HOPE, Ark.-County star Clint Black returns to the area for a Hempstead Hall concert date on Friday, Aug. 4, with show time at 7 p.m.
We caught up with Black, who burst forth onto the country music scene with his debut album "Killin' Time" back in 1989, an album that brought a bevy of hits to listeners. Raised in the Houston area, Black has sold in excess of 20 million albums and charted 57 singles. This award-winning artist is known for numbers like "Like the Rain" and "A Better Man."
His most recent release is the album "On Purpose," which came out in 2015.
Black fielded our questions for a Q-and-A in advance of his Hempstead Hall concert. Here's what he had to say:
1. Q: After so many years and so many hits and successful ventures in the music business, what keeps you motivated now at this stage of your career?
A: I still love it! I feel I'm at my best right now and that makes playing music more exciting. Every night is the Super Bowl to me.
2. Q: What do you have planned for this Hempstead Hall show and can you say a bit about the tour you're on now?
A: We're going to be doing a lot of hits, a couple of "album cuts" and a few songs from the new CD, "On Purpose." Intimate venues like Hempstead Hall also allow me to share some funny bits about some of the songs. We tend to have a lot of laughs along with the music.
3. Q: The live music experience-can you say what it means to you and how you like to approach your concerts?
A: I think in terms of dynamics. You want to play a long show without it feeling long. The trick is to make the time fly by. People pay good money for their entertainment and they have to go out of their way to come to a show. I hope to make them feel like they came to the right place.
4. Q: Your latest album, "On Purpose"-can you talk about what inspired these songs and about the dedication to your father? Also, are you working on any new material to record?
A: These songs came from different inspirations but overall what I was reaching for was depth of thought and wisdom. I enjoy the lighthearted stuff and there's a little of that on this album, but what inspired me the most about Country music was the deep thinking in the poetry of the music.
My dad was a huge country music fan and he taught me to read the "liner notes" to see who wrote the songs and who produced the songs. That's what made me want to write all of my songs and eventually produce them myself.
5. Q: As someone who performs for others and produces other's music, what do you get from these sorts of projects that you may not get from your solo material?
A: A different kind of challenge. I think the greatest thing we can do for ourselves is reach just beyond our current comfort zone. "Our reach should always exceed our grasp."
6. Q: Growing up in Texas, what do you think you learned there that carried over into making your career a success?
A: A variety of styles. Texas has a very diverse music scene and lots of music venues. I was able to work-albeit for very little money-every night of the week and even twice a night at times (4 p.m.-7 p.m. at a happy hour gig and 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at a night club).
It was quite the proving ground and taught me to appreciate a "listening" audience, because they weren't always paying attention to the guy over in the corner singing his heart out.
That's why I still love to play places like Hempstead Hall.
(Tickets: $35, $45, $75. Ticket purchase and more info: 870-722-8565 or HempsteadHall.thundertix.com. Hempstead Hall is located at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope.)
