The family band, Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids, never expected to go viral. But their upbeat tunes are bringing joy to the world when we need it most. And the inspiring short story behind their accidental fame is truly incredible! (If you’d prefer to listen to the audio version of this story, scroll to the end of this article to find the podcast version below!)
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, it impacted all of us in so many different ways.
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But for Colt Clark, a musician and family man from Tampa, Florida, it created a unique opportunity with his kids. And the stunning result from the time during quarantine is the family band now known as Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids!
The Making Of The Family Band
As a professional musician, shelter-at-home orders during the COVID-19 health crisis meant Colt Clark was out of work. And it could have been a terrible blow. But the father-of-3 found a special way to make the most out of the situation — starting a family band.
With the whole family at home, Colt had more time to help his kids develop their own musical talents.
“I wanted to show the progress that the kids are making and show them that we can still have fun during these weird, strange times,” he said.
The dad taught his kids songs and they began performing them together. Meanwhile, Colt’s wife, Aubree Clark, used her skills as a professional photographer to tape their jam sessions. She started uploading the family band performances to social media so relatives could enjoy them.
"The kids never got tired of it, which was just amazing to me,” Colt Clark said. “I would wake up in the morning and think of some songs and start playing and they would want to join in."
But to the Clark family’s surprise, the music videos reached far more people than just their extended family!
Before Colt or Aubree realized what was happening, the videos started drawing thousands of views.
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"We had no idea anyone would see these other than any of our friends and family," Colt explained.
This beautiful family was giving the world a much-needed dose of joy with their upbeat music. And as a result, they ended up going viral!
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids with ‘You Can Call Me Al’
The Family Band Accidentally Becomes An Internet Sensation
The family band took on the clever name Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids. While dad plays the guitar and sings lead vocals, his 3 kids — Cash, Beckett, and Bellamy — join him.
At 10, Cash is the oldest and plays the guitar like his dad, as well as the bass and some percussion. 8-year-old Beckett primarily acts as the drummer. And little Bellamy, the only girl and youngest child who recently turned 6, injects her own special brand of sass, enthusiastic dance moves, and back up vocals as needed!
The Colt Clark family band has their very own Youtube channel, Colt Clark And The Quarantine Kids, where they upload new videos regularly. Each member is truly talented and watching them perform together as a family is such a blessing.
"People were posting our videos just so that people would get happy,” Colt Clark said. "Everyone kept saying ‘You don't know how much joy this brings us.’"
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As folks from all over the world took notice of the Colt Clark family band, so did celebrities.
Micky Dolenz, singer and drummer for the popular 60s band, the Monkees, sent the family a care package and is eagerly waiting to meet up with them in person once the coronavirus pandemic dies down.
And TV host Ellen DeGeneres used the video conferencing program, Zoom, to interview the family band. During their appearance, Ellen presented the family with a gift of $20,000, a true blessing while Colt is out of work.
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids on Ellen
Hearing Colt and his kids talk about how much they enjoy bringing joy to the world is just awesome.
"We spend time as a family every day and yeah, we're just having fun,” the oldest chile, Cash Clark, told Ellen.
As lockdown came to a close, Colt is starting to perform professionally again. But Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids will continue releasing videos for as long as the kids are still enjoying it.
All of the attention this special time in the family’s life has gotten means the world to them.
"It just shows that humans need joy in their life and music brings that to them," Colt said.
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What a beautiful family and wonderful gift their band brings to this hurting world. Please be sure to share this inspiring short story with anyone you know who could use a little extra dose of joy!
And here are some more great performances by the Colt Clark family band!
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids with ‘Old Time Rock-N-Roll’
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids with ‘Happy Together’
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids with ‘All Shook Up’
WATCH: Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids with ‘Run Around Sue’
For more amazing videos from the Colt Clark family band, check them out on Youtube or Facebook!
h/t: Tampa Bay Times