I was born February 27, 1945 in Alexandria, Louisiana to Clarence Ulrich Sr. of Manhattan, New York, and Leonette Newman of Alexandria, Louisiana. I sang my first solo in church at age five, and shortly thereafter we migrated to Los Angeles in 1953. After attending Trinity Street Elementary School, John Adams Jr. High School, and Thomas Jefferson High School, I joined the U. S. Navy. Upon discharge I attended Northrop Institute of Technology, earning an Associate Arts degree in Machine Tool Technology. This enabled me to work on part of the Apollo space command module. While in Middle School one of my class mates, Barry White (popular R & B artist) and I became very close friends. Shortly after High School I realized that my loud guitar playing neighbor upstairs was Jimmy Hendrix! While neither one influenced my musical career, they are part of my colorful history.

My professional singing career began when I was discovered in 1964 by Ron Saunders (singer, songwriter and producer) at El Dorado Records in Hollywood, California. I began recording as a background vocalist with various artists and doing demo records for other producers such as Anthony Renfro of Bell records. My first performance was on the nightclub show “New Faces Going Places” accompanied by the Impression Band, with artists such as Al McKay (Earth, Wind and Fire), Ray Johnson (Watts 103rd Street Band), and others. 1965 brought an exciting opportunity with my first singing group The Hollywood Attraction, recording “Find Me” and “New Girl in The Neighborhood” with Bell Records, leading us to tour from Southern California to Canada. In 1966 Chuck Cabbot (agent and manager) gave me my shot at a super career with his Drifters, with whom I continued to perform with until 1991 in venues such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City and cruise ship excursions averaging 150,000 travel miles per year.

I took a three year performance hiatus from 1985-1987, during which I hosted a radio program in Park City, Utah. I also met my future wife Sonja during this time. We married in 1992, and were blessed in October of that year with our daughter, Alima NaveenaLee Ulrich. Two years later she was joined by her brother, Kamill Elijohn Ulrich.  In 2011 my wife earned her Master’s Degree in Anthropology at CSULB.  

Since my retirement in 1991 I have appeared in numerous motion pictures, television shows, and commercials.  I have also performed thousands of shows as a solo artist throughout the Southern California area. Venues have included: Leisure World, Masonic, and Scottish Rite Lodges, Rotary Club, Yacht and Country Clubs,  special interest organizations,  Senior Centers, Retirement, and Convalescent  communities, as well as private events.  I feel very blessed for my given life. I’m thankful to all the wonderful folks who have supported me, starting with my wonderful wife Sonja my brother Lorenzo York, and my closest friend Tedero Jones.