(May 15th 1899 - April 13th 1973)

William Rogers Campbell "Sonny" Clay was a pianist, drummer, and bandleader who was born in Chapel Hill, Texas in 1899. Sonny played drums and xylophone in his youth before he began studying piano in 1915. Around 1920 he worked in Mexico as a drummer for Jelly Roll Morton and relocated to Los Angeles the following year. In 1923 Sonny Clay formed his own jazz group as a pianist and produced his first band recordings, billed as the "California Poppies".