Town Mourns Loss of Local Music Legend

Doug Clark, a town icon for 50 years, left no question as to which group he belonged.

Clark, founder and drummer of the Chapel Hill-based band Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, died Monday after enduring an extended illness. He was 66.

Known for its unique mix of cover songs, R&B grooves, beach music and raunchy rock 'n' roll tunes, his band was a mainstay in the Chapel Hill party scene for half a century.

"I'd known him all my life," said Eugene "Pops" Lyons, a waiter at the Rathskeller. "He lived in the neighborhood -- he was a friend of the family."

After performing at UNC fraternity parties and other social functions for nearly five decades, Clark was considered to be a longtime friend by many UNC students.

In 1955, he organized the original lineup of the Hot Nuts while a junior at Chapel Hill's Lincoln High School. Nine albums, one greatest hits collection and 75 bandmates later, Clark carried on the band's reputation for smooth grooves and lewd jokes.

The band received its memorable name from such a joke. After performing in the 1950s as The Tops -- which would change to Doug Clark's Combo -- the band's song "Hot Nuts" became a hit with audiences, and the name stuck.

While Clark toured the nation for 47 years as a performer with the Hot Nuts, his home remained in Chapel Hill, where he was a well-known community figure.

"He was a very good friend of the employees of the Rathskeller," Lyons said. "He would always bring over a lot of the guests he had entertained."

In return, the Rathskeller created a Hot Nuts corner filled with T-shirts and memorabilia to recognize its famous patron and friend.

Many customers respond to the Rathskeller's tribute, Lyons said, with memories of college days spent enjoying the sound and sense of humor of Doug Clark and his famous band.

"People look at the Hot Nuts corner and reminisce a bit," he said.

Many probably will remember Doug Clark for his love of dirty jokes and flamboyant drum-playing, but those who knew him, like Lyons, will recall him as two things -- "a comrade and a friend."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.