2004 Alumni Achievement (Merit) Award
Clemmons attended graduate school for music at CMU from 1967 to 1969. He remembers his time fondly, studying under Lee Cass, a professor of voice, who had encouraged him to include spirituals in his musical program.
"I began to feel like something very special was happening when I was singing, especially when I sang spirituals. I noticed that Lee Cass, along with many other fine musicians and colleagues, were not critical or judging me negatively when I performed. I remarked to Lee, 'Sir, you don't seem like my teacher anymore,'" Clemmons said. "I said, 'Lee, don't you have anything to say?' He said, 'yeah, sing another one!'"
In 1968, Clemmons won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in Pittsburgh. He sang for seven seasons in New York City at Lincoln Center with the Metropolitan Opera Studio, and in 1976 he won a Grammy Award for a recording of "Porgy and Bess."
After his performance at Third Presbyterian, Rogers asked Clemmons to join his television program.