Clint Black was born in New Jersey, but raised in Katy, TX, 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 started playing harmonica. Two years later, he began writing songs, as well as performing in his brother Kevin's band, where he played bass and sang. In the early '80s, he began busking on the streets of Katy, eventually working his way into coffeehouses, bars, and night clubs.

In 1987, Clint met Hayden Nicholas, a guitarist and songwriter that had a home studio. Nicholas and Black began collaborating together, writing songs and recording demos; Hayden would become the bandleader for Clint, playing lead guitar and co-writing a large majority of his hit singles. A tape of their songs made its way to Bill Ham, the manager of ZZ Top. Impressed with the tape, Ham became Black's manager; the singer had a contract with RCA Nashville by the end of 1988.

"A Better Man," Black's first single, was released early in 1989 and it went to number one -- he was the first new male country artist to have a number one hit with his debut single in 15 years. Clint was an immediate sensation throughout country music and he played the Grand Ole Opry in April, one month before his debut album, Killin' Time, was released. Killin' Time was an immediate hit, going gold within six months and spawning four other hit singles, including the number ones "Killin' Time," "Nobody's Home," and "Walkin' Away." At the end of 1989, he won the Country Music Association's Horizon Award, as well that organization's Best Male Vocalist award. He also won Best Album, Single, Best Male Vocalist, and Best New Male Vocalist awards from the Academy of Country Music and the NSAI Songwriter/Artists of the Year Award. By the end 1990, Killin' Time sold over two million copies in America.

Black released his second album, Put Yourself in My Shoes, in 1990. Like the debut, Put Yourself in My Shoes was a major success, spawning four Top Ten hits -- "Put Yourself in My Shoes," "One More Payment," and the number ones "Loving Blind" and "Where Are You Now" -- selling over two million copies and peaking at number 18 on the pop charts. Even though it sold well, it didn't receive the same critical acclaim as the debut. Nevertheless, Black was named Best Male Vocalist that same year.

Throughout 1990, Black was on tour with Alabama and appearing on television shows across the country. In 1991, several singles from Put Yourself in My Shoes charted and he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. On New Year's Eve of 1991, he married the television actress Lisa Hartman.

Clint Black began 1992 in a lawsuit with his manager Bill Ham. Black claimed that his original contract gave Ham too large of a percentage of the singer's royalties and publishing rights. For seven months he was embroiled in the lawsuit, during which he was recording his third album. By the summer, the suit was settled and his new album, The Hard Way, finally was released. The Hard Way received positive reviews and became an immediate hit, peaking at number two on the country charts and crossing over into the pop Top Ten. The first single from the album, "We Tell Ourselves," reached number one that summer. Black began a lengthy world tour in June of 1992 to support The Hard Way.

Although it was a success, The Hard Way wasn't as popular as Black's first two records, selling no more than a million copies. No Time to Kill, his fourth album released in 1993, continued the stagnation in his record sales, even though its sales were more than respectable -- the album went platinum and spawned the hit single, "When My Ship Comes In."

During the fall of 1994, Clint Black released his fifth album, One Emotion; Nothin' but the Taillights followed three years later.