Johnny "Clyde" Copeland Scholarship


The focus of the UJBN is on promotion and advancement of the music we love and the artists who love performing it.  We believe that encouraging and enabling young musicians is a key element in insuring the future of Blues and other types of indigenous American musical forms.

We are therefore pleased to announce that we have established a scholarship in the name of the late Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, a resident of New Jersey in the final years before his passing. 

Copeland made his recording debut in 1956, signing with Duke Records the following year. In his early years he played with such acts as Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Mama Thornton and Freddie King. Although his early records met with little commercial success, he became a popular touring act over the next two decades.

Driven by disco to rethink his future, he moved to New York in 1979[ and played extensively in the eastern cities. In 1981 he was signed by Rounder Records, releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums including Copeland Special (1981) and Bringing It All Back Home (1985), and touring widely. Copeland appeared at the 1983 Long Beach Blues Festival, and the 1988 San Francisco Blues Festival. He won a Grammy in 1987 for best traditional blues album for the Showdown album, recorded with Robert Cray and Albert Collins.

Copeland also played at the 1985 Montreaux Jazz Featival as a special guest with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.   He passed, aged 60, from complications during heart surgery for a heart transplanted six months earlier.[ Copeland was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey at the time of his passing.  His daughter Shemekia established a successful career as a singer.

This Scholarship is Merit-based - financial aid for which financial need is not used to determine the recipient. The recipient is determined by students’ artistic abilities. The actual monetary value of the scholarship is determined to help defray College or University expenses for books and tools and is meant to motivate the student and promote the study of the subject.

One of the most pressing needs in higher education today is funding for music scholarships. Scholarships allow deserving students to attain their educational goals, meet their professional objectives and succeed to their fullest ability.

  1. Duration of Award - The scholarship will be a one-time award for a student entering their first Semester of University or College.

  2. Scholarship Criteria -

Primary award criteria include:

    • Artistic achievement,

    • Community/extracurricular involvement.

    • Participation in specific activities

    • Awards and recognition.

Eligible applicants

    • Geographic restrictions- The awards are limited to residents of the State of New Jersey. Students may attend school in another State, but MUST be full-time residents of New Jersey.

Award restrictions

    • The Award is Non-renewable.

    • Restricted to Music as the Major area of study

    • Degree- Bachelor or Associate of Arts

    • Full-time attendance for the Applicant in the first Semester of attendance.

We require the application to also include:

    • Letter(s) of reference- From appropriate full-time or adjunct instructors associated directly with the student's High School.

    • Student essay- Student should provide a two page (maximum) essay on her/his intentions to pursue the study of Music and an outline of goals and objectives for their career beyond college.

    • Audio demonstration of artistic capability (Compact Disc or Cassette)- Student should provide a sampling of their current performance capabilities in either CD or cassette format. Performances should not exceed three examples of more than four (4) minutes in length each. Submissions are not required to be original compositions, but all submissions must clearly identify author/composer of each piece. Students shall retain all rights and ownership of any original pieces submitted.

    • Letter of acceptance from the educational program director- Student may be asked, if possible, to provide a letter of acceptance from the educational program director OR the Acceptance Letter of the Admissions Department of the school she/he is planning to attend.

  1. Application procedures –

    • Applications may be requested directly from the United Jersey Blues Network at our Montville NJ address.

    • Two copies of the Application and submission documents should also be returned to the Montville NJ address

    • Application and Submission Documents may be submitted between January 1 and April 30 of the application year.

    • Award winners will be notified by July 30 of the calendar year.

    • Awards will be physically disbursed no later than August 30 of the calendar year.

Funding for this scholarship is made possible by the membership of the United Jersey Blues Network and proceeds from the sales of items presented by UJBN.