Song:A Better Man
Album:Ultimate Clint Black
Neo traditionalist Clint Black was one of the most popular country artists of the 90s. He had a total of 13 number one country music hits. A Better Man was not only his 1989 debut single but it was his first number one hit. So Black was a big success right from the start. He was born Feb. 4, 1962 in Long Branch, NJ but he grew up in the Houston suburb of Katy, TX. He got into music as a teen and played in a band with his brothers. He moved to Nashville in the early 80s and worked day jobs while performing in clubs at night. He was heavily influenced by George Strait. in 1987, Black met guitarist Hayden Nicholas and they started writing together and recording demos in Nicholas' home studio. One of those demos got into the hands of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham. He became Black's manager and before long, Black signed with RCA Records. His 1989 debut CD Killin' Time was produced by James Stroud and Mark Wright. Wright worked in RCA's A & R department at the time. Black and Nicholas wrote most of the songs on the album including A Better Man. It was the first debut single by a male artist in 14 years to top the Country Singles chart. The album was certified Platinum. At the time, there was a changing of the guard in country music with young "hat acts" like Black, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Mark Chesnutt becoming very popular. So I think Black's success was part of a larger trend. He came along at the right time. While having this success, Black married Knots Landing actress Lisa Hartman in 1991. In 1992, Black sued Ham after Lisa's mother told him Ham was getting heavy royalties for Black's songs. They settled the lawsuit that summer. Black appeared in the 1994 film Maverick and has occasionally done TV. But for the most part in the 90s, he concentrated on his music. As Black's career was declining in the late 90s, he decided to take a break. The Blacks had a daughter in 2001 and Black left RCA. You can get all his RCA hits on this budget comp. Black started his own label Equity Music Group. He last recorded in 2008. He was a mentor on the 2003 season of the CMT talent show Nashville Star. And he has appeared on Celebrity Apprentice and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. And he has appeared in the direct to video films Flicka 2 and Flicka 3. He is currently recording a new CD and will tour this summer. Here's the video for A Better Man by Clint Black.
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