Mark Chesnutt is one of Country’s true musical treasures. Critics have hailed him as a classic Country singer of the first order and some of Country music’s most elite entertainers from George Jones to George Strait echo this sentiment. Mark Chesnutt’s stature is easily gauged; he has 14 No. 1 hits, 23 top ten singles, four platinum albums, five gold records and he maintains his steady presence with a hefty tour schedule year after year.
Country music critics and fans alike need look no further when it comes to Country music basics. If you ask Mark Chesnutt he’ll tell you, “It’s the music and the fans that have kept me around this long.” In a world that sometimes confuses style with substance, Mark Chesnutt possesses both. Remaining true to himself as a traditional country artist while keeping the pace with the ever-changing country recording landscape, Mark Chesnutt has a knack for picking great songs, delivering them with his world-class vocals with real heart-felt emotion. Mark has set the bar for his generation. Mark Chesnutt’s personal integrity as well as his principal to record a genuine country song has made him a fixture on radio and in the honky tonks.
“Mark Chesnutt gave honky-tonk music back its soul,” noted music critic Robert K. Oermann. “When Chesnutt appeared on an arid musical landscape back in 1990, I dubbed him the hillbilly messiah.” Oermann stated. “I still feel that way today and I’ll feel that way decades from now.”
Fifteen years later, Mark Chesnutt carries the torch in the footsteps of George Jones and Waylon Jennings to bring music from the honky tonks right back to where country music began with his newest CD release HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG--a collection of quintessential country music treasures lost and recovered.
HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG is Chesnutt’s homage to some of his personal heroes and a collection he describes as “sleepers.” “Some of these songs were never really big hits,” says Chesnutt to introduce the song list on the new project. “But, they were really good songs and it’s really good music. Anybody and everybody who says they are a country music lover should become re-acquainted or introduced to these songs. So…I ‘uncovered’ ‘em!”
The 10-song CD is a selection of hand picked favorites--some classic country standards, some acoustic cuts and some of the songs that helped Mark to shape his own career. “There are so many great country songs that really made an impression in classic country history but never made it to the air-waves that I could have picked 200 hundred songs to record as part of this project! So, I picked some songs I’ve just been playin’ for years.”
A shout-out to all country music legends, HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG features the Marshall Tucker classic by the same name, an acoustic version of “Hard Secret To Keep” (from SAVIN’ THE HONKY TONK), his rendition of “Dreaming My Dreams With You” (Waylon Jennings) and “A Day In The Life Of A Fool” (George Jones), Tammy Wynette’s 1966 debut single “Apartment #9”, the country’s country song of all time “Lost Highway” (Hank Williams) and a Mark Chesnutt co-write entitled “That Good That Bad” (written with Slugger Morrissette and Roger Springer of the Mark Chesnutt ‘90’s fame.)
“I recorded this music for ‘the’ country music fan. My intention in recording these songs was not to out-do any of the previous recordings—because that just can’t be done—but to reintroduce some of the authentic music that made country music great and still does today,” adds Chesnutt. A collection of quintessential country songs, HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG is signatured by Mark Chesnutt’s vocal interpretation with a less-is-more production. “Similar to the rock recordings from the early 70’s and music from Waylon and Willie—the early days, this is a laid back album with real sparse production.” A recording without an official plan, the project took a life of its own. “A lot of times when I come to Nashville, Jimmy Ritchey and I will get together just to play. We’ll pick up a guitar and just play some of the old stuff that we love. One day, Jimmy said ‘we oughta’ just lay some of this acoustic stuff down’ [just like we did with ‘Honky Tonk Heroes’ (SAVIN’ THE HONKY TONK)], so… that’s what we did.” Unconventional to today’s recording and production process, Mark Chesnutt picked every single song, and recorded songs that he loves in a casual natural setting to co-produce HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG. (Jimmy Ritchey/Mark Wright/Mark Chesnutt)
“We recorded this album for the fans—the people who have been with me since the ‘Too Cold At Home’ days—the people who just love good ole country music. That’s the main objective of this album.”
An all-American country recording, HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG has something for everybody--to inspire the hard-core traditional country music listener and the rock n’ roll teen’s of the 70’s [who crossed over to become a country music listener in the late 80’s/early 90’s] to bring them ALL back to the format. HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG—from Mark Chesnutt, a “voice” you can bank on…
Chesnutt 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. Playing alongside his dad, Mark embraced his father’s influence one set at a time and to begin making a name for himself. Mark sang covers by Lefty, Merle, George and Waylon to develop his unmatched crowd-pleasing rapport and his authentic country style.
Bob Chesnutt often traveled to Nashville to record and to broaden his exposure. He began taking Mark along to record when he was just 17. After nearly a decade of recording on regional labels, word got out about this young country vocalist. Music Row executives came to hear Mark on his own Texas turf and recognized the depth of Mark Chesnutt’s raw talent. In 1989, he was signed to MCA Nashville and his list of accolades tells the rest of his story. With the release of his first single “Too Cold At Home,” Mark established himself as one of country’s most authentic and talented vocalists. He won the CMA Horizon Award attracting the attention of country legend [and Mark’s greatest mentor] George Jones who introduced him as “A boy from Beaumont, Texas who is the real deal.” That recognition and initial success opened the door to offer Mark his chance of a lifetime, to do what he loved most—sing country music for country fans; this time, on a national level. “The first couple years it was non-stop.” Mark says. “I can remember one time during a tour, I didn’t step foot on the front porch for ten months, with exception of a day or a day-and-a-half, then, it was right back out again.”
Mark’s dedication paid off. He developed a true blue fan base. Fans, he confides, “are the reason for my success.” His fans helped his records to climb the charts one right after the other making him one of Billboard’s Ten Most-Played Radio Artists of the ‘90’s. Mark’s singles were some the decade’s most memorable; from the fun tempo “Bubba Shot The Jukebox” to emotional ballad “I’ll Think Of Something.” Mark is easily identified for his string of hits including “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,” and one of his biggest, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing;” a song that held its position at the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks.
Of all the recorded highlights Chesnutt has enjoyed, they take a back seat to his first love; Mark Chesnutt lives to perform on stage. “I just make records because I want people to come see my show,” he says with a grin. “Recording music for folks to just listen to music is great,” he says, “but I’ve got to be out there on stage making it.” Fans who have seen him perform agree. Known as one of the industry’s hardest-working concert performers, maintaining a hefty tour schedule and steady presence in front of his fans, Mark’s dedication to deliver live music is unsurpassed. Mark has been on the road since 1990. Whether you hear Mark Chesnutt with a new release on the radio, or see his face on the cover of a new CD, folks can always find Mark doing what he was born to do playing. “The clubs and honky tonks are home for me; it’s comfortable and I’m always with friends,” says Chesnutt.
Married since 1992, Mark and Tracie Chesnutt are the loving parents of three boys, Waylon, Casey and Cameron.
Source: www.markchesnutt.com
