One of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters is Clint Black. Besides being into his music for almost 35 years and seeing him in concert several times, I’ve met Clint a few times back in the 90’s. He was always friendly and damn funny with a very dry sense of humor.
On the humor side, Clint made two appearances on the Larry Sanders, the second one being on the series finale of Garry Shandling’s great show.
Clint Black aiming to so the ‘Bette Midler’ singing bit for the last episode of “The Larry Sanders Show.”
When Jimmy Buffett passed away earlier this month, I was interested to see Clint’s reaction to his good friend’s leaving this world. He posted warm memories of their relationship, touring with Jimmy one summer as guest harmonica player and also co-writing a great song together, “Happiness Alone.” It’s one of the best wistful and wishful toned tunes I’ve ever heard.
Years ago, a very good friend of mine did promotions work for Clint Black. She fondly shared memories with me of those days doing business with Clint and his management team.
In the summer of 2020 when COVID shut down most large crowd gatherings, Clint and I got into some interesting exchanges on Twitter for a couple of weeks. He wanted to keep working and get his band on the road for a tour but the worries about that bastard virus made that impossible. Clint was venting his frustration and I offered some ideas on how to adapt and play live but do it safely at drive-in movie theaters and other locales. He volleyed back to me that there weren’t enough venues for him to mount a road run that could make a profit. I felt bad for Clint and his band along with all the other touring acts who were shut down back then.
Here’s me with Clint Black in Nashville back in 1994. The guy has always been fun to be around.
Clint Black was recently honored with the Academy of Country Music’s Poet’s Award. It’s a lifetime achievement and Clint’s acceptance speech showed why he was given this honor. It was wry, funny and had just the right touch of warmth and humility. Check it out here.
Finally, with the fall season here it seems right to post up Clint’s re-working of his mid-90’s song “A Change in the Air.” He recorded this newer version a year ago with his wife Lisa and their lovely daughter Lily Pearl. Mother and daughter have often joined Clint on tour do some part time stage sharing with him.
Speaking of the Black family, I was at the very show back in the fall of 2000 when Clint first made it public that Lisa was pregnant with Lily. That was twenty-three years ago and also the last time I saw him in concert. I need to catch another Clint Black gig, ASAP. To quote some of the past songs penned by the man from Katy, Texas; I’m ‘Killing time’, ‘Untangling my Mind’ waiting to see him again, it’ll change my ‘State of Mind’ and make me a ‘Better Man’. Hurry back to Chicago Clint, there’s “No time to kill.”
NEXT BLOG- Some more random thoughts.