CB Milton

Clarence Bekker (, 11 April 1968, in Suriname and formerly known as CB Milton), is a Surinamese and Dutch vocalist, who became known in the early 1990s with the singles "It's a Loving Thing", "Send Me an Angel" and "Open Your Heart". "It's a Loving Thing" reached No. 34 in the UK Singles Chart in a remixed version in March 1995, and "Hold On (If You Believe in Love)" peaked at No. 62 in August that year. He also recorded three albums, It's My Loving Thing, The Way to Wonderland (1996) and From Here to There (1998) for the Byte Records label in Antwerp, Belgium.

He later moved to Barcelona and was identified as Clarence Bekker of the Netherlands on the disc and DVD created by Playing for Change released in April 2009. He participated with various other artists on the songs "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King) and "Don't Worry" (Pierre Minetti) on the album. He is also part of the Playing for Change band, brought together to promote the disc.

Clarence Bekker's vocals have been influenced by a mix of soul, funk, and R&B traditions, shaped by his early career and collaborations. He began his singing journey with the long-running Dutch band Swinging Soul Machine, where he was the youngest singer in 20 years. This experience likely exposed him to classic soul and funk influences, which are evident in his powerful and soulful delivery.

In 2016, he formed his own band alongside prominent musicians from Barcelona. Since then, the Clarence Bekker Band has appeared at numerous festivals and venues across Europe, North and South America, Northern Africa, and Australia.

In early 2020, they released their first full-length album, “Changes,” under the JazzActivist label. This was followed in 2024 by a live album recorded at Barcelona's Jamboree club. In 2026, they released the single Natural.

Discography

Singles Year Single Chart Position Album NETSingle T100 BEUltratop 100SPASWEUK 1993 "Send Me An Angel" 10 17 – – –It's My Loving Thing 1993 "No One Else" 46 41 – – – 1994 "It's a Loving Thing" 16 3 – 33 49 1994 "Hold On (If You Believe in Love)" 35 15 – – 62 1994 "Open Your Heart" 42 30 – – – 1995 "It's a Loving Thing (Remix)" – – – – 34 1995 "A Real Love" 47 34 – – –The Way To Wonderland 1996 "Show Me The Way" – 39 – – – 1996 "How Do I Know" – – – – – 1996 "If You Leave Me Now" – 44 – – – 1997 "Time Is Up" – – – – – 1998 "Get into My Life" 88 39 – – –From Here To There 1998 "What About Me" – 37 – – – 1998 "We Are The One" – – – – – 1998 "Carry On" 90 – – – – 2020 "These Ladies" – – – – –Changes 2026 "Natural" – – – – –

Collaborations Year Single Chart Position NETSingle T100 BEUltratop 100SPASWEUK 2001 "Something Going On"

Mark Van Dale feat. CB Milton 65 – – – – 2007 "Miracle Of Love"

Tikaro & Selva feat. Clarence – – 7 – – 2007 "Shine On Me"

Tikaro, J.Louis & Ferran feat. Clarence – – 3 – – 2008 "Shine On Me (Remixes)"

Tikaro, J.Louis & Ferran feat. Clarence – – 8 – – 2011 "Loving Thing"

Phil Wilde feat. CB Milton – – – – – 2012 "I'm Going In"

Laurent Wery feat. Clarence – 61 – – –

Albums + Title Album details Peak chart positions NDL SWE UK It's My Loving Thing Released: 1994 Label: Byte Records Formats: CD 77 – – The Way To Wonderland Released: 1996 Label: Byte Records Formats: CD – – – From Here To There Released: 1998 Label: Byte Records Formats: CD – – – Old Soul (as Clarence Milton Bekker) Released: 2012 Label: Playing for Change Records Formats: CD – – – Changes (as Clarence Bekker Band) Released: 2020 Label: JazzActivist Formats: CD – – – Live at Jamboree (as Clarence Bekker Band) Released: 2024 Label: JazzActivist Formats: CD – – –