As a child, McClintock was a neighbor of Waring in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. The two performed together in the Boy Scout Fife and Bugle Corps, with Waring as drum major and McClintock as drummer.[4] In 1915, he and Waring's brother, Tom, formed a banjo group, The Waring-McClintock Snap Orchestra.[5]
His characteristic vocal inflections are heard frequently in many of the Pennsylvanians' novelty tunes, singing his parts in a low-range frog-like croak.[6] It is widely believed that the part sung by Tony Burrows in The Pipkins' 1970 novelty record "Gimme Dat Ding" was intended as a tribute to McClintock.[citation needed]
McClintock was married to silent film actress Yvette Mitchell.[5]