Joe Henry Clayton's Obituary
ORBITURARY FOR JOE HENRY CLAYTON
Joe Henry Clayton was born on April 20, 1932 in Monroe, Alabama to the late Charlie and Kittie (Williams) Clayton. Joe Henry was the last of 15 children, and was preceded in death by, along with his parents, his brothers: James, Roosevelt, Melvin, Marvin, Major, Earl, Gilmore; and his sisters, Alice, Paralee, Elouise, Ada Bell, Virginia, Emma and Mattie.
Joe Henry began his education within the Monroe County School District, then served in the United States Army beginning September 11, 1951, where he was part of the Korea War effort. He received several commendations during his service, including the Korean Service medal, the National Defense Service medal, and the United Nations Service medal. Joe Henry received an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army on September 10, 1954. He then began his civil service career at Brookley Field Air Force Base in April 1953, in Mobile, Alabama, within the Aircraft Maintenance Division. Upon receiving notification that Brookley Air Force Base was scheduled to close, Joe Henry uprooted his family and transferred to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California in December 1966, where he ultimately reached the position of Section Chief of the Aircraft Maintenance Division supervising over 100 employees. He retired from civil service after 34 years in October 1987.
Joe Henry was joined in matrimony to Louise Mellissia Howell, on February 14, 1953. To that union was born ten children: Brenda, Elaine, Joe Jr., Janice, Kitty, Frederick, Judy (deceased), Colin, Robert (deceased) and Lezetta. Louise preceded Joe Henry in death on February 21, 1999. Joe Henry married Patricia Perkins on April 29, 2006. She preceded him in death on September 7, 2019.
In September 1975, Joe Henry joined the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Sacramento, under the leadership of Pastor Sylvester Howard. He faithfully served as Chairman of the Trustee Board, sang with the Senior Choir, Male Chorus and supported the Brotherhood until July 1985. He continued to visit Trinity Baptist Church, stopping by to fellowship and sing when requested, until his health began to decline. He was a faithful member of Greater Faith Baptist Church in Sacramento, under the leadership of the late Bishop Yardley Griffin, Sr., from 1992 through 2001. During his time with Greater Faith, Joe Henry held a Tender Loving Care Bible Study in his home, and also led a construction team enhancing several sections of the church, including the pavilion and the
gymnasium. Joe Henry never stopped serving churches with their remodeling efforts after he retired; assisting Shiloh Baptist Church and other local churches who needed his help. In 2003, he joined New Saint Bethel Baptist Church where he served faithfully as a Deacon and supported the Brotherhood, until he was unable to attend due to declining health.
Joe Henry’s call to gospel music began while a member of Morningstar Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Joe Henry sang with various quartets until he entered the Army and was shipped off to Korea. On the ship during his return to the states, he organized his first gospel group, the Royal Silvertones, where they rehearsed in the ship’s bathrooms. The second quartet group he joined was the MA Gospel Singers, followed by the Jewel Jubilees, all of Alabama. In December 1966, after transferring to Sacramento with his family, he joined Mount Moriah Baptist Church in January 1967, then soon sought out quartet singing, and became a member of the Sensational Harmonizers. Sometime later, he joined a new group consisting of several young men, called the Angelic Supremes. These young men REALLY wanted to sing, and Joe Henry couldn’t tell them no. That’s when he became affectionally referred to as “Poppa Joe”, and the name became his signature used by all who knew him. The Angelic Supremes later disbanded; however, one of its members, Derek Allen, had made a promise that he was going to apply all he had learned, and once he returned from wherever the music took him, he was coming back to get Poppa Joe. Derek Allen kept that promise. Poppa Joe’s last group, “Poppa Joe and the Harmonizers” was signed to ROC Diamond Records in July 2003, and they recorded their first CD. Their music took them country wide, from New York, to Tampa Bay, to Los Angeles, and back to Alabama, sharing the stage with gospel greats such as the Mighty Clouds of Joy, the Canton Spirituals, the Williams Brothers, the Jackson Southernaires, Dorothy Norwood and Teddy Cross, among others. We also want to remember the Sacramento gospel greats that Poppa Joe shared with both travel and song; namely, Reverend Mack McClain, Reverend Albert Robinson, Benny Eason, and Big Moose { TJ is getting me Big Moose’s official name to add to final version}. In February 2015, Poppa Joe was honored at “The Night With the Legends” alongside Bishop L.C. Williams, Reverend Leon Jones, John Parker, and Charles Ward.
He leaves behind memories to be cherished by his eight children; daughters Brenda (Michael), Elaine, Janice (Stephen), Kitty, and Lazetta; and sons, Joe Jr., Frederick, and Colin; fourteen grandchildren, Robert, Tanera, Katrina, Karin, Damien (Kelly), NaTasha, LaChe, Jenay, Sean, Adrian, Iyesha, Christopher, Aliya, and Jamaiya; seven great-children, and a host of other relatives and friends.
In the words of Poppa Joe, “I thank God for giving me a passion for singing, and my family for letting me live out my dream”.
{The following poem was written by Darlene Kendricks, a long-time close friend of the family.
Hallelujah! We praise your name!
And give thanks for Joe Henry Clayton!
A man who gave his love and soul
His trust in You, unshaken,
Through rural Alabama, he soldiered on
As son, veteran, husband, and father
Settling in California, uncharted,
His story was only getting started.
Gospel Singer, carpenter, and fisherman,
Joe Henry a visionary held responsibility;
Opening doors that barely had entry;
He gave passage to show God’s ability.
His legacy holds local addresses;
From Winchester Way to McClellan,
His respect is earned and humbly received,
Never forgetting his roots in Alabama,
I thank you Mr. Clayton,
You have been more than a father and friend,
You believed in me, when I doubted myself,
You did as Jesus did, and been as He has been.
But I will miss you for just a little bit,
Because I’ll think of you every way!
Your memory holds onto me forever,
Until we meet in God’s kingdom, one day.
Love Always, Darlene Kendrick
What’s your fondest memory of Joe?
What’s a lesson you learned from Joe?
Share a story where Joe's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Joe you’ll never forget.
How did Joe make you smile?
