Married with: Etta Minor Clermont

Frank was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and studied at Straight University. His first instrument was the bass drum, then the tuba, and finally the cornet. In 1889, he was a member of many bands in Houma, Louisiana. In 1890, he organized the Alliance Brass Band in New Orleans and directed many groups including the Boutee Brass Band (Boutee, La.), the Fulling Brass Band (Fulling, La.), the Ory Brass Band (St. Charles, La.), the God Chaux Brass Band, (Raceland, La.), the Cary Brass Band (Ariel, La.), and the Gibson Brass Band (Gibson, La.) (not to be confused with the E. Gibson Brass Band). In 1892, he was hired by many minstrel shows, including Crawford Brothers, Big Double Minstrels, Great Wallace Shows, Melroy Chandler Minstrels, Georgia Up-To-Date, and John F. Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company.

He was the Bandmaster of both bands with "A Rabbit’s Foot Company," the band with Melroy-Chandler Minstrels, and the No. 2 Band of the Rusco & Holland Nashville Students in 1900. He and a musician by the name of Tucker started a music firm called Clermont & Tucker. The company wrote and arranged many songs for comedians and bandmasters on the Minstrel circuit. Clermont was the senior partner in the firm.

In 1901, Clermont was cornetist with Rusco & Holland Nashville Students and Gideon’s Minstrels under the baton of Saint Elmore Dodd, also an Eb cornet soloist for many years in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1901 he was employed by King Bush’s Minstrels, as well. Clermont wrote frequent letters in the newspaper, The Freeman of Indianapolis, on a regular basis and sent his regards to P. G. Lowery and George Bailey (trombonist and owner of his own contracting agency) in the newspaper on many occasions. From 1902 to 1904, he toured as conductor and cornetist with Richards and Pringle’s Famous Georgia Minstrels.

In 1905, both he and his wife, Etta Minor Clermonto (stage name), toured the country as the "Clermonts" cornet duo. He continued to submit compositions for publication in 1905 as well. On "New Years Night", [31 December 1906 or 1 January 1907] the crew of the 14 Black Hussars, a show started by Henderson Smith in 1901, was invited by Etta to a special "egg-nog supper" on her birthday. Among the speakers at the supper were Henderson Smith, (speaking on the first news from America when the troupe was on tour to Europe, the origin of the 14 Black Hussars, and his past experiences with musicians) and Frank himself (speaking on the Bandmaster…). After touring the country in 1912, Frank became ill and retired to be the secretary of the Colored Vaudeville Benevolent Association. His funeral was at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in New York and he was interred at Cavalry Cemetery. Etta may have retired from active playing after Frank’s funeral, as the author of this document could find no more information on her in The Freeman through 1914. Information for this entry appears in many issues of The Freeman from 1900-1913. See Henderson Smith in this chapter for related information.
Source: http://www.angelfire.com/music2/thecornetcompendium/well-known_soloists_3.html

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