page_title: Clifton Davis
section_title: Career
hierarchical_section_title: Clifton Davis / Career
caption_attribution_description: Clifton Davis
context_page_description: 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 shows That'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.
context_section_description: 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 show That'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 (and now hard to find) 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 has continued his stage work, starring in Toronto as well as on Broadway in Aladdin, playing the Sultan of Agrabah.
caption: Davis in a club
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