Clint Black

A country music traditionalist from Texas, Clint Black was one of the first artists to kick-start the mass-market popularity of country in the '90s. Black is also one of the first artists of a generation that was equally inspired by rock-oriented pop -- like '70s singer/songwriters and '60s rock & roll -- as well as country artists like Merle Haggard, Bob Wills, and George Jones. Black was born in New Jersey but raised in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston. As a child, he listened to both country and rock & roll, but he didn't begin playing guitar until the age of 13, when he s...