Grammy-winning country singer and songwriter Clint Black was born on February 4, 1962 in Long Branch, New Jersey. Growing up in Katy, Texas, he took an interest in music at age 13, learning to play the harmonica, and later both rhythm and bass guitar. He dropped out of high school to pursue a musical career, first as a player in his brother’s band, and later as a performer in the Houston music scene and as a songwriter.
Black signed to RCA Records in 1989 and, with the help of his friend Hayden Nicholas, he began writing for what would become his debut album. Killin’ Time was released the same year and shot up to the top spot in the charts, with four singles achieving similar success. He would later win six categories at that year’s CMA Awards. His next two albums—Put Yourself in My Shoes and The Hard Way—was not as successful critically as his first, but remained hits among country music fans.
Black’s career slowed down considerably in the latter part of the 1990s, although he remained prolific, releasing four more albums. This was in part because radio stations refused to give extensive airplay to his music. He left RCA Records in 2003 and founded his own record label, Equity Music Group, in 2003; through that, he released two more albums, apart from a few other singles, before the company shut down. Nevertheless, his achievements earned him a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Black also delved into acting, initially through a cameo in the 1994 film Maverick; his last film role was in the comedy Anger Management. He also appeared as a guest on several television comedies. In 2008, he joined the cast of the short-lived reality series Secret Talents of the Stars, where he was supposed to demonstrate his stand-up comedy chops before the ax was dropped after one episode. He has since appeared in another reality show—the second season of The Celebrity Apprentice.
