Clint Black
Clint Black
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 9/29/2011
Clint dropped out of high school to work two day jobs and sing in local bars in the evenings. ZZ Top’s manager, Bill Ham, came into Clint’s life in 1987, when Clint was 25. Ham quickly signed Clint up with RCA, for which Clint recorded the number one selling album, “Killing Time.”
That album remained on the top of the charts for 28 weeks. The album went triple platinum. In 1990, Clint produced another successful album, “Put Yourself in My Shoes.” A year after that, Clint was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
Two more albums soon followed, “The Hard Way,” in 1992 and “No Time to Kill” in 1993. Clint decided, at this point, that he would enjoy acting as well. He acted in “Wings,” a television show, and a movie called “Maverick,” in 1994.
His acting stints did not slow down his singing, however, and he released albums in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1999. He eventually married Lisa Hartman, a singer as well as an actress on “Knots Landing.” Together, they received a Grammy nomination for their duet, “When I Said I Do,” another number one hit. Today, Clint continues his successful singing career, producing popular hits with each album.
Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 9/20/2011
Garths mother, a cheerful, spunky woman, taught Garth about the ups and downs of the music industry, having been through some challenges within it herself. She taught him to enjoy life and take risks. His father taught him the practical side of life, including the importance of being meticulous in business affairs.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1984, Garth took a leap of faith into the music industry. He struggled, at first, and married his college sweetheart, Sandy Mahl, before he ever succeeded in joining the ranks of recording artists.
Eventually Garth made his presence known. In Spring of 1989 he released his first album. That album was the bestselling album of the 1980s. From there, Garths career took off, leaving every recording artist ever known in the dust.
In fact, in all of United States music history, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified Garth Brooks as the top selling solo artist of all time. With sales of over 128 million albums, he holds the record of six albums hitting 10 million sales each. With his versatility and mass-appeal, he has crossed the boundaries of country, reaching listeners who generally favor other genres.
Garth Brooks may never meet his match, and continues today to record and perform, sharing his wealth with charities. He was the first artist to release a simultaneous charitable edition of his most recent collection, in 2007, raising money for breast cancer research. Today, Garth Brooks continues to maintain his place in public popularity, with no end in sight.
Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 9/8/2011
Born to Myrle and Ira Nelson in 1933, Willie lived his early life during the Great Depression. He and his sister Bobbie learned their love of music from their small-town Methodist church growing up. He received his first guitar when he was just six years old. Willie did not just want to learn to play the guitar, as most people do. He started writing songs on his guitar very early on. He also began performing with local bands while he was still a child.
Willie joined the Air Force after high school, but soon had to leave due to back problems. He decided to try selling encyclopedias door to door so he could attend college. But college just wasn’t working out for him either, so he left to work as a disc jockey on the radio for several years.
While he worked as a DJ, Willie continued writing songs and performing on the side. Once he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, he began getting into the big leagues of country music, as a songwriter for other artists like Patsy Cline and Ray Price.
After his home in Tennessee burned down, Willie returned to his roots in Texas, but did not give up writing and singing. He sang, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by Fred Rose which hit the number one spot on the country charts and earned him his first Grammy. Since then, Willie has been unstoppable, winning numerous awards and selling millions of albums throughout his full and lengthy career.
Most recently Willie contributed a cover of the Coldplay song "The Scientist" to the Chipotle Food with Integrity campaign in support of local and sustainable farming. The song is the soundtrack to a video created to raise awareness. Willie has long been a supporter of local and family farming.
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