A Jam for Brent
A Jam for Brent: A Celebration of Life for Roanoke Classic Rock Legend Brent Clinevell
by Jason Jones
November 2023
Shortly after Brent Clinevell’s passing on October 25, 2023, Doug Settles, the bandleader of Gasoline Alley, contacted me with news that a memorial show to honor the late rocker was in the works. Settles went on to describe the effect Clinevell had on his life. He first encountered Brent Clinevell as the frontman for the band Razzmatazz at The Propeller Club in Christiansburg, Virginia in 1975. That night reset the direction of Settles' life. Having witnessed Clinevell command the stage, rock the house, and leave the audience stunned, he knew then and there that he would soon launch his own rock n’ roll career.
As we talked, I learned from Settles the background on Clinevell’s storied life as a touring musician who played in a number of notable bands in 1970s and 80s. In the early 1970s he sang in a regionally successful group called The Divots. Following his stint with them, he formed Razzmatazz in 1974, and was soon touring the east coast, gaining popularity until their break up in the spring of 1980.
Following the disbanding of Razzmatazz, Clinevell continued full speed ahead with his musical pursuits. He joined the international touring band Jesse Bolt, opening for both AC/DC and U2 while a member of the group. After leaving Jesse Bolt, Clinevell started Diamonds and took them on the road, once again performing up and down the east coast. Diamonds eventually cut back on touring and settled in as the house band at Johnny’s Tavern, a busy Roanoke nightclub in those days.
Following the end of his run with Diamonds, Clinevell went on to sing for seventeen years as a member of The Kings, a wildly popular band in the area. Always a pioneering showman, he was likely the first karaoke DJ in the Roanoke Valley, bringing the now widespread activity to notoriety in the early 1990s. He then went on to parlay his touring experience into work as a thriving booking agent for SRO Artists.
Settles has gone on to have a decades long career in rock ‘n roll and never lost sight of the impact Brent Clinevell had on him. I would be remiss not to mention the role that Settles played in Clinevell's story as well: he helped raise money for his medical care and would visit him weekly for lunch to rehash the glory days of the classic rock era, a generous act of kindness in paying homage to the man who changed his life’s trajectory.
A Jam for Brent, a celebration of life concert, will take place Sunday, November 26, 2023, from 2 - 7:30 PM at The Watering Hole on Williamson Road in Roanoke.
Additional special guests will include Doug and Robin Settles; Gary Hall; Melvin Pribble; Terry Rice; former Razzmatazz drummer Bryant Bowles; former members of Diamonds, Fred Lewis, Jim Lewis, and Fran Sandifer; John Hodges and Steve Prusak from The Worx; and Mac Crawford, former drummer for Diamonds and Molly Hatchet.
There is no cover charge, but organizers request a minimum $10 donation at the door. Funds will go toward funeral expenses and to benefit cancer research in Brent’s name. <>
Photo provided by Doug Settles