Clifton Davis

Before acting, Davis worked as a songwriter and wrote The Jackson 5’s hit “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

He made his Broadway debut in the mid-1960s as a replacement in Hello, Dolly!. In 1969, he replaced Cleavon Little in Jimmy Shine. In 1970, he served as standby in Look to the Lillies and appeared in The Engagement Baby. In 1972, he created the role of Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, and opened the touring production in 1973. He starred in Pal Joey ’78 (1978). Off-Broadway credits include How to Steal an Election (1968), Horseman, Pass By (1969), To Be Young, Gifted, and Black (1969), Do It Again! (1971), and Hapgood (1994).

In the mid-1970s, he starred in the television series That’s My Mama. He appeared in the film Scott Joplin (1977).

From 1986 to 1991, he co-starred as Rev. Dr. Ruben Gregory in the sitcom Amen. He released the studio album Say Amen in 1991. He appeared in the film Any Given Sunday (1999).

He returned to Broadway in Aladdin (2014), creating the role of the Sultan, and later played Dr. Dillamond in Wicked on tour and on Broadway, joining the Broadway company in 2022.

In 2025, he began appearing as Vernon Dupree on the CBS soap opera Beyond the Gates.