Clifton Duncan Davis 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 showsThat's My Mama, Amen,Madam Secretary and many 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 has also 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 chapter in the book, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Entitled "A Mason-Dixon Memory," it recounts the racism which he experienced while he was growing up.
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 AdventistBaptist minister. He was raised in Mastic, New York. Clifton Davis is a graduate of Pine Forge Academy. In a piece which he wrote for Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, he described the racism which he suffered while he was growing up during the pre-Civil Rights Act era.
Career
Before finding fame in acting, Davis worked as a songwriter, most famously penning 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 Shakespeare comedy of that name. He starred as barber Clifton Curtis in the mid-1970s television showThat's My Mama with Theresa Merritt, Theodore Wilson, and Ted Lange. Davis' romantic interest in songstress and Broadway performer Melba Moore led to his co-starring role 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 successfully sang the Polish lyrics with Vinton to the show's "My Melody of Love" theme song. A triple heart bypass survivor, Davis participated in the "Superstars" celebrity TV sports competitions of the seventies, in addition to making several appearances on the popular celebrity game show Match Game. He also appeared in the film Scott Joplin, in 1977. Davis also 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, as the Reverend Ruben Gregory, in the NBC 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 filmAny Given Sunday. Davis has continued his stage work, starring in Toronto as well as on Broadway in Aladdin, playing the Sultan of Agrabah.
Ministry
Davis holds a BA in Theology from Oakwood University and a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University. From 1987 to 1989, he was an Associate Pastor of the Loma Linda University SDA 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. 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, NC at 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 Gospel Superfest TV show from 2000 to 2008, which is syndicated by United Television. He is the author of an autobiographical essay entitled "A Mason-Dixon Memory," in which he recounts his experiences as an eighth grader who dealt with prejudice on a trip to a southern state.
