François Scarborough Clemmons (born April 23, 1945)[1] is an American singer, actor, writer and teacher.

[4] Clemmons received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College, and a Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University.

[4] In 1976, he won a Grammy Award for a recording of Porgy and Bess;[6] he performed the role of "Sportin' Life" over 100 times.

In the neighborhood itself, Clemmons ran a singing and dance studio located in the building diagonally across the street from Mister Rogers' house.

He was one of the first African Americans to have a recurring role on a children's TV series,[2] and his presentation – as both a beloved neighbor to Mister Rogers and as a respected authority figure – has been described as a ground-breaking message in race relations.

He "played the role of professor, choirmaster, resident vocal soloist, advisor, confidant, and community cheerleader".

He also commissioned a choral work composed of spirituals entitled Changed My Name, arranged by Linda Twine.

[4] While attending Oberlin College, Clemmons realized that he was gay, but remained closeted, fearing disapproval from his religious family and the community.

[5][15] Rogers remained personally supportive of Clemmons, but required him to avoid any indication of his homosexuality on the program, such as the earring he began to wear as a signifier.

[19] In 2021, Clemmons preserved three spirituals as part of his scripted role in Brad Forenza's episodic audio drama, Around The Sun.