Clay Walker (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clay Walker (born August 19, 1969 in Beaumont, Texas) is an American country music singer.
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since March 2007. |
Contents |
[edit] Early Years
Earnest Clayton Walker, Jr. is the oldest child of Earnest Clayton Walker Sr. and Danna Bush. He has a younger sister, Kimberly.
Walker fell in love with music at age 9. After leaving his shift as night-shift desk clerk at a Super 8 Motel one morning when he was only 16, Walker stopped at a local radio station to deliver a tape of a song he had written himself. Although the morning dj told him that it was against the station's policy to play the song, as Walker drove away he heard his song play on the air for the first time.[1] After graduating from Vidor High School in 1987, he pursued a full-time music career.
After several years playing in various Texas honky-tonks, Walker became the house singer at the Neon Armadillo Bar in Beaumont. It was there that he was discovered by producer James Stroud, who helped Walker get a contract with Giant Records.
[edit] Career
 |
This article or section may contain proseline. |
Walker's debut album, the self-titled Clay Walker, was released in 1993. It contained the #1 hit singles "What's It to You", "Live Until I Die" and "Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open." It also featured the #11 "Where Do I Fit In the Picture" as well as the song "White Palace" which was never an actual single, but Clay's momentum boosted the song's popularity as a club hit caused it to become requested at radio enough to chart to #67.
In 1994, Walker's second album, If I Could Make a Living, was released. It contained the #1 hit title track, as well as top-ten hit "This Woman and This Man" and minor hit "My Heart Will Never Know."
Walker's third album, Hypnotize the Moon, was released in 1995. It contained the #2 hit "Who Needs You Baby", as well as the top-5 title track, another top 10 hit called "Only On Days That End In 'Y'", and minor hits "Where Were You" and "Bury the Shovel."
1996 saw discouraging news. Clay Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Walker, however, didn't care. He was going to make music and perform concerts no matter what happened to him.
1997 saw the release of Walker's fourth album, Rumor Has It. The hits on this album included the title track (which went No. 1), the top 5 hits "Watch This]]" and "Then What," and a lesser hit called "One, Two, I Love You."
In 1998, Walker's Greatest Hits was released, featuring all of his hit singles, plus two new hit songs, "You're Beginning to Get to Me", and "Ordinary People"
Walker's last Giant Records album, Live, Laugh, Love came in 1999. It included the #3 hit "Chain of Love", plus the #11 title track, as well as the #16 "She's Always Right", and flops "Once In A Lifetime" and a remake of the Earl Thomas Conley hit "Holding Her and Loving You."
Walker then recorded an album for Warner Brothers, of which Giant Records was the sister label. Say No More was released in 2001. It was the least successful of his albums, only reaching gold status. It included minor hits "If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again" and the title track.
In 2002, Walker wrote and recorded a song for the NFL's newest expansion team, the Houston Texans. "Football Time in Houston" was used as the team's official fight song during the team's inaugural season. In 2003, the franchise chose to go with a different song that had an overwhelmingly negative response from the fans. Shortly thereafter, Walker's song returned and is still the team's fight song today. The song can be heard over Reliant Stadium's Public Address system after a Texans score. Walker makes frequent appearances at Texans games and traditionally sings the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the team's home-opener each season.
Walker's RCA debut, A Few Questions, came in 2003. It included the top-ten title track, plus another top-ten, "I Can't Sleep." It also featured a minor hit, "Jesus Was a Country Boy."
Walker is one of a select few artists to have one of his songs included in Billboard's year-end Top 10 Country Song list for 5 consecutive years. His albums have sold a combined 8 million copies, and he has had 11 number-one singles.
His new album on Asylum-Curb, titled Fall, is slated to be released April 17, 2007 and features his most recent single "'Fore She Was Mama".
[edit] Additional Information
Although doctors originally told him he had only a few years to live, Walker's MS is now manageable. To spur research into the disease, he formed the Band Against MS organization.
Walker recently competed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the cutting competition with his horse, Maddie, and placed seventh. He is also an avid golfer, and regularly competes in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In 2005, his team won the tournament. Walker donated his share of the winnings to Band Against MS. [2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio Albums
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||
[edit] Compilations
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Hot Country | |||
| 1993 | "Live Until I Die" | - | #1 | Clay Walker |
| 1993 | "What's It To You" | #73 | #1 | Clay Walker |
| 1994 | "Dreaming With My Eyes Open" | - | #1 | Clay Walker |
| 1994 | "Where Do I Fit In The Picture" | - | #11 | Clay Walker |
| 1994 | "White Palace" | - | #67 | Clay Walker |
| 1994 | "If I Could Make A Living" | - | #1 | If I Could Make A Living |
| 1995 | "My Heart Will Never Know" | - | #16 | If I Could Make A Living |
| 1995 | "This Woman And This Man" | - | #1 | If I Could Make A Living |
| 1995 | "Who Needs You Baby" | - | #2 | Hypnotize The Moon |
| 1996 | "Bury The Shovel" | - | #18 | Hypnotize The Moon |
| 1996 | "Hypnotize The Moon" | - | #2 | Hypnotize The Moon |
| 1996 | "Only On Days That End In “Y”" | - | #5 | Hypnotize The Moon |
| 1997 | "One, Two, I Love You" | - | #18 | Rumor Has It |
| 1997 | "Rumor Has It" | - | #1 | Rumor Has It |
| 1997 | "Then What" | #65 | #2 | Rumor Has It |
| 1997 | "Watch This" | #65 | #4 | Rumor Has It |
| 1998 | "Ordinary People" | - | #35 | Greatest Hits |
| 1998 | "You're Beginning To Get To Me" | #39 | #2 | Greatest Hits |
| 1998 | "Holding Her And Loving You" | - | #68 | Live, Laugh, Love |
| 1999 | "Live, Laugh, Love" | #66 | #11 | Live, Laugh, Love |
| 1999 | "Once In A Lifetime" | - | #50 | Live, Laugh, Love |
| 1999 | "She's Always Right" | #74 | #16 | Live, Laugh, Love |
| 1999 | "The Chain Of Love" | #40 | #3 | Live, Laugh, Love |
| 2000 | "Blue Christmas" | - | #53 | Believe: A Christmas Collection |
| 2001 | "Cowboy Christmas" | - | #70 | Believe: A Christmas Collection |
| 2001 | "Say No More" | - | #33 | Say No More |
| 2001 | "If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again" | - | #27 | Say No More |
| 2003 | "Feliz Navidad" | - | #49 | Christmas |
| 2003 | "A Few Questions" | #55 | #9 | A Few Questions |
| 2004 | "I Can't Sleep" | #61 | #9 | A Few Questions |
| 2004 | "Jesus Was A Country Boy" | - | #31 | A Few Questions |
| 2006 | "‘Fore She Was Mama" | - | #21 | Fall |
| 2007 | "Fall"A | - | #59 | Fall |
ACurrently active.
[edit] References
- U.S. chart data: Billboard 200, Billboard Top Country Albums, Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Hot Country Songs.
- RIAA Gold and Platinum Database
