Johnny Lee Clary

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Johnny Lee Clary
2nd Grand Wizard of the
White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
In office
1989–1990
Preceded bySamuel Bowers
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born(1959-06-18)June 18, 1959
Martinez, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 21, 2014(2014-10-21) (aged 55)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
OccupationPreacher, professional wrestler, former KKK leader

Johnny Lee Clary (June 18, 1959 – October 21, 2014) was an American former professional wrestler, white supremacist, and later preacher. Clary served as a

neo-Nazis, and the Aryan Nations. Clary, under the stage name Johnny Angel, also wrestled in the National Wrestling Federation
(NWF) during the 1980s.

Early life

Johnny Lee Clary was born on June 18, 1959, in

African-American man. Johnny's father sent his son on the Sunday school bus every week to the First Baptist Church.[3]

According to interviews Clary had given, his youth was marred by a violent and tragic family life and also by a lack of stability. At the age of 11, he watched his father kill himself and was subsequently shunted from one family member's home to another's. Eventually he found himself alone in East Los Angeles, California, where he became involved in gangs and joined the Ku Klux Klan by the time he was 14.[3]

Professional wrestling career

In 1983, Johnny became a professional wrestler and was trained (along with his brother Terry Clary) by former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Danny Hodge. Terry began his career under the name Sugar Boy, with Johnny as his manager under the name Der Kommisar after a 1980s new wave song of that name. Terry is best known for almost holding the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title for a very brief period. The storyline had Terry defeat then-champion Danny Hodge after Johnny (portraying a heel managerial character) reached under the ropes during the match and tripped Hodge with a cane, and then had the decision reversed due to Johnny's "interference". [citation needed] Terry continued to wrestle, changing his name to Buddy "Bad Man" Savage. Johnny left wrestling management and began wrestling by himself, using the name Johnny Angel.

Racism and conversion to an anti-racism preacher

While he was wrestling, Clary continued his involvement in the KKK. According to his interviews with several media outlets, Clary became the

Imperial Wizard of the whole White Knights organization in 1989.[4] During his leadership the White Knights did not garner much media attention for their activities, but Clary was an active spokesperson for the Klan, defending racism and violence against non-white peoples. In this role he appeared on syndicated talk shows including those hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Morton Downey.[5]

In interviews Clary asserts that he left the KKK for good in 1990 and joined an evangelical church. This time he stayed with the church and in 1991 he began preaching. He teamed up with

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) with whom he had previously sparred on numerous occasions during his time in the KKK.[6]

The story of Clary's conversion from a Klansman to an anti-racism preacher has drawn the attention of numerous Christian media outlets and several national

Geraldo, discussing racial issues in the U.S.[citation needed
]

Clary was an ordained minister under World Evangelism Fellowship and

Sonlife Broadcasting Network on occasion.[8]

Death

At his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Clary suddenly died of a massive heart attack on October 21, 2014.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Johnny Lee Clary (1959 - 2014)". Ancestry.com.
  2. ^ Former KKK Grand Wizard finds new path by Frank Wallis.
  3. ^ a b c Apostle of Healing Archived April 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, melaniehemry.com; accessed October 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "Enough Rope with Andrew Denton" (Official show transcript). abc.net.au. September 5, 2005. Retrieved September 2, 2006.
  5. ^ Former Klansman addresses his past, lincolntimesnews.com; accessed October 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "Not a chance encounter, but a divine appointment" Archived March 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine by Dana Williamson, johnnyleeclary.com; accessed October 28, 2014.
  7. YouTube
    channel; accessed October 28, 2014.
  8. ^ "Former KKK Grand Wizard finds new path", ReligionNewsBlog.com; accessed October 28, 2014.
  9. ^ Johnny Angel hated — and was hated — before he preached love, slam.canoe.ca; October 21, 2014; accessed October 28, 2014.

External links


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