|
 Since
hitting the Nashville scene, hot on the heels of the infamous
class of ‘89, Mark Chesnutt has come to be recognized
as one of country music’s real treasures. Critics have
hailed him as a classic country singer of the first order.
Country’s elite entertainers, from George Jones to George
Strait, have sung his praises. His status among fans can be
gauged from the 14 #1 hits and 23 top ten singles to his credit,
and from the four platinum and five gold records he has earned.
For these reasons, one needs to look no further than the basics.
It’s the music that has kept me around this long, is
the way Mark puts it. In a world that sometimes confuses style
with substance, Mark has a knack for picking great songs and
delivering them with real emotional resonance and a world-class
voice. In doing so, he has become a guiding light of his generation
for the love of genuine country music--as well as a consistent
hitmaker.
He got his start in the honky-tonks of Beaumont, Texas, learning
from his father, Bob Chesnutt, a singer, record collector,
and major fan of classic country music. Mark soaked up his
father’s influence and began making a name for himself,
one set at a time, while he was still a teenager. He sang
Lefty, Merle, George, and Waylon, developing superb crowd
rapport and a feel for authentic country. Bob Chesnutt had
often traveled to Nashville to record and look for wider exposure,
and he began taking Mark there to record when Mark was just
17. After a series of singles on regional labels over the
course of nearly a decade, word got out about this young singer.
Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own turf, and
recognized the wells of raw talent he drew from. Soon he had
a record deal and his career was off and running. With the
release of his very first single, “Too Cold At Home”,
Mark established himself as one of country’s most authentic
and talented vocal stylists. He won the CMA Horizon Award,
and no less a judge of talent than George Jones said, “This
boy is the real deal.” That initial success gave Mark
the chance to do what he enjoyed most--sing for country fans,
this time on a national level. The first couple years it was
non-stop, he says. There was one time I didn’t go home
for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a-half,
then right back out. The dedication paid off. Mark’s
shows built a fan base that helped his records climb the charts
one after the other and made him one of the ten most-played
radio artists of the ‘90s. It didn’t hurt that his
songs were among the decades most memorable, from the pure
fun of “Bubba Shot The Jukebox” to the pure emotion
of “l Think Of Something.”
Through the years, there have also been “Brother Jukebox”,
“Blame It On Texas”, “Old Flames Have New Names”,
“Old Country”, “It Sure Is Monday”, “Almost
Goodbye”, “I Just Wanted You To Know”, “Going
Through The Big D”, “It’s A Little Too Late”,
“Gonna Get A Life”, among many others, as well as
one of country’s biggest of the past few years, “I
Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, which stayed at the
top of the charts for a full month. For all the recorded highlights
he has generated, though, Mark Chesnutt lives for the stage.
I make records because I want people to come see my show,
he says with a grin. Fans who have seen him perform know just
what he means. Just listening to music is great, he says,
but I’ve got to be out there on stage making it. As one
of the industry’s hardest-working concert performers,
his dedication to taking live music to his fans is unshakable.
A steady touring presence since 1990, he remains on the road,
currently gearing up for this summer’s Rockin’ Roadhouse
Tour with his friends Tracy Lawrence and Joe Diffie. Newly
signed to Columbia Records Nashville, Mark is presently in
the studio at work on a new album slated for summer release.
The first single, “SHE WAS” shipped at the end of
January and an overwhelming response prompted the song to
take a spot in the top 50 of the R &R charts by early
February. I’m excited about every aspect of my career
at this point, he says. “The first song is one of the
most moving songs I’ve ever had the chance to record.”
His excitement is shared by his fans and the media alike.
Mark Chesnutt gave honky-tonk music back its soul, noted critic
Robert K. Oermann has said. “When he appeared on an arid
musical landscape back in 1990, I dubbed him the hillbilly
messiah.” Oermann states. “I still feel that way
today and I’ll feel that way decades from now.”
Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the parents
of three boys, Waylon, Casey, and Cameron.
|
