Clifton Davis
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Clifton Davis | |
|---|---|
 Davis in 1998 | |
| Born | Clifton Duncan Davis October 4, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1971–present |
| Known for | That's My Mama, Amen |
| Spouses |
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| Website | www |
Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author.
Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals Two Gentlemen of Verona and Aladdin. Davis starred in the television shows That's My Mama, Amen, Madam Secretary, and others. He has hosted the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Gospel Superfest and Lifestyle Magazine. Davis has appeared on the game shows Match Game and Pyramid and appeared in many movies.
Davis is a minister of a Baptist church and has also operated an interdenominational ministry for many years. He has been a guest on the Trinity Broadcasting Network many times. Davis wrote "A Mason-Dixon Memory", one of the chapters in the book Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, about the racism which he experienced while growing up.[1]
Early life
Davis was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Thelma van Putten Langhorn, a nurse, and Toussaint L'Ouverture Davis, a Seventh-day Adventist minister. He was raised in Mastic, New York, and he is a graduate of Pine Forge Academy, a Black boarding school operated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Davis holds a BA in Theology from Oakwood University and a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University.[2]
Career
Before becoming a successful actor Davis was a songwriter who wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit "Never Can Say Goodbye." He appeared on Broadway as Valentine in Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical Two Gentlemen of Verona, based on the eponymous Shakespeare comedy.[3][4] He starred as barber Clifton Curtis in the mid-1970s television show That's My Mama with Theresa Merritt, Theodore Wilson, and Ted Lange.[5]
Davis co-starred with singer and Broadway performer Melba Moore on her musical variety television show. Later he made a guest appearance on the third episode of the first season of The Bobby Vinton Show in September 1975, singing "I've Got the Music in Me" and "Never Can Say Goodbye". He sang the Polish lyrics with Vinton to the show's theme song, titled "My Melody of Love".
A triple heart bypass survivor, Davis participated in the "Superstars" celebrity TV sports competitions of the 1970s as well as made several appearances as one of the celebrity panelists on the game show Match Game. He appeared in the film Scott Joplin, in 1977. Davis made numerous appearances on several incarnations of Pyramid from the early 1970s to the early 1990s.
From 1986 to 1991, Davis co-starred with Sherman Hemsley and Anna Maria Horsford as the Reverend Ruben Gregory in the sitcom Amen, which ran for five seasons. Davis released one acclaimed studio recording in 1991 on Benson Records titled Say Amen. He also played the mayor of Miami in the 1999 film Any Given Sunday. Davis starred in Toronto and on Broadway in Aladdin, playing the Sultan of Agrabah.[6]
Ministry
From 1987 to 1989, he was an Associate Pastor of the Loma Linda University Seventh-day Adventist Church in southern California. For the last twenty-five years, Davis has been an active member of Youthville, USA a children's services organization. He served as the co-founder and co-pastor of the Welcome Christian Center in Huntington Beach, California. Davis is a licensed minister at St. Luke Baptist Church, New York, New York. He has had an interdenominational ministry for over 30 years. Davis has served as its National Spokesperson and Advisory Board Chairman.[7] He is the emcee and host of The Most Soulful Sound, an annual gospel choir competition in Raleigh, North Carolina. Davis also hosts an annual celebrity golf tournament in Elizabeth City State University, where he served as its vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement. Since the end of 2005, Davis has held the position of executive director for Welcome America, a non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which hosts the largest Fourth of July celebration in the nation each year. He is a frequent guest and host on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Davis also hosted the TV show Gospel Superfest from 2000 to 2008, syndicated by United Television.[8]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Together for Days | Gus | ||
| 1974 | Lost in the Stars | Absalom | ||
| 1994 | Heart of Stone (film) | Richard Polite | ||
| 1999 | Any Given Sunday | Mayor Tyrone Smalls | ||
| 2001 | Kingdom Come | Charles Winslow | ||
| 2001 | Max Keeble's Big Move | Supt. Bobby 'Crazy Legs' Knebworth | ||
| 2001 | The Painting | Thomas Ayers | ||
| 2004 | Halloweentown High | Principal Phil Flannagan | ||
| 2006 | The Engagement: My Phamily BBQ 2 | Uncle Joe | ||
| 2007 | Cover | D.A. Simmons | ||
| 2011 | David E. Talbert's What My Husband Doesn't Know | Franklin | ||
| 2013 | God's Amazing Grace... Is Just A Prayer Away | Wilbert Richardson | ||
| 2016 | Prayer Never Fails | Michael Brown |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | A World Apart | Matt Hampton | 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show | Co-host | Series |
| 1973 | Love Story | James Monroe | Episode "A Glow of Dying Embers" |
| 1973–1977 | Police Story | Mark Randolph Ed Webber |
"The Ho Chi Minh Trail" "The Malflores" |
| 1974–1975 | That's My Mama | Clifton Curtis | Main role (39 episodes) |
| 1977 | Scott Joplin | Louis Chauvin | TV movie |
| 1977 | Superdome | P.K. Jackson | TV movie |
| 1977 | Little Ladies of the Night | Comfort | TV movie |
| 1978 | Vega$ | Leon Hazlett | Episode: "The Eleventh Event" |
| 1978 | Cindy | Captain Joe Prince | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Mr. Reeves | Episode: "Invisible Maniac" |
| 1980 | The Littlest Hobo | Phil McLean | Episode: "Licence to Steal" |
| 1980 | The Night the City Screamed | Arnold Clements | TV movie |
| 1981 | Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige | Cool Papa Bell | TV movie |
| 1986–1991 | Amen | Reverend Reuben Gregory | Main role (110 episodes) |
| 1989 | Dream Date | Bill Fairview | TV movie |
| 1990–1994 | Stellar Gospel Music Awards | Co-host | Specials |
| 1993 | The John Larroquette Show | Jada Sweet | Episode: "Pros and Cons" |
| 1996 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Charles | Episode: "Seems Like Old Times" |
| 1997 | Living Single | Harrison Cushmore | Episode: "Mother Inferior" |
| 1997 | Sparks | Pastor Alexander | Episode: "It's the Gospel" |
| 1997 | Malcolm & Eddie | Leonard Larson | Episode: "Club Story" |
| 1997 | Party of Five | Martin Wilcox | Episode: "Point of No Return" |
| 1997 | Grace Under Fire | Dr. Swanson | Episode: "Sam's Dad" |
| 1997 | The Sentinel | President Lemec | Episode: "Fool Me Twice" |
| 1997 | The Gregory Hines Show | Pauley's Father | Episode: "Three's Not Company" |
| 1998 | Any Day Now | Councilman Lyle Hammond | Episode: "No Comment" |
| 1999 | In the House | Ted Miller | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Dr. Langston Ellis | Episode: "Bride and Prejudice" |
| 2000–2008 | Gospel Superfest | Host | |
| 2001 | Lifestyle Magazine | Host | Series |
| 2002 | American Dreams | Alvin Lewis | Episode: "The Home Front" |
| 2004 | Half & Half | Pastor David Adams | Episode: "The Big Practice What You Preach Episode" |
| 2012 | Political Animals | Reporter | Miniseries; episode: "Pilot" |
| 2012 | Mr. Box Office | Judge | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2013 | The First Family | Clayton | Episode: "The First Triangle" |
| 2015–2019 | Madam Secretary | Ephraim Ware, Director of National Intelligence | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Iron Fist | Lawrence Wilkins | Recurring role |
| 2017 | The Good Fight | Anthony Spiegel | Episode: "Not So Grand Jury" |
| 2018 | New Amsterdam | Pierre Pampil | Episode: "Rituals" |
| 2018 | Blue Bloods | Inspector Azoulay | Episode: "Mind Games" |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem | Elijah Muhammad | TBA |
References
- ^ Davis, Clifton (1997). Jack Canfield; Mark Victor Hansen; Kimberly Kirberger; Mitch Claspy (eds.). Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul (A Mason-Dixon Memory). pp. 127–133. ISBN 1558744630. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
- ^ "Clifton Davis in Ministry". Archived from the original on 2010-08-13. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
- ^ "Two Gentlemen of Verona Broadway @ St. James Theatre - Tickets and Discounts - Playbill". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ "Mansion (Two Gentlemen Of Verona/1971 Original Broadway Cast/Remastered)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ baydog (December 17, 2006). "Ted Lange And Clifton Davis". youtube.com. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ "Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed Will Co-Star in Disney's Aladdin; Complete Cast Announced". playbill.com. Playbill. September 16, 2013. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
- ^ "Bio". Archived from the original on 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ "Gospel Superfest (TV Movie 2005) - IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2017-04-05. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
External links
- Clifton Davis at IMDb
- Clifton Davis at the Internet Broadway Database
- Clifton Davis at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American singers
- 1945 births
- African-American Christians
- African-American male actors
- American gospel singers
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Andrews University alumni
- Elizabeth City State University faculty
- Living people
- Male actors from Chicago
- Male actors from New York (state)
- Oakwood University alumni
- People from Mastic, New York
- Singers from Chicago
- Singers from New York (state)
- Songwriters from Illinois
- Songwriters from New York (state)
- Former Seventh-day Adventists
- 20th-century American male singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- African-American male singers