(1969 - 2003)
OK this is the first nickname that to my knowledge I just made up and thus it needs explaining (defending).
Rest assured this name has got nothing to do with the Marvel superheroes of the recent motion picture sequal.
This name is a word play on axe man (really brilliant guitar player) made by substituting "ax" with "X". The X is taken from that mysterious (to me) letter in his name that I have only ever seen on Kool & The Gang album liners and AMG (which is copied from them). If you know what the X is for would you please tell me
Although Clay rarely sings there are some liner notes that imply that he did occasionally have vocal duties.
He also has his name to a number of Kool & The Gang songs ("Stone Love", "Love And Understanding", "Cosmic Energy", "Life's A Song", "Love Festival", "I Think I Love You", "Light Of Worlds", "Joanna", "Take My Heart", "Lucky For Me", "Winter Sadness") and also had percussion roles as well as his usual guitar. He died in 2006.
His name meanings are as follows
Claydes means... OK it's another one I don't know but it's not really surprising - it might help if I knew the origin. It certainly doesn't seem to be a common name.
Eugene means "aristocrat"
and Smith means exactly that "a smith"
Charles means "freeholder"
and finally Jay means the bird of that name but it also apparently means "happy".