Introduction

Biography

Derricks was edu­cat­ed at the Ca­dek Con­ser­va­to­ry of Mu­sic in Chat­ta­noo­ga; Ten­nes­see A&I State Uni­ver­si­ty; and the Am­er­ican Bap­tist Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see.

At age 21, he di­rect­ed a Gos­pel choir of over 100 voic­es at the Ver­mont Ave­nue Bap­tist Church, Wash­ing­ton, DC.

He pas­tored church­es in Day­ton, Knox­ville and Jack­son, Ten­nes­see; Be­loit, Wis­con­sin; and Wash­ing­ton, DC.

He wrote ov­er 300 songs and se­ve­ral song books, and was in­duct­ed in­to the Gos­pel Mu­sic Hall of Fame in 2001.

He is some­times con­fused with his ac­tor son, who is al­so named Clea­vant Der­ricks.

Works

• Pearls of Pa­ra­dise (Dal­las, Tex­as: Stamps-Bax­ter Mu­sic, 1936)