & Robin. He earned a songwriting credit on that year's Drag by k.d. lang and on records by Donna Lewis and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (including the single "Lost Weekend") by the end of the decade. Clark and Pressly collaborated on a remix of Natalie Imbruglia's song "Wishing I Was There," leading to the opportunity for Clark to write eight songs with the singer that ended up on her 2001 LP, White Lilies Island. He also co-produced and played on the album. That same year, he shared credit with Ricky Ross on two songs for Deacon Blue's Homesick album. In 2002, his name appeared in the composer credits on releases by Julia Fordham and Nick Carter, among others. The following year saw the release of collaborations with Liz Phair, Melanie C, and Mark Owen. He teamed up with Imbruglia again for 2005's Counting Down the Days. Clark temporarily relocated to Los Angeles starting in 2007. Highlights of his time there included producing and co-writing the song "Got Dynamite," which was included on Demi Lovato's 2009 album Here We Go Again, a U.S. number one. That year, he also contributed to a pair of songs for Imbruglia's Come to Life (including "Want," whose other co-writers included Coldplay's Chris Martin). "Kill of the Night," a song he wrote with Gin Wigmore and Julian Hamilton for Wigmore's 2011 album, Gravel & Wine, met with high demand for TV, film, and commercial placements, and he co-wrote eight songs (producing five) on Delta Goodrem's Child of the Universe, which went as high as number two in her native Australia in 2012. In 2014, Clark moved back to his hometown, and Danny Wilson briefly reunited to play at a friend's wedding. That September, they performed "Mary's Prayer" at the opening ceremony of golf's Ryder Cup in Glasgow before members returned to their separate music projects. Gary Clark then teamed up with filmmaker John Carney (Once) to write songs for a coming-of-age comedy drama about a fictional '80s band. Released in 2016, Sing Street featured a soundtrack with upwards of a half-dozen original songs alongside '80s hits by names like Duran Duran, Joe Jackson, and Hall & Oates. The film garnered a slew of award nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture, and a Critic's Choice nomination for Best Song for "Drive It Like You Stole It," a track that collected several wins from smaller critic's associations. A stage musical adaptation of Sing Street premiered off-Broadway in 2019. Clark went on to write music for the TV series Modern Love (Carney directed some episodes), including co-writing and performing the theme song. Carney and Clark reunited again for 2023's Flora and Son, another Carney homage to music and the working class, this one starring Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono). In the meantime, Clark and Emma Thompson (book and lyrics) put the finishing touches on a stage musical adaptation of the film Nanny McPhee. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi