Watch Clifton Davis Perform His Jackson 5 Hit ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ in ‘Beyond the Gates’ Holiday Episode

Trending on Billboard Clifton Davis is enjoying a full-circle moment this holiday season. As one of the stars of the CBS series Beyond the Gates , the actor-singer is revisiting his musical roots thanks to the 1971 hit he penned for The Jackson 5: “Never Can Say Goodbye.” Davis’ performance is featured in a special holiday episode of the weekday soap opera airing Christmas Eve at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. PT. BEYOND THE GATES cast (from l-r) Daphnée Duplaix, Clifton Davis, Tamara Tunie, and Karla Mosley.Quantrell Colbert/CBS Ahead of the airing, Billboard is exclusively sharing a clip from the upcoming episode. It showcases Davis - in his role as the show’s family patriarch, Vernon Dupree - singing the song to his wife, Anita, portrayed by actress Tamara Tunie. His stirring performance will no doubt have viewers and music fans singing along to The Jackson 5 classic. “It’s quite amazing to think I wrote this song way, way back, and now it’s been written into the show’s story plot,” Davis tells Billboard . “It’s exciting to be singing and sharing this song with another generation. It’s a song that just keeps on giving. I’m humbled as well because it didn’t have to turn out this way. God is good.” Released 54 years ago as the lead single for the group’s fifth studio album, Maybe Tomorrow , “Never Can Say Goodbye” - produced by Hal Davis - claimed No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks, and No. 1 on Billboard ’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. It also earned Davis a Grammy nomination for best R&B song. Among other artists who have covered the track are Isaac Hayes and Gloria Gaynor. Davis also wrote the hit title track for The Jackson 5’s 1972 sixth studio album, Lookin’ Through the Windows. “Never Can Say Goodbye” could also double as the career tagline for the indefatigable Davis. In addition to Broadway credits such as Wicked and his Tony Award-nominated role in Two Gentlemen of Verona , his resumé includes television ( Amen, Madame Secretary ) and film roles ( Any Given Sunday ). In his latest role, Davis costars with Tunie as the heads of the Dupree family. Living in a gated community in “one of the most affluent African American counties” located just outside of Washington, D.C., according to the network boilerplate, the Duprees are a “powerful and prestigious multi-generational family; the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered.” Launched in February on CBS and also streamed via Paramount+ , Beyond the Gates is executive produced by creator Michele Val Jean. During a phone interview with Billboard , Davis - who’s also a minister - recounts his early career hustle simultaneously juggling songwriting and acting gigs, the inspiration behind “Never Can Say Goodbye” and working with the “brilliant” Michael Jackson. What inspired the song: “It was a combination of two things: I...

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