Mark Nesler (born January 5, 1961 in
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...
) is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
artist. Signed to
Elektra Records as a recording artist in 1998, Nesler charted three singles on the U.S. ''Billboard'' country charts. In addition, he has written several singles for other country music artists, including
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, four for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those album ...
's "
Just to See You Smile
"Just to See You Smile" is a song written by Mark Nesler and Tony Martin (songwriter), Tony Martin, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in August 1997 as the third single from McGraw's fourth studio album ''Eve ...
", a song which ''Billboard'' ranked as the number one country single of 1998.
Biography
Nesler played guitar at an early age. Inspired by the
bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music
The term American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as ''traditional music'', ''traditional folk music'', ''contemporary folk music'', ''vernacular music,'' or ...
his father listened to, he soon learned to play
banjo as well. After graduating high school, he played in a band called the Two Dollar Pistols.
[ Biography )))">allmusic ((( Mark Nesler > Biography )))/ref> In 1994, he was signed to a songwriting deal with MCA Publishing, and soon joined ]Tracy Byrd
Tracy Lynn Byrd (born December 17, 1966) is an American country music artist. Signed to Universal Music Group Nashville, MCA Nashville Records in 1992, Byrd broke through on the country music scene that year with his 1993 single "Holdin' Heaven" ...
's touring band. Byrd also recorded and released " Heaven in My Woman's Eyes", which Nesler wrote, as a single in 1996.
In 1998, Nesler scored his first number one as a songwriter, when Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, four for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those album ...
spent six weeks at Number One on the ''Billboard'' country music charts with "Just to See You Smile
"Just to See You Smile" is a song written by Mark Nesler and Tony Martin (songwriter), Tony Martin, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in August 1997 as the third single from McGraw's fourth studio album ''Eve ...
".Tim McGraw Discography at About.com
/ref> The same year, Nesler's first album was released on Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...
. Its leadoff single, "Used to the Pain", peaked at No. 47 on the country charts. The album also produced his highest-charting single in "Slow Down" at No. 46, followed by "Baby Ain't Rockin' Me Right" at No. 62. He also co-wrote Aaron Tippin
Aaron Dupree Tippin (born July 3, 1958) is an American country music singer, songwriter and record producer. Initially a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music, he gained a recording contract with RCA Nashville in 1990. His debut single, "You've Got to ...
's late-1998 single " For You I Will".
Although he exited Elektra in 1999, Nesler continued to write for Byrd, who released "Take Me with You When You Go" and " Just Let Me Be in Love" in 2000 and 2002 respectively. George Strait recorded two of his songs: "Go On Go On may refer to:
* Go On (TV series), ''Go On'' (TV series), a TV series starring Matthew Perry
* ''Go On...'', the third album by American pop band Mr. Mister
* Go On (George Strait song), "Go On" (George Strait song), a country music song reco ...
"; and "Living and Living Well
"Living and Living Well" is a song written by Tony Martin (songwriter), Tony Martin, Mark Nesler and Tom Shapiro, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in February 2002 as the second single from his album ''T ...
" which was a No. 1 single. In 2005, Tracy Lawrence
Tracy Lee Lawrence (born January 27, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Atlanta, Texas, and raised in Foreman, Arkansas, Lawrence began performing at age 15 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in ...
reached No. 35 on the country charts with a cover of "Used to the Pain". Nesler co-wrote Bucky Covington
William Joel "Bucky" Covington III (born November 8, 1977) is an American country music singer. He placed eighth on the 5th season of the Fox Network's talent competition series ''American Idol''. In December 2006, he signed a recording contrac ...
's 2007 debut single "A Different World
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) a ...
", while Nesler's other credits included " Why, Why, Why" and “Let Me Down Easy” by Billy Currington
William Matthew Currington (born November 19, 1973) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Mercury Records Nashville in 2003, he has released seven studio albums for the label: his self-titled debut (2003), '' Doin' Someth ...
and another number one with Keith Urban
Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...
's 2008 single " You Look Good in My Shirt", along with Josh Turner’s “Time Is Love”, Billboard’s 2012 most played song of the year.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Music videos
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nesler, Mark
1961 births
American country singer-songwriters
Living people
People from Beaumont, Texas
Singer-songwriters from Texas
Elektra Records artists
American male singer-songwriters
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
Country musicians from Texas
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers