Clint_Black.pdf

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Black Clint Black archive archive mpl archive mpl id http www chron CDA archive archive
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Global Documents provides you with documents from around the globe on a variety of topics for your enjoyment.
Black Clint Black archive archive mpl archive mpl id http www chron CDA archive archive
Clint Black
Clint Black
Clint Black in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in
Santa Ynez, California, on October 26, 2006.
Background information
Birth name
Clint Patrick Black
Born
February 4, 1962
(1962-02-04)
Origin
Long Branch, New Jersey,
USA
Genre(s)
Country
Occupation(s) Musician
Singer-songwriter
Multi-instrumentalist
Record producer
Actor
Instrument(s) Vocals
Guitar
Bass
Harmonica
Keyboards
Drums
Years active
1989-present
Label(s)
RCA Nashville, Equity
Associated
acts
Lisa Hartman Black, Hayden
Nicholas, Steve Wariner
Website
ClintBlack.com
Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962)
is an American country music singer-song-
writer, record producer, multi-instrumental-
ist and actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989,
Black made his debut with his Killin’ Time al-
bum, which produced four straight Number
One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Coun-
try Singles & Tracks charts. Although his mo-
mentum gradually slowed throughout the
1990s, Black consistently charted hit songs
into the 2000s. He has amassed more than
thirty singles on the U.S. Billboard country
charts (of which twenty-two have reached
Number One), in addition to releasing nine
studio albums and several compilation al-
bums. In 2003, Black founded his own record
label, Equity Music Group. Black has also
ventured into acting, having made a cameo
appearance in the 1994 film Maverick, as
well as a starring role in 1998’s Still Holding
On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack.
Biography
Early life
Clint Black was born in Long Branch, New
Jersey, one of four children born to G.A.[Note
1] and Ann Black.[1][2][3] The family moved
back to Texas, where G.A. Black had been
raised, before Clint was one year old.[1] He
was raised in the Houston area.[3] Music was
always present in the house. Black taught
himself to play harmonica before he was 13,
and at 14 wrote his first song. His father re-
marked that it was at that age that the par-
ents "first noticed that he had a great
voice".[3] By fifteen, Black had learned to
play guitar.[4] As a teenager Black joined his
elder brothers, Kevin and Bryan, in their
small band. On Saturday afternoons, the fam-
ily would host backyard barbecues and invite
the neighborhood to listen to the boys sing.
Some weekends would attract up to 70
people.[3] Black eventually dropped out of
high school to play with his brothers,[5] be-
fore becoming a solo act.[3]
Black was initially drawn to a variety of
musical genres. According to his father, he
chose to focus on country music in the early
1980s, after singers George Strait and Reba
McEntire transformed the genre.[3] For six
years, Black supported himself as a construc-
tion worker, bait cutter, and fishing guide,[6]
while singing at various lounges as a solo
singer and guitarist.[3] At one of the gigs he
met another guitarist, Hayden Nicholas. The
two men connected musically and began a
song writing partnership that would last dec-
ades.[3] In the late 1980s, Black delivered a
demo of their collaboration "Nobody’s Home"
to record promoter Sammy Alfano. Within
two days of that delivery, Black was invited
to a meeting with Bill Ham, who managed ZZ
Top.[3]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clint Black
1
1989–1991: Early career
Black soon signed with RCA Records, at that
time considered one of the "most aggressive"
labels in country music.[7] His first album,
Killin’ Time, was released in 1989. Each song
on the album was penned at least in part by
Black; four of them were attributed solely to
him, while the rest were collaborations with
Nicholas. In a departure from most other
country albums, Black used his road band in-
stead of session musicians to record Killin’
Time.[3] The album was a critical and com-
mercial success,[4] with the album reaching
number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums
chart and certified platinum in 1990.[8] The
first single, "A Better Man", reached number
1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in early
June. This marked the first time in 14 years
that a debut single by a male artist had
peaked at the top of the chart.[3] In total, five
singles off of his debut album reached num-
ber 1, the first time any country artist had ac-
complished this feat.[5] Black swept the
Country Music Association’s awards in 1989,
winning in six different categories, including
the Horizon Award for best newcomer.[6] At
the end of the year, his singles, "A Better
Man" and "Killin’ Time" place number 1 and
number 2 on the year-end country singles
charts. It had been 36 years since another
artist had claimed both top spots in a single
year.[6] Looking back at the early stages of
his career, Black recalled: "’At one point, I
knew I crossed this line out of obscurity and I
felt like no matter what happened from that
point on I would always be remembered for
"Killin’ Time." There was this kind of mixed
feeling of remorse and excitement.’"[9]
In late 1990, the Los Angeles Times sur-
veyed country music industry insiders to de-
termine which acts could be expected to sell
the most records over the next 7 years.[Note
2] Black placed second in the poll, two votes
behind Garth Brooks. The survey results
were surprising in that 10 of the top 20
artists named were relative newcomers to
the industry; in the past, country music had
been dominated by artists with several dec-
ades experience.[10] The plethora of new acts
confused some reviewers, however. Many re-
viewers lumped many of the new acts togeth-
er; as Newsweek’s David Gates wrote: "Good
song, good voice, hot band: who cares which
one it is this time?"[11] Black soon became
known as one of Nashville’s "hat acts"; like
other country artists such as Garth Brooks,
Alan Jackson, and Mark Chesnutt, Black was
a relative newcomer who wore a hat, and had
"clean, neotraditional sound with pop ap-
peal".[11]
Killin’ Time was certified platinum in
1990. Black’s second album, Put Yourself in
My Shoes, was released in November 1990.
It reached Number 2 on the country chart
and was in the top 20 on the pop album
charts.[8] This success on the pop charts res-
ulted from a change in the way Billboard cal-
culated album sales; a new reliance on
Nielsen SoundScan instead of information
from selected record stores showed that
sales of country albums had previously been
undercounted.[11] The album did not meet
with as much critical acclaim as his debut,
but nonetheless still
included several hit
singles. He began touring with Alabama.
Black began dating actress Lisa Hartman
in 1990.[9] The couple kept their relationship
very quiet. The first picture of the two of
them together was not published until the
week they were engaged.[12] The couple mar-
ried in Katy, TX in October 1991.[9]
1992: Lawsuits and The Hard
Way
In March 1992, Black sued his manager, Bill
Ham, for breach of contract; Ham promptly
countersued. Black sought $2 million in dam-
ages and requested that Ham return $4 mil-
lion in royalties. Under the terms of their ini-
tial contract, Ham controlled all publishing
royalties for any song that Black wrote or co-
wrote for his first eight albums. Because
Black wrote all of his own music, this amoun-
ted to a fee of of 20 to 30 cents per album
sold. Industry standards generally counseled
songwriters to form their own publication
companies, so they would be able to retain
more of the royalties.[9]
Ham promptly countersued, blaming the
initial lawsuit on poor advice Black received
from his new personal assistant, his mother-
in-law Jonni Hartman. His lawyer told the
press that "Mr. Ham invested $1 million of
his own money in Clint Black’s career at a
time when nobody else would do so. For that
commitment, Mr. Black should show a little
gratitude and honor his contracts".[9]
Also in March, a woman claiming to be
Black’s former girlfriend told a national
tabloid television show that he had fathered
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clint Black
2
her two-year-old daughter and had failed to
live up to his responsibilities. Black declined
to comment on the paternity allegation.[9]
By mid-1992, Black’s first two albums had
sold a combined 5 million copies.[9] The diffi-
culties with Ham caused a delay in the re-
lease of Black’s third album,[13] The Hard
Way, which was released on July 14.[9] The
album had been expected the year previ-
ously, and during the delay the country music
scene changed. Both Alan Jackson and Travis
Tritt achieved greater success, and Billy Ray
Cyrus became a teen idol. The competition
that Black faced was now much stiffer than
with his earlier albums.[13]
According to Black, he and producer
James Stroud spent more time putting this al-
bum together than either of those preceding
and were "a lot more aggressive in the way
we cut and mixed the album".[9] Black was
also more satisfied with the vocals on this al-
bum.[9] Several of the songs on The Hard
Way, including "Burn One Down", were ini-
tially reported to be Black’s responses to his
situation with Ham. Cowriter Nicholas re-
futed the rumors, maintaing that most of
those songs were written
in
the
late
1980s.[14]
To promote the album, Black launched
The Hard Way Tour on June 26, 1992. The
tour ran for 11 months. Reviewers noticed
that with this album Black presented a "new,
sexier image", wearing tighter clothing and
in many cases leaving his trademark hat be-
hind. Black commented simply that he was
bored wearing the hat all the time.[9]
1993–1999
Black’s fourth album, No Time to Kill was re-
leased almost a year after The Hard Way. The
album received mixed reviews. The Houston
Chronicle noted that Black’s duet with Wyn-
ona Judd, "A Bad Goodbye", was "precisely
the kind of radio-ready, big-production ballad
that record companies tend to force on their
artists when they sense that their careers are
in trouble....[I]t sticks out like a sore thumb
in his body of work."[15] On the other hand, a
review in Time magazine thought the duet
helped Black show his emotions more in-
tensely.[16] Some reviewers also noted that in
some of the more serious songs on the al-
bum, Black’s voice sounded strained.[15]
Clint Black’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame
In 1996, Black became the fourth country
music singer to earn a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.[17][Note 3]
In 1999, Black released D’lectrified, which
relied completely on acoustic instruments.
Nevertheless, USAToday thought the "album
sounds as full and brash as an electric album
since he used creative arrangements and
horn sections".[18] Three of the songs on the
albums were remakes of previous Black
singles. Several others featured guest ap-
pearances by some of Black’s idols, including
Waylon Jennings, Kenny Loggins, and Eric
Idle. The songs tended to be longer than
most of those played on country radio, with
many stretching more than 5 minutes.[18]
1999–Present: Later career
Black performing at a benefit concert
Black and Hartman welcomed their only
child, Lily Pearl Black, in May 2001.[19] Black
took a three-year break from the music in-
dustry to stay home with his daughter. He
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clint Black
3
explained that "it ended up not being a smart
career move, but it was a real smart dad
move. ... I wouldn’t go back and try to do any-
thing for my career in exchange for that."[2]
During his sabbatical, Black spent time re-
assessing his career. After deciding he was
unwilling to work within the current record-
ing industry system, he formed his own re-
cord label, Equity Music Group. Black admit-
ted that it was difficult to leave RCA. In his
14 years with the label, he had sold over
12 million records.[20]
The new label operated under very differ-
ent rules than those Black had begun his own
career under. Artists were guaranteed own-
ership of their songs and were granted an
equity stake in the label.[20] The first release
from the new label was Black’s next album,
Spend My Time; his eighth studio album was
Black’s first release in five years . The Hous-
ton Chronicle called it "arguably the most ad-
venturous of his career".[20]
His last full studio album was 2005’s
Drinkin’ Songs and Other Logic. Black chose
the title of the album first, because "I knew if
I didn’t give myself some parameters, that I
could end up over the line or too close to it.
And I wanted a real honky-tonk style album.
So I thought that title at least would tell me
what I was after."[2]
Black has continued to record new materi-
al, however. In 2007, he released the single
"The Strong One" the first original song he
has recorded that he did not write. [21] The
song was included on his first digital EP, re-
leased on March 11, 2008. Titled "The Long
Cool EP," the collection features Black’s
single, "Long Cool Woman", "The Strong
One" and a duet with his wife titled "You Still
Get to Me". Equity Music Group closed its
doors in December 2008 due to economic dif-
ficulties.[22]
Acting
Shortly after his music career took off, Black
began receiving offers for acting roles. He
turned down every request until 1994, when
he was offered a bit part in star-studded com-
edy Maverick. Although the part required
very little actual acting, after the movie’s re-
lease Black received an increasing number of
calls from directors who thought he would be
perfect for a particular role. Black has ap-
peared in several television shows, including
Wings and The Larry Sanders Show.[23] He
has since starred in the 1998 television
movie Still Holding On: The Legend of Ca-
dillac Jack, had a major role in another televi-
sion movie Going Home, and appeared briefly
in the 2003 film Anger Management.[24]
He has also had a presence on various
reality television shows. In 2003, Black ap-
peared on Nashville Star, where he acted as
a mentor to the contestants. He later pro-
duced the debut album of series winner
Buddy Jewell.[25] In 2008, Black was a con-
testant on a short-lived CBS reality show,
Secret Talents of the Stars,
in which he
practiced stand-up comedy. The following
year, he competed on the second season of
Celebrity Apprentice.[23]
Black has enjoyed his television experi-
ences, describing acting as "another way for
me to expand my creative canvas. ... I love to
challenge myself."[24] He believes that most
of his fans "just see me as a musician who is
stepping into [television and film] temporar-
ily and either doing it alright or not".[23]
Songwriting
Few country singers fill their albums primar-
ily with their own material.[8] Although RCA
Records often pushed Black to record the ma-
terial of other artists, he refused.[9] Black re-
corded only his own songs until 2007, when
he released the single "The Strong One".[21]
Many of his songs were the result of a collab-
oration with Hayden Nicholas. Their first col-
laboration, "Straight From the Factory", took
them only 20 minutes to write. Nicholas rue-
fully commented that "most of ’em weren’t
that easy".[14] In general, Black writes the
lyrics to their songs, while Nicholas provides
the melody.[14]
Black explains that he appreciates country
music because it "is straight forward, the
melodies are there, some of the ballads are
as beautiful and sweeping as anything Barbra
Streisand has done. But the ... poetry is
simple."[2] Reviewers have often praised the
songs for their "thoughtful lyrics"[3] Many
were incredulous that such a young man (27
at the release of his first album) could have
such "a remarkably mature perspective".[3]
According to Black, "To me, a song is more
than just something to sing. It’s something to
learn from. It’s somebody else’s true feeling.
I’m always trying to get at the meaning. ...
When I write a line, I’m doing the same
thing. I’m looking at it from the perspective
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clint Black
4
of if I was driving down the road listening to
it, what am I gonna get out of it?"[3]
Many of his songs make use of puns and
other creative turns of phrase.[1] While the
wordplay in many of the songs on his earlier
albums was widely appreciated, by the fourth
album reviewers felt that the songs were not
as high in quality. Rick Mitchell of the Hous-
ton Chronicle pointed out that on The Hard
Way "clever wordplay is no substitute for
heartfelt emotion".[15]
Discography
Filmography
• Anger Management (2003) - Masseur
• Going Home (2000) - Dr. Warren
• Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac
Jack (1998) - Cadillac Jack Favor
• Maverick (1994) - Sweet-Faced Gambler
Notes
[1] The initials G.A. do not stand for
anything. (Mitchell, July 2, 1989)
[2] Seven years was the typical length of a
recording contract.
[3] The first three were Gene Autry, Roy
Rogers, and Garth Brooks.
References
[1] ^ "Black comes Back: The country king
(and Jersey boy) makes a stop at
Harrah’s", New York Daily News, August
13, 2006, http://www.nydailynews.com/
entertainment/2006/08/13/
2006-08-13_black_comes_back__the_country_king_and_j.html,
retrieved on April 13, 2009
[2] ^ Smiley, Tavis (October 10, 2005), Clint
Black, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/kcet/
tavissmiley/archive/200510/
20051010_black.html, retrieved on April
13, 2009
[3] ^ Mitchell, Rick (July 2, 1989), "Clint
Black sees stardom in the offing: First
album by Houston country performer
proves that he’s for real", Houston
Chronicle: Zest, p. 9,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1989_634276, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[4] ^ Graff, Gary (October 1, 1989), "A few
word with...Houstonian Clint Black",
Houston Chronicle: Zest, p. 6.,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1989_653411, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[5] ^ Hodges, Ann (June 6, 2000), "Every
Life a Story: ’Biography’ to profile Clint
Black, 26 others", Houston Chronicle:
Houston section, p. 8.,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=2000_3219903, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[6] ^ Long, Steven; Zuniga, Jo Ann
(February 19, 1990), "Country newcomer
hits it big", Houston Chronicle: Section
A, p 1., http://www.chron.com/CDA/
archives/archive.mpl?id=1990_684794,
retrieved on April 9, 2009
[7] Racine, Marty (May 8, 1989), "Clint
Black wows home crowd", Houston
Chronicle: Star, p. 1,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1989_622002, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[8] ^ Mitchell, Rick (January 2, 1991), "Clint
Black’s time has come", Houston
Chronicle: Section A, p. 15.,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1991_754465, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[9] ^ Mitchell, Rick (July 5, 1992), "New
Album: New Image - Clint Black",
Houston Chronicle: Zest, p. 16.,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1992_1065589, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[10]Hilburn, Robert (December 30, 1990),
"Country’s new crop", Los Angeles
Times: Cal, p. 8 reprinted in the
Houston Chronicle on January 6, 1991.
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1991_755354. Accessed
April 9, 2009
[11]^ Gates, David (October 7, 1991), "New
Kids on the Range", Newsweek,
http://www.newsweek.com/id/127087,
retrieved on April 9, 2009
[12]Hodges, Ann (October 1, 1991), "Clint
Black will marry Lisa Hartman", Houston
Chronicle: City and State, p. 1,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1991_813248, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[13]^ Mitchell, Rick (October 4, 1992), "Clint
Black polished, energetic, but where’s
the hat?", Houston Chronicle: Section A,
p. 30, http://www.chron.com/CDA/
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clint Black
5
archives/archive.mpl?id=1992_1084883,
retrieved on April 9, 2009
[14]^ Mitchell, Rick (February 24, 1993),
"Back-seat guitarist: Songwriter
comfortable in Clint Black’s shadow",
Houston Chronicle: Section Houston, p
1., http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1993_1113294, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[15]^ Mitchell, Rick (July 11, 1993), "Clint
Black: ’No Time’ to stand still", Houston
Chronicle: Zest, p. 10,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=1993_1140763, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[16]Farley, Christopher John (August 23,
1993), "A Bluer Shade of Black", Time,
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/
article/0,9171,979064,00.html, retrieved
on April 24, 2009
[17] "Clint Black earns his star", San
Francisco Chronicle: C11, December 13,
1996
[18]^ "Nashville sound: Dixie Chicks",
USAToday, October 27, 1999,
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/
lmds756.htm, retrieved on April 9, 2009
[19] "Welcome Lily Pearl Black", Country
Weekly Magazine, May 17, 2001,
http://www.countryweekly.com/news/
377, retrieved on April 9, 2009
[20]^ Clark, Michael D. (March 4, 2004),
"Clint Black’s getting back to his (grass)
roots", Houston Chronicle: Houston
section, p. 10., http://www.chron.com/
CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=2004_3740871, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[21]^ Guerra, Joey (September 28, 2007),
"Clint Black: soft but strong", Houston
Chronicle: Star, p. 1.,
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/
archive.mpl?id=2007_4432364, retrieved
on April 9, 2009
[22]Paxman, Bob (December 17, 2008),
"Clint Black’s Label Closes", Country
Weekly Magazine,
http://www.countryweekly.com/
clint_black/news/3518, retrieved on April
9, 2009
[23]^ Dean, Nicholas L. (April 19, 2009),
"More Than Just Music", The Post-
Journal (Jamestown, New York),
http://post-journal.com/page/
content.detail/id/528426.html, retrieved
on April 24, 2009
[24]^ "Country Comes to Hollywood",
Country Weekly Magazine, June 16,
2004, http://www.countryweekly.com/
feature/781, retrieved on April 9, 2009
[25]Lipton, Michael; Grisby, Lorna (March
29, 2004), "The Daddy Two-Step", People
61 (12), http://www.people.com/people/
archive/article/0,,20149671,00.html,
retrieved on April 9, 2009
Further reading
• Brown, R.D. (1993), Clint Black: A Better
Man, Simon & Schuster, ISBN
9780671865467
External links
• Official website
• Clint Black at IMDB
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Black"
Categories: 1962 births, American country singers, American country singer-songwriters,
American country harmonica players, American record producers, Grammy Award winners,
Grand Ole Opry members, Living people, Musicians from Houston, Texas, People from Katy,
Texas, People from Long Branch, New Jersey, The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants
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Clint Black
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