Clyde Dickerson

Born in Bristol, Tennesse, saxophonist Clyde Dickerson's home base eventually became Washington D.C., where he was known for many years as "Watergate." (Dickerson's day job was as doorman at the infamous Watergate Hotel.) Dickerson seems to have been something of the journeyman musician and arranger around the resort towns and metropolitan areas of western New York. In addition to his own records, he appears, too, to have worked occasionally with the Buffalo-based group the Jesters, and possibly contributed some saxophone work on their hip 1962 instrumental “Alexander Graham Bull.” (Jesters’ drummer Tony DiMaria is given co-credit for “Cool Week-End,” implying another connection.) At some point in the ‘60s, however, Dickerson would settle in Washington D.C., leading groups on at least three different D.C.-area soul 45s in the early ‘70s – “Love Bandit” and “Black and Beautiful” (both on Jonetta Records) along with “There’s No Justice for the Young” (on Soultown Records). Dickerson seems to have remained more active as a performer, however, with regular appearances with D.C.-area jazz and R&B A-listers, including Byron Morris, the Mangione brothers, David Ruffin and Rick James. Clyde Dickerson passed away from stroke-related complications in 2003.