Herbert Lincoln Clarke (1867-1945) was a legend in his own time. He is easily the best known cornetist of all times. From his meager beginnings of practicing on an old Ophicleide and joining the Queen's Own Rifle Regimental Band in Toronto just so he could have a cornet (a Courtois) he could call his own to practice, one would never suspect such a career lay ahead of him.

Herbert L. Clarke traveled over 800,000 miles with such musical organizations as Gilmore's Band, Innes' Band, Victor Herbert's Band, John Philip Sousa' Band, and many under his direction. He performed over 6,000 cornet solos - including 473 in one season.

Clarke made 34 tours visiting 14 different countries. Clarke made more phonograph records than any other cornet player and appeared as soloist at all the great "World's Fairs" - including the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the 1895 Atlanta Exposition, 1900 World's Fair in Paris, the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, the Glasgow, Scotland Exposition of 1901, the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, and the Panama Exposition in San Francisco in 1915.

He was a past president of ABA and a composer of cornet solos, ensembles and studies.