Clint Black

With his husky, expressive voice and matinee-idol looks, Clint Black was one of the dominant forces in '90s country music. Between 1989 and late 1999, he sold over 12 million albums and had a dozen #1 C&W singles, including "A Better Man" (1989), "Loving Blind" (1991), "When My Ship Comes In" (1993), and "Like the Rain" (1996).

Born in New Jersey (where his father was working on a pipeline), Clint Black grew up near Houston. His father, a Cole Porter fan, originally wanted to name his son after the songwriter. He resisted the urge, and Clint was spared the name Cole Black. Part of a musical family, Black started playing harmonica at 13; by 15 he had taught himself guitar, had started writing songs, and was performing everything from Merle Haggard to Yes with one of his three brothers in the Full House Band. He dropped out of high school in 1979 and spent the next eight years working in construction, writing songs, and playing clubs.

Black met Hayden Nicholas, his main songwriting collaborator, at a club in 1987. Nicholas joined Black’s band, and the two soon began work on a demo. Their break came later that year when ZZ Top producer and manager Bill Ham met Black, was impressed, and got him a deal with RCA.

“A Better Man” was the first C&W debut single to top the chart in 14 years. Killin’ Time (#31 pop, #1 C&W, 1989) contained three other #1 C&W singles: “Killin’ Time” (1989), “Nobody’s Home” (1989), and “Walkin’ Away” (1990). It held the #1 spot on the C&W chart for eight months, sold over 3 million copies, and won four Academy of Country Music Awards. Black, who, unlike other country acts, toured with his studio band, also became a major concert attraction.

Put Yourself in My Shoes (#18 pop, #1 C&W, 1990) proved that Black was no fluke, with two #1 C&W hits, “Where Are You Now” (1991) and “Loving Blind” (1991). Black was named Best Male Vocalist of 1990 by the Country Music Association. He recorded a duet with legendary King of the Cowboys Roy Rogers, “Hold On Partner” (#42 C&W, 1991).

Black’s marriage to Knots Landing star Lisa Hartman in 1991 and his messy break with manager Bill Ham in 1992 led to some speculation that Black was losing touch with his “roots.” But the rueful, melancholy album The Hard Way (#8 pop, #2 C&W, 1992) proved otherwise. The following year’s No Time to Kill included a hit duet with Wynonna Judd, “A Bad Goodbye” (#2 C&W, 1993), and backing vocals from Kenny Loggins and former Eagle Timothy B. Schmit. In 1994 Black released his fifth album, One Emotion (#8 C&W), which yielded several C&W Top 10 singles, including the #1 “A Good Run of Bad Luck.”

Black followed up the next year with a holiday-themed album, Looking for Christmas, which reached only #25 on the C&W charts. The Greatest Hits (#2 C&W, 1996) returned Black to platinum status and included three new songs, including the chart-topping “Like the Rain” (1996). Nothin’ but the Taillights (#4 C&W, 1997) was another hit but included only one charting single, “Still Holding On” (#11 C&W, 1997), a duet with Martina McBride. While there were no new albums forthcoming in 1998, Black was active, appearing on the Eagles tribute album, Common Thread, and the soundtrack of the animated film The Prince of Egypt. He returned with his own material on 1999’s D’lectrified.


from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)