Clint Black facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clint Black
Black in 2000
Background information
Birth name	Clint Patrick Black
Born	(1962-02-04) February 4, 1962 (age 63) Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S.
Origin	Katy, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician record producer actor
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica
Years active	1983–present
Labels	RCA Nashville Equity Thirty Tigers

Clint Patrick Black, born on February 4, 1962, is a famous American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. He became well-known in 1989 when he signed with RCA Records Nashville. His first album, Killin' Time, was a huge hit. It had four songs that went straight to number one on the US Billboard country music charts!

Even though his biggest hits were in the 1990s, Clint Black kept making popular songs into the 2000s. He has had over 30 songs on the country charts, and 22 of them reached the very top. He has also released 12 studio albums. In 2003, he even started his own record company called Equity Music Group. Besides music, Clint Black has acted in TV shows like Wings and movies like Maverick. He also starred in the 1998 film Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack.

Clint Black has been nominated for many Grammy Awards for his country music. He won a Grammy in 1998 for "Same Old Train" with many other artists. He was also nominated for songs like "Killin' Time" and "Like the Rain."

Growing Up: Clint Black's Early Life

Clint Black was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. He was the youngest of four children. His family moved to Texas before he was one year old, and he grew up in Katy, Texas. Music was always a big part of his home life.

Clint taught himself to play the harmonica before he was 13. When he was 14, he wrote his first song. His father noticed he had a "great voice" around that age. By 15, Clint had learned to play the guitar. As a teenager, he joined a small band with his older brothers, Mark, Kevin, and Brian. On Saturdays, his family would have backyard parties where neighbors would come to hear the boys sing. Sometimes, up to 70 people would show up! Clint eventually left high school to play music with his brothers, and later started performing on his own.

Music Journey: How Clint Black Became a Star

Starting Out: 1983–1988

Clint Black liked many kinds of music at first. But in the early 1980s, he decided to focus on country music. This was when singers like George Strait and Reba McEntire were bringing traditional country music back into style. For six years, Clint worked different jobs like construction and fishing guide. At the same time, he sang and played guitar by himself in different places.

In 1987, he met another guitarist named Hayden Nicholas at one of his shows. They quickly became friends and started writing songs together. Their partnership lasted for many years. Later that year, Clint gave a demo of their song "Nobody's Home" to a music promoter. Just two days later, Clint was invited to meet with Bill Ham, who managed the famous band ZZ Top.

Becoming Famous: 1989–1991

Clint Black signed with RCA Records in October 1987. At that time, RCA was a very popular record label in country music. His first album, Killin' Time, came out in 1989. Clint helped write every song on the album. Four songs were written only by him, and the rest were written with Hayden Nicholas.

Instead of using studio musicians, Clint used his own touring band to record Killin' Time. The album was a huge success! It reached number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart and sold over a million copies by 1990. His first song, "A Better Man", became number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in June 1989. This was the first time in 14 years that a new male artist's first song reached the top of the chart. Five songs from his first album reached number one, which was a first for any country artist!

Clint Black won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award for best new artist in 1989. At the end of that year, his songs "A Better Man" and "Killin' Time" were the number one and number two country singles of the year. No other artist had done that in 36 years! Clint remembered feeling a mix of excitement and knowing that he would always be remembered for Killin' Time.

In 1990, experts in the country music world thought Clint Black would be one of the top-selling artists for the next seven years. He was second only to Garth Brooks. Many new artists were becoming popular at this time. Clint Black became known as one of Nashville's "hat acts" because he wore a hat, like other new country stars such as Alan Jackson. These artists had a "clean, traditional sound with pop appeal."

Clint's second album, Put Yourself in My Shoes, was released in November 1990. It reached number two on the country chart and was also popular on the pop charts. This album also had several hit songs. Clint started touring with the famous band Alabama.

Clint Black has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1991. The Grand Ole Opry is a famous country music stage show in Nashville, Tennessee.

More Success: 1993–1999

Black in 1994

Clint Black's fourth album, No Time to Kill, came out in 1993. It had a duet with Wynonna Judd called "A Bad Goodbye". Some people thought this song helped Clint show more emotion in his music.

His next album, One Emotion, came out in late 1994. This album also sold over a million copies in the US. It had five songs that reached the top five on the charts, including the number one hit "Summer's Comin'" and "Life Gets Away."

In 1996, Clint Black received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for famous people in entertainment. Later that year, he released his first collection of greatest hits. This album included the song "Like the Rain", which was number one for three weeks.

Clint's album Nothin' but the Taillights came out in 1997. It included a duet with Martina McBride called "Still Holding On." He then had two more number one hits from this album: the title track "Nothin' but the Taillights" and "The Shoes You're Wearing".

In 1999, Clint Black released D'lectrified. This album used only acoustic (unplugged) instruments. Even without electric instruments, the album sounded full and exciting. Some songs on this album were new versions of his old hits. He also had guest appearances from some of his favorite musicians, like Waylon Jennings and Kenny Loggins.

Later Career: 1999–Present

Clint Black and his wife, Lisa Hartman Black, had their daughter, Lily Pearl Black, in May 2001. Clint took a three-year break from music to spend time at home with his daughter. He said it wasn't the best choice for his career, but it was "a real smart dad move." He said he wouldn't trade that time for anything.

During his break, Clint thought about his music career. He decided he wanted to work differently, so he started his own record company, Equity Music Group. It was hard for him to leave RCA Records, where he had sold over 20 million records in 14 years.

His new company, Equity Music Group, worked differently. Artists who signed with them owned their own songs and had a share in the company. The first album released by his new label was Clint's own Spend My Time in 2004. This was his first album in five years.

In 2005, Clint released Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic. He chose the title to remind himself of simpler times. He listened to music he grew up with, like songs by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. He realized he had moved away from the simple style of those songs. This journey helped him get back to the music that first inspired him.

Black performing at a benefit concert

Clint Black has continued to make new music. In 2007, he released "The Strong One," which was the first song he recorded that he didn't write himself. Equity Music Group closed in December 2008 because of money problems.

After his label closed, Clint Black hinted at a new album for a while. In 2013, he released an album with new versions of his biggest hits and three new songs. He even hired the same musicians who played on the original songs.

In 2015, Clint Black appeared on a TV special called ACM Superstar Duets. He sang with Joe Nichols, who was influenced by Clint's music. In July 2015, Clint signed a new record deal and released his album On Purpose in September. Clint's most recent album, Out of Sane, came out in 2020.

Songwriting: Clint Black's Unique Style

Most country singers record songs written by other people. But Clint Black usually writes his own songs. Even though RCA Records often wanted him to record other artists' songs, he usually said no. He only recorded a song he didn't write in 2007 ("The Strong One"). Many of his songs were written with Hayden Nicholas. Their first song together, "Straight From the Factory," took them only 20 minutes to write!

Many people were surprised that someone so young (he was 27 when his first album came out) could write such thoughtful songs. Clint says that for him, a song is more than just something to sing. It's something to learn from. He tries to understand the true feelings behind a song. When he writes, he thinks about what someone listening to his song would get out of it.

Many of his songs use clever wordplay and interesting phrases. While his early albums were praised for this, some later albums were thought to have less strong songwriting.

Acting: Clint Black on Screen

Soon after his music career took off, Clint Black started getting offers to act. He turned them down until 1994, when he was offered a small role in the movie Maverick. After that movie, he got more calls from directors.

Clint Black has appeared in several TV shows, including Wings and The Larry Sanders Show. He starred in the 1998 TV movie Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack. This movie was about a rodeo star who was wrongly accused of murder. Clint's wife, Lisa Hartman Black, played Jack's wife in the movie. Clint also had a big role in the TV movie Going Home and a small part in the 2003 film Anger Management. In 2000, Clint and Lisa were guest stars on an episode of King of the Hill.

He has also been on reality TV shows. In 2003, Clint appeared on Nashville Star as a mentor for the contestants. He also produced the first album for the show's winner, Buddy Jewell. In 2008, Clint was on a show called Secret Talents of the Stars, where he tried stand-up comedy. The next year, he was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice.

Clint enjoys acting. He says it's "another way for me to expand my creative canvas." He likes to challenge himself. He believes most of his fans see him as a musician who tries acting sometimes. More recently, he appeared in the movies Flicka 2 (2010) and Flicka: Country Pride (2012).

In 2012, Clint Black was on an episode of Coming Home, a show about military members returning home. He helped two children write a song for their Army captain father, who was coming home from Afghanistan. He also appeared on History Detectives on PBS in 2012, where they explored the story behind an old item his wife gave him.

In 2020, Clint Black and his wife Lisa appeared on The Masked Singer as "Snow Owls." They were the first duet to compete on the show! In 2021, Clint Black was featured on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., which explores people's family histories.

Musical Style and Influences

Clint Black's biggest musical influences are Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Strait, and Willie Nelson. His music style includes traditional country, honky-tonk, and Western swing. His voice is described as smooth and deep, and it was first compared to Merle Haggard's. Clint taught himself to play harmonica, guitar, and bass when he was young. On his albums, he plays acoustic and electric guitars, as well as harmonica. In his concerts, he mainly plays guitar, but also plays drums and harmonica.

Personal Life

Clint Black started dating actress Lisa Hartman in 1990. They kept their relationship private. The first picture of them together was published the week they got engaged. They got married in Katy, Texas, in October 1991.

Clint and Lisa Hartman Black have a daughter named Lily Pearl Black, who was born in 2001. Since 2002, Clint and his wife have lived in Nashville, Tennessee, after living in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California.

Awards and Recognitions

Clint Black's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Clint Black has won and been nominated for many awards throughout his career.

Grammy Awards

American Music Awards

TNN/Music City News Country Awards & TNN Music Awards

Academy of Country Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards

Discography: Clint Black's Albums

Studio albums

• 1989: Killin' Time
• 1990: Put Yourself in My Shoes
• 1992: The Hard Way
• 1993: No Time to Kill
• 1994: One Emotion
• 1995: Looking for Christmas
• 1997: Nothin' but the Taillights
• 1999: D'lectrified
• 2004: Spend My Time
• 2004: Christmas with You
• 2005: Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic
• 2007: The Love Songs
• 2015: On Purpose
• 2020: Out of Sane

Billboard Number-One Hits

These are the songs by Clint Black that reached number one on the Billboard country charts:

• "A Better Man" (1 week, 1989)
• "Killin' Time" (1 week, 1989)
• "Nobody's Home" (3 weeks, 1990)
• "Walkin' Away" (2 weeks, 1990)
• "Loving Blind" (2 weeks, 1991)
• "Where Are You Now" (2 weeks, 1991)
• "When My Ship Comes In" (2 weeks, 1993)
• "A Good Run of Bad Luck" (1 week, 1994)
• "Summer's Comin'" (3 weeks, 1995)
• "Like the Rain" (3 weeks, 1996)
• "Nothin' but the Taillights" (2 weeks, 1998)
• "The Shoes You're Wearing" (1 week, 1998)
• "When I Said I Do" (2 weeks, 1999)

Filmography: Clint Black's Acting Roles

• The Masked Singer (2020) - Snow Owls (with his wife Lisa)
• Flicka: Country Pride (2012) – Toby
• Flicka 2 (2010) – Toby
• Las Vegas "Good Run of Bad Luck" (2004) - Himself
• Anger Management (2003) – Masseur
• The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2002) – Himself
• Going Home (2000) – Dr. Warren
• Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack (1998) – Cadillac Jack Favor
• Maverick (1994) – Sweet-Faced Gambler
• Wings "I Love Brian" (1993) – Himself
• Montana Christmas Skies (1991) – Clint Black, with John Denver, Kathy Mattea, Patty Loveless