Clint Black

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
A country music traditionalist from Texas, Clint Black was one of the first artists to kick-start the mass-market popularity of country in the 90s. Black is also one of the first artists of a generation that was equally inspired by rock-oriented pop — like 70s singer/songwriters and 60s rock & roll — as well as country artists like Merle Haggard, Bob Wills, and George Jones. He offered a shiny, marketable version of traditional country and in the process paved the way for a new generation of country artists, particularly Garth Brooks. After Brooks broke through into the pop mainstream, Blacks career began to fade somewhat, but he remained one of the most popular and acclaimed vocalists of the 90s.
Black was born in New Jersey but raised in Katy, TX, a suburb of Houston. As a child, he listened to both country and rock & roll, but he didnt begin playing guitar until the age of 13, when he started playing harmonica. Two years later, he began writing songs, as well as performing in his brother Kevins band, where he played bass and sang. In the early 80s, he began busking on the streets of Katy, eventually working his way into coffeehouses, bars, and nightclubs.
In 1987, Clint met Hayden Nicholas, a guitarist and songwriter who had a home studio. Nicholas and Black began collaborating together, writing songs and recording demos; Nicholas would become the bandleader for Black, playing lead guitar and co-writing a large majority of his hit singles. A tape of their songs made its way to Bill Ham, the manager of ZZ Top. Impressed with the tape, Ham became Blacks manager; the singer had a contract with RCA Nashville by the end of 1988.
A Better Man, Blacks first single, was released early in 1989 and it went to number one — he was the first new male country artist to have a number one hit with his debut single in 15 years. Black was an immediate sensation throughout country music and he played the Grand Ole Opry in April, one month before his debut album, Killin Time, was released. Killin Time was an immediate hit, going gold within six months and spawning four other hit singles, including the number ones Killin Time, Nobodys Home, and Walkin Away. At the end of 1989, he won the Country Music Associations Horizon Award, as well that organizations Best Male Vocalist Award. He also won Best Album, Best Single, Best Male Vocalist, and Best New Male Vocalist awards from the Academy of Country Music and the NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year Award. By the end of 1990, Killin Time sold over two million copies in America.
Black released his second album, Put Yourself in My Shoes, in 1990. Like the debut, Put Yourself in My Shoes was a major success, spawning four Top Ten hits (Put Yourself in My Shoes, One More Payment, and the number ones Loving Blind and Where Are You Now), selling over two million copies, and peaking at number 18 on the pop charts. Even though it sold well, it didnt receive the same critical acclaim as the debut. Nevertheless, Black was named Best Male Vocalist that same year. Throughout 1990, Black was on tour with Alabama and appearing on television shows across the country. In 1991, several singles from Put Yourself in My Shoes charted and he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. On New Years Eve of 1991, he married the television actress Lisa Hartman.
Black began 1992 in a lawsuit with his manager. Black claimed that his original contract gave Ham too large of a percentage of the singers royalties and publishing rights. For seven months he was embroiled in the lawsuit, during which he was recording his third album. By the summer, the suit was settled and his new album, The Hard Way, finally was released. The Hard Way received positive reviews and became an immediate hit, peaking at number two on the country charts and crossing over into the pop Top Ten. The first single from the album, We Tell Ourselves, reached number one that summer. Black began a lengthy world tour in June of 1992 to support The Hard Way.
Although it was a success, The Hard Way wasnt as popular as Blacks first two records, selling no more than a million copies. Released in 1993, No Time to Kill, his fourth album, continued the stagnation in his record sales, even though its sales were more than respectable — the album went platinum and spawned the hit single When My Ship Comes In. During the fall of 1994, Black released his fifth album, One Emotion, followed a year later by the seasonal effort Looking for Christmas. Nothin But the Taillights appeared after a two-year hiatus, and in 1999 Black celebrated a decade of recording with DLectrified. Several hits collections followed into the new millennium. In 2004, Black returned with Spend My Time, his first batch of new material in over six years, closely followed by Drinkin Songs & Other Logic in 2005.