Clarence Joseph Ford, Sr. (December 16, 1929 – August 9, 1994)[1] was an American saxophonist and clarinetist, who played and recorded with many of New Orleans' leading R&B and jazz artists in a career spanning more than 40 years.

[3] Clarence Ford's great-grandfather Narcisse Gabriel emigrated from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to New Orleans in 1856.

The band included Big Manny on accordion and later cornet, Johnny St. Cyr on guitar, and Freddie Keppard, then on violin.

Little Manny played saxophone and clarinet, and was a drummer with Louis Armstrong before the latter moved to Chicago[3] to join King Oliver's band in 1922.

[5] Charles moved to Detroit at age 14, later playing with Lionel Hampton, Nancy Wilson, J.C. Heard, and Aretha Franklin.

[5] Ford attended Booker T. Washington High School with trumpeter Melvin Lastie and pianist/ singer Joe Jones.

Enterprising musicians of color secured a union charter for the Gulf Coast region using addresses of its members' vacation homes.

[9] Clarence Ford had his initial professional job at age 15 with the Eureka Brass Band in 1945 when he played E-flat clarinet at a Mardi Gras gig.

[11] The session was supervised by De Luxe A&R man Paul Gayten, and, in addition to Ford, featured Harold Battiste on baritone sax, Lloyd Lambert on bass, Reynold Richards on piano, and Ed Blackwell on drums.

Clarence Ford also worked as an orderly at Charity Hospital for $20 a week, in addition to his music dates, to support his wife and two children.

[13] In 1954 he and friend trumpeter Dalton "Red" Rousseau were hired by manager Hosea Hill to play in Guitar Slim's band.

[3] Tenor sax man Herb Hardesty approached Ford in January 1957 about joining Fats Domino's band.

[16] At their shows crowds were separated into whites on the floor and blacks in the balcony, or by a painted line or rope down the center of the theater.

[17] In 1957, Ford's first year with the outfit, the Domino band traveled 13,000 miles across the United States and played 355 shows at sold-out venues whenever they performed.

During his last 10 years in the Domino band Ford never made more than $275 a week, his small pay increases unable to keep with the cost of living.

"[14] During his time with Fats Domino, Ford and the band played in Mexico, Jamaica, France, Italy, England, and Germany.

"[3] Ford's gig at the Marriott was highlighted in a Billboard magazine listing entitled "The Clubs That Keep The Crescent City Jumping.

[14] Talented on alto, baritone, soprano, and tenor saxophone, as well as clarinet, Clarence Ford's skillful musicianship made him one of the most sought after studio musicians in New Orleans of his era.

Starting in the mid-1950s [12] Ford recorded on sessions for Fats Domino, Pee Wee Crayton, Little Richard, Snooks Eaglin, Bobby Mitchell, Shirley and Lee, Joe Tex, Professor Longhair, Smiley Lewis, Bobby Charles, Earl King, Jessie Hill, Guitar Slim, Alvin Alcorn, Labelle, Charles Brown, Art Neville, Aaron Neville, Little Sonny Jones, Roosevelt Sykes, Dave "Fat Man" Williams, and more for a variety of labels.