Clint Black is coming to the Pompano Beach Amphitheater on Saturday, September 16th for what is sure to be a great concert! We recently gave some tickets away to this show, and at last check there were just a small amount of tickets left. If you haven’t secured one yet, get one now before the show sells out!
We were fortunate enough to get a few minutes of his time to conduct this interview in advance of his show, check it out below!
For starters, we want to extend our thoughts and prayers to your home state of Texas as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. It’s encouraging to see the outpouring of support being sent their way so far. Being from Texas, what would you recommend citizens do to further help them out?
Thanks. This is going to be long term, awful for a lot of people. Personally, I support the Salvation Army, but Red Cross is great too. In some of the towns hit hardest by the winds, people lost all their belongings. I can’t imagine where to start, but those orgs. will be on the scene and can direct us all on what is needed.
George Strait recently tweeted, “We are working on putting together relief efforts with the whole country music community.” Will you be taking part in this, and if so, can you shed some light on what will be done?
I haven’t heard of his, but I’ve already started organizing a benefit concert of my own. I hope to announce very soon. We will all be looking for ways to lend our voices to the cause.
Absolutely. There’s been a lot of local news coverage about all the folks with boats making the long drive from Florida to assist in search and rescue.
You are filming an upcoming performance with John Rich at the Franklin Theatre just down the road from Nashville on September 5th for the CMA Songwriters Series. How did this get put together, and when and where will this special air?
I was asked to appear and the show really likes us to have guests, so I reached out to my pal, JR and he agreed right away. He and I will do about three songs together and my wife, Lisa and I will do our hit, “When I Said I Do”. (Editor’s Note: No TV dates/times have been announced yet)
A few months ago you were awarded a federal grant for music research, congratulations! Can you tell us a little about this project, and how is it coming along?
No! That was just a joke! HA. I made it about finding undiscovered notes. I guess I was a little too clever for my own good. Now people are probably wondering what I’ve found!
Ahh. Should have known by the date of the “press release” that it was an April Fool’s Day joke, you got me!
Any other new projects on the horizon for you? Maybe a new album?
Yes! But nothing I can announce yet. I am talking with a label about a new album, though.
Outside of music and family, what is something you are really passionate about?
History. I love either reading about it or watching documentaries. I used to play golf, but haven’t done that in a while. The thing I do the most other than family stuff though, is practice guitar. I’m determined to keep rising to new skill levels.
In our humble opinion, you are a future Country Music Hall of Famer. So this may be a tough one, but what has been the biggest “Wow!” moment of your illustrious career?
Thank you. That would be humbling. That is a tough question. I’ve had so many great moments; first time I heard “A Better Man” on the radio, acting in Maverick, winning awards, walking on stage in my hometown to 71 thousand fans!…, meeting Lisa Hartman backstage 26 years ago at my first hometown concert in 1990… WOW! We were married ten months later…
What is the #1 item on your Bucket List?
Comedy. Anything in comedy. I’m looking at a comedy project right now and that would fit the bill.
Have you ever passed on recording a song that went on to be a hit for someone else?
Nope! I write all of my own songs, so I’d never pass on one… RCA tried hard to get me to record “outside songs” and it was a real sticking point with us. To their credit, they released everything I gave them and we had a lot of success. But when I asked the head of the label –after years of albums and hits– why it mattered so much that I record songs from the local publishers and songwriters, he replied, “They just want a little taste”. After that, I never gave it a second thought.
What advice would you give to an aspiring artist trying to make it in country music?
Listen to everything you can. Not just the stuff you love. This way, you’ll know what has already been done musically and you can develop your own unique style. If you try to copy someone, you’ll be just a distorted version of someone else.
Also, study business practices and a little entertainment law while you’re at it. You will be the CEO of your business although you’ll have people running it for you. There is every kind of person trying to manage artists out there; cheats and incompetents, along with real pros, whom you’ll want to impress with your own professionalism.
Then…, get ready to work harder than you ever thought you would need to work. Still beats construction work though; I should know!
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, we’re looking forward to your show in a couple of weeks!