Biography

Buddy Clements

Jump to

Buster "Buddy" Clements is a southern California native, coming from a very musical and artistic family. Clements began singing, acting and playing in various school productions. He attended Hawthorne High School. Upon graduation, Clements attended the University of Redlands for both his Bachelors and Masters in Music Performance. While attending the U of R, Clements created and produced a nationally known jazz concert series featuring such legends as Stan Kenton, Bobby Shew, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, among others. A highlight was the historic showdown between legendary jazz drummers Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson, plus their two Big Bands! Following college, Clements entered the field of music education, but also kept active as a professional musician, conductor and composer. Like many other notable musicians, Clements seems to have successfully transitioned into the world of film acting.
- IMDb mini biography by: Buddy Clements

Acting mentor is Clu Gulager, legendary Hollywood actor.
His mother Rena Leota Lee and her brothers had a popular singing and instrumental ensemble in their hometown of West Plains, Missouri. When the Lee family migrated to southern California in the late 1930s, the Lee Family even performed on a few radio shows.
In 2015, out of over 7,500 nominees, Clements was recognized as one of the top 25 finalists in the GRAMMY Teacher of the Year National Competition.
As a music educator, Clements has built one of the finest public high school music programs in California, composed of 4 concert bands, two string orchestras (170 string musicians), a symphony orchestra, an award-winning jazz band and a 250 member marching band.
Earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Composition from Claremont Graduate University.

Suggest an edit or add missing content