If you’ve used TikTok recently, you’ve seen one of Rodger Cleye‘s videos. Although you might not know him by name, Cleye has become virtually recognizable. He’s a middle-aged man singing to a range of songs and green-screen POV meme posts — for everything from lip-syncing Lana Del Rey to various renditions of what a girlie’s room looks like when you walk in at 3 am. And he has 2.5 million followers on the app.
For casual users, it felt like Cleye came out of nowhere but has recorded a gigantic trove of TikTok videos. Who is this man? How does he have the time? I’ve wondered these exact things myself. As it turns out, Cleye is just a 56-year-old man in California who loves music.
According to his bio on Songtradr, Cleye began writing his own songs nearly half a lifetime ago, when he was 28. “I put them to music and produced it on an 80’s synthesizer and a guitar my mom gave me at age 27 (I had never played any instrument before that),” he wrote. “I proceeded to lay down tracks on an 8-channel cassette multi-track recorder and had a couple of effects boxes too. It was therapy for me.”
“Now at age 56, music consumes me more than ever,” Cleye’s bio continues. “I am going through an ‘Emotional Renaissance’ all over again as I enter my senior years.”
Even with Cleye’s popularity on TikTok and his passion for music, there is still a sense of mystery surrounding him. Not only has Cleye somehow landed on the app, but he created and edited his videos in such a way that has stacked him as a top creator. Was he self-taught? When and where does he find time to record? Only time.. or more TikToks will tell.
Continue scrolling to watch a few of Rodger Cleye’s videos.
@kmskaitlyn that honey butter gonna do it every time #rodgercleye
@kiasoulluvr peaky blinders or gilmore girls #peakyblinders #rodgercleye #billyjoel
