Clarence Weems was born in West Memphis, Arkansas, a tiny town known for NBA players (Corey Brewer and 1988 rebounding champ Michael Cage), Sid Vicious, and locking up kids for killing other kids with no evidence whatsoever (please watch the Paradise Lost series of films, please).
For Clarence — 'Sonny' to his friends — growing up in West Memphis was a painful experience. He was born with cleft feet, which meant there was a possibility he may never walk, let alone run. Years of torturous corrective shoes were able to right the problem, and once he found his stride Weems discovered that not only could he walk, he could jump.