Top 1940s Crooner & Sinatra Friend is Museum's Jewish Heritage Month Honoree: Buddy Clark to be Honored on May 17

Boston, MA—On October 1, 1949, Buddy Clark hopped a chartered plane headed to Los Angeles after a Stanford/Michigan football game. Approaching its destination, the plane ran out of gas and crash-landed on Beverly Hills Boulevard. Clark alone perished. He was just 37 years old and set to make his CBS TV network debut the following night. He remains one of the West End’s most famous residents, alongside Leonard Nimoy and Sumner Redstone.

The West End Museum proudly celebrates the life and music of Buddy Clark at its annual Jewish Heritage Night on Thursday, May 17, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served and Clark’s greatest hits played. The event is free and open to the public. (Media note: Download photos of Clark here.)

In 1912, Clark was born Samuel Goldberg on Anderson Street in the West End (not in Dorchester in 1911 as some accounts say). His parents were from Russia and Romania and of Jewish descent, so Clark grew up speaking Yiddish. His musical talents became obvious at a very young age. In grammar school, he played clarinet and saxophone, and sang and acted at the West End House. He also sang in the streets and in local bars, restaurants and social clubs. His first paid gig came at age 11 when he received $3 for singing at a West End wedding.

In high school, Clark became a great debater and athlete – playing baseball, basketball, and tennis. For decades, he was considered the best catcher the West End House ever had, and he seriously considered becoming a pro. His passion for music ultimately won out, and he left law school to be a band vocalist on a local radio program. He continued performing in and around Boston into his early 20s when he legally changed his name to Buddy Clark, a stage name suggested by Sammy Liner – a pianist, Harvard graduate, and West End House member.

In 1934, Clark’s breakthrough year, he began singing on Benny Goodman’s Let’s Dance radio program and recorded his first record. In 1935, he married Louise Dahl Hitz and began living in New York and Hollywood. As his national star rose, he still returned every year to participate in the West End House’s annual fundraiser. By 1939, his new releases were selling 100,000 copies and climbing the charts. Sadly, after having two children, Clark’s marriage ended in divorce. In 1942, he married his second wife, Nedra, and had another daughter.

​After four years in the army, Clark returned to civilian life and recorded “Linda.” The song hit No.1 in 1947 and secured Clark’s spot as a crooning star like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como. By September 1949, he’d had six records on the charts, moved in next door to Clark Gable, signed a radio program contract for an annual salary of $1 million, and agreed to appear on CBS TV for the first time. Tragically, just one month later, he died in the plane crash. Clark is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery; Sinatra was a pallbearer.

About the West End Museum:
The West End Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of the West End  neighborhood. The Museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Last Tenement,” highlights the immigrant history of the neighborhood through its decimation under Urban Renewal in 1959; two additional galleries feature rotating exhibits. The Museum is located  near North Station at 150 Staniford St. Suite 7. Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm. Admission is free.