Clayton Lopez: “Calvin could make Home on the Range sound funky.”

 

Clayton Lopez was born and raised in Key West.  A fourth generation Key Wester, Clayton is older brother to Calvin and Carlton.  He also has a sister, Mina. 

 

Born into a musical family, Clayton seemed to always have some kind of stringed instrument in his hands.  His musical roots trace back to his mother, who was the President of the Church Choir, played the piano, and was a fabulous alto vocalist.  The Lopez family were gifted vocalists.  In addition to gospel, the family heritage of Bahamian Caribbean music filled the household and was a big musical influence.  Clayton misses the “indigenous” Caribbean music of his youth, which is much less common on the island today.

 

Jimmy Buffet and Clayton are good friends now, but Clayton recounts a funny story of their first meeting. Clayton had just started working at Ed Swift’s music store just off Duval Street.  Jimmy Buffet had already had some big hits and Clayton was very familiar with his music but did not recognize Jimmy. Jimmy walked in very unpretentiously.  The two other people in the store knew who he was but didn’t bother to alert Clayton.  Jimmy started playing one of the more expensive acoustic guitars without asking permission.  Clayton rapidly approached, thinking  “Oh hell,  no…”  and took the guitar away from Jimmy Buffett.  Clayton still finds that hard to believe.  Jimmy sheepishly stated “Mr. Swift lets me come in and play these once in a while.”  Clayton retorted “Well Mr. Swift ain’t here…”  Just as Clayton was ready to kick Jimmy out one of the others stopped laughing and explained to Clayton that this was Jimmy Buffet and it was okay if he played the guitars.  They all had a big laugh, except Clayton. Clayton says  Jimmy Buffet’s era added to the Key West sound and was “validated” because of his folksy, easily identifiable stories of Key West.  For example, he says everyone knew who the “woman on Caroline Street was.”

 

Clayton’s work as a Key West City Commissioner has restricted his playing somewhat, but he still gets gigs.  Clayton and Calvin have played with almost everyone in town and love all types of music, blues, jazz, and, of course, soul sounds.  One of Clayton’s biggest musical influences beyond his family and gospel was Motown, the Temptations in particular.

 

His first group was the Brothers Incorporated with Thomas Butler and Adrian Aiella.  After the breakup of the Brothers Incorporated, Clayton noticed his guitar was missing from time to time. Then his guitar and amplifier started to disappear for longer periods.  Clayton discovered through a friend, Rodney Carry, that brother Calvin had been rehearsing with a group, The Young Brothers. Clayton, Rodney and Mina got involved and the group changed their name to Masterpiece, inspired by a new Temptations album.  The band grew to twelve pieces with three horns, two drummers, congas, and vocalists, and was very successful.  Calvin said the group was never about the money but the music. “We all got along and enjoyed each other.“ They would look forward to each gig together.

 

Together the brothers Lopez have a great sound.  When asked who is the better guitar player, they point at one another. Clayton demurs, saying that “Calvin could make Home on the Range sound funky.”

Clayton and Calvin agree that a book about Key West music would be incomplete without their cousins Laughton Coffee Butler and Robert Albury, Robert appears in Volume 1 and look for a great section with vintage photos of Coffee Butler this Spring in Volume 2.

 

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