Clifton Duncan Davis, an alumnus of Andrews University and a product of secondary, undergraduate and graduate Seventh-day Adventist education, is both a brilliant example of Black excellence and a remarkable world changer. In a career spanning over half a century, Davis has been a notable actor, singer, songwriter, minister and author in both the Christian church and various secular spheres.
Born on Oct. 4, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, Clifton Davis was raised in a devout Adventist home to Thelma van Putten Langhorn, a nurse, and Toussaint L’Ouverture Davis, a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Clifton continued to be nurtured in the church by attending Pine Forge Academy in Pine Forge, Pennsylvania, and Oakwood College (now University) in Huntsville, Alabama, both Adventist institutions that are historically Black and are built on land with significant ties to the Underground Railroad and slave plantations, according to the National Park Service, where enslaved Africans suffered abuses and sought lives of freedom.
Clifton Davis later attended Andrews University and graduated with a master of divinity degree from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and served as an associate pastor of the Loma Linda University Seventh-day Adventist Church. He later became ordained as a Christian minister in New York City in the Baptist church. Having the privilege of speaking in front of hundreds of churches across the United States, Davis has been able to further what he calls “interdenominational ministry” and evangelistic efforts by appearing on several programs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network television station. He has also participated in various gospel music specials like The Stellar Awards.
Davis’ interests and career paths varied greatly outside of his religious and evangelistic talents. One of his most notable accomplishments is writing The Jackson 5’s hit 1971 song “Never Can Say Goodbye,” which was ranked number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for several weeks after its release. Davis initially wrote the song for The Supremes, but after being given to The Jackson 5 by the Motown record label, the track “sold 1.2 million copies in its first five days,” according to The Robesonian during the summer of 1971. Since then, the song has been recognized as one of The Jackson 5’s top 10 tracks ever by music-listening platforms and news sites and has been covered several times by other artists, including himself, when he released an album in 2020 titled “Never Can Say Goodbye” with music groups Take 6 and The Beegie Adair Trio.
Davis also has a storied acting career, both on-screen and on stage. He made his Broadway debut in the 1960s as a replacement actor and had his most notable role in the rock musical “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” based on Shakespeare's comedy. For that musical, he was nominated for a 1972 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Davis left Broadway but later returned in 2014 in the role of the Sultan in the stage adaptation of Disney’s “Aladdin.” His most recent Broadway appearance was in 2022, when he played the role of Dr. Dillamond in Broadway’s “Wicked.”
Davis has been blessed with acting talent, which also granted him a 50-year career in film and television acting. His best-known role is as Rev. Reuben Gregory on the 1980s show “Amen.” He has also had appearances on “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Living Single,” “Madam Secretary,” Marvel Entertainment’s “Iron Fist” and most recently “Clipped,” where he portrayed former All-NBA player and Los Angeles Clippers executive Elgin Baylor.
At the age of 79, Davis continues to use his God-given gifts to minister in various ways, with plans to continue acting. He has been blessed with two children, Christian Noel Davis and Holly Danielle Davis, and has been married to his second wife, Monica Durant, for nearly 25 years. God willing, Davis will continue being an inspiration for our Andrews community, Adventist community, and Black communities.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.