Clay Harper is a musician and restaurateur from Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his work as a songwriter and frontman in the band the Coolies, and for co-founding the Atlanta-area restaurant chains Fellini's Pizza and La Fonda Latina.[1][2] He also founded and owns the barbecue chain the Greater Good.

Biography

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Harper began his musical career when he co-founded the Coolies in the 1980s.[3] He subsequently founded the band Ottoman Empire in the 1990s. At one point, its members included Daniel Pearl.[4] During the 1990s, he also released two albums (one solo and one with his brother, Mark) on his own label, Casino Music.[5] In 2012, his children's book Are You Sure That Was a Rabbit? was published.[6]

Career as a restaurateur

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With Mike Nelson, Harper co-founded Fellini's Pizza in 1982,[3] and co-founded La Fonda Latina, a restaurant that frequently is located next to Fellini's.[7] He later founded the frozen yogurt chain Three on the Tree in the summer of 2010.[8][9] He also founded the barbecue chain The Greater Good, which opened its first location in Tucker, Georgia in 2012.[4]

Discography

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Solo

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  • East of Easter (Casino Music, 1997)
  • Old Airport Road (Terminus, 2013)
  • Bleak Beauty (Clay Harper, 2016)
  • Dirt Yard Street (Clay Harper, 2020)
  • They’ll Never Miss a Five (Clay Harper, 2022)

With Mark Harper

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  • The Slippery Ballerina (Casino Music, 1999)
  • Not Dogs ... Too Simple (A Tale of Two Kitties) (Casino Music, 2000)

References

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  1. ^ Love, Bret (2012-07-01). "Clay Harper". georgiamusic.org. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  2. ^ Allen, Jamie (2000-09-16). "Main Street man". Creative Loafing Atlanta. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  3. ^ a b Love, Bret. "Coolies Kitchen". www.insiteatlanta.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  4. ^ a b "Clay Harper Opening Barbecue Joint in Tucker". Tucker, GA Patch. 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  5. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Coolies". www.trouserpress.com. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  6. ^ Green, Linda (2012-04-09). "Fellini pizza owner, Clay Harper, has written a children's book. "Are You Sure That Was A Rabbit."". Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA Patch. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  7. ^ Elam, Shade (1998-08-31). "Fellini's founders plan new La Fonda on Ponce". Bizjournals. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  8. ^ McWilliams, Jeremiah. "As frozen yogurt stores pop up, some see top-out". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  9. ^ "Three on the Tree Gets AtlantaFresh". scoutmob.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-08-06.