Mark Chesnutt
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Mark Nelson Chesnutt (born September 6, 1963) 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, ...
singer and songwriter. Between 1990 and 1999, he had his greatest chart success recording for
Universal Music Group Nashville Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records ...
's MCA and
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
branches, with a total of eight albums between those two labels. During this timespan, Chesnutt also charted twenty top-ten hits on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, of which eight reached number one: "
Brother Jukebox "Brother Jukebox" is a song written by Paul Craft. It was originally recorded by Don Everly, one-half of The Everly Brothers, in 1977 and reached number 96 on the country singles charts. It was later covered by Keith Whitley on '' I Wonder Do You T ...
", " I'll Think of Something", " It Sure Is Monday", " Almost Goodbye", " I Just Wanted You to Know", " Gonna Get a Life", " It's a Little Too Late", and a cover of Aerosmith's " I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". His first three albums for MCA ('' Too Cold at Home'', '' Longnecks & Short Stories'', and '' Almost Goodbye'') along with a 1996 ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' package issued on Decca are all
certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); 1994's '' What a Way to Live'', also issued on Decca, is certified gold. After a self-titled album in 2002 on Columbia Records, Chesnutt has continued to record predominantly on independent labels. Chesnutt is known for his
neotraditionalist country Neotraditional country (also known as new traditional country and hardcore country) is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style. Neo-traditional country artists often dress in the fash ...
and
honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...
influences, with frequent stylistic comparisons to
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
. He has recorded several cover songs as both singles and album cuts, including covers of
Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
, John Anderson,
Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...
, Conway Twitty, and Charlie Rich. Artists with whom he has collaborated include Jones,
Tracy Byrd Tracy Lynn Byrd (born December 17, 1966) is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1992, Byrd broke through on the country music scene that year with his 1993 single " Holdin' Heaven", which reached Number One on ' ...
,
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
, and
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
. Mark Wright produced all but one of his albums released in the 1990s, while his work since 2005 has been produced by
Jimmy Ritchey Jimmy Ritchey is an American country music songwriter and record producer from Centralia, Washington. Ritchey got his start as a record producer after producing demos for Tommy Shane Steiner. Initially, Ritchey was not intended to produce Steiner' ...
. Chesnutt has also won two awards from the Country Music Association: the Horizon Award (now known as Best New Artist) and Vocal Event of the Year, both in 1993.


Biography

Mark Nelson Chesnutt was born on September 6, 1963, in Beaumont, Texas. He drew musical influence from his father, Bob Chesnutt, who was a singer and record collector. Chesnutt first played drums as a child after receiving a drum kit as a Christmas gift, but at his father's persuasion, he stopped playing drums and chose to focus on singing instead. He dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to begin playing in clubs around southeast Texas. When he turned 17, his father began to take him to
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, to begin recording. For the next ten years, he began to record on small regional labels while he was the house band for local Beaumont nightclub Cutters. By the late 1980s, he had released eight singles, which would later be released together as an album titled ''Doing My Country Thing''. Record producer Tony Brown heard one of Chesnutt's independent releases, and recommended him to Mark Wright, a songwriter, session musician, and record producer who helped Chesnutt sign with the Nashville branch of
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
in 1990. The same year, Bob Chesnutt died of a heart attack.


Musical career


''Too Cold at Home''

Chesnutt released his major-label debut '' Too Cold at Home'' in 1990. It accounted for five chart singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. The first was " Too Cold at Home", written by Bobby Harden of The Harden Trio. This song reached a peak of number three on ''Billboard'', while reaching number one on the country music charts published by '' Radio & Records'', '' Gavin Report'', and '' Cashbox''. The second single was "
Brother Jukebox "Brother Jukebox" is a song written by Paul Craft. It was originally recorded by Don Everly, one-half of The Everly Brothers, in 1977 and reached number 96 on the country singles charts. It was later covered by Keith Whitley on '' I Wonder Do You T ...
", which was written by Paul Craft, originally released as a single by Don Everly of
The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...
in 1977, and also recorded by Keith Whitley on his 1989 album ''
I Wonder Do You Think of Me ''I Wonder Do You Think of Me'' is the third studio album released by country music artist Keith Whitley. It was posthumously released in August 1989 by RCA Records, three months after Whitley's death from alcohol poisoning. It peaked at #2 on the ...
''. Chesnutt's rendition of the song became his first number-one single on Hot Country Songs in 1991, while " Blame It on Texas", " Your Love Is a Miracle", and " Broken Promise Land" all peaked within the top ten of the same chart by year's end. "Broken Promise Land" was previously released by
Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
in 1986. Contributing musicians to ''Too Cold at Home'' included Richard Bennett, David Briggs,
Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
,
Hargus "Pig" Robbins Hargus Melvin Robbins (January 18, 1938 – January 30, 2022), known by his nickname "Pig," was an American session keyboard player. Having played on records for many artists, including John Stewart, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Lor ...
,
Matt Rollings Matt Rollings is a Grammy Award-winning American composer, keyboard player and record producer. Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, Rollings has worked with many artists, not all country. Matt won the 'Best Traditional Pop Voc ...
,
Brent Rowan Brent Rowan (born May 28, 1956 in Waxahachie, Texas) is an American session musician and record producer who works primarily in country music. Active since the 1970s, Rowan began working with John Conlee through the recommendation of record produce ...
, and
Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Mad ...
. Wright produced the album and provided background vocals on some tracks. He also wrote or co-wrote five of its ten tracks including both "Blame It on Texas" and "Your Love Is a Miracle". Also included on the album was Chesnutt's rendition of " Friends in Low Places", which was released as a single in late 1990 by Garth Brooks. ''Too Cold at Home'' was met with generally positive critical and commercial reception.
Alanna Nash Alanna Nash is an American journalist and biographer. Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1950, Nash holds a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is the author of several acclaimed books. She is a 1972 graduat ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' praised Chesnutt's singing voice and
honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...
style, but felt that the album had too many cover songs. Brian Mansfield of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
compared the album's sound to
Western swing Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...
and
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
. In 1994, ''Too Cold at Home'' earned a
platinum certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for U.S. shipments of one million copies. In addition, the Country Music Association nominated him for the 1991 Horizon Award (now known as Best New Artist).


''Longnecks & Short Stories''

Chesnutt's second album, 1992's '' Longnecks & Short Stories'', also earned a platinum certification. In order of release, its singles were " Old Flames Have New Names", " I'll Think of Something", " Bubba Shot the Jukebox", and "
Ol' Country "Ol' Country" is a song written by Bobby Harden and recorded by American country music singer Mark Chesnutt. It was released in January 1993 as the fourth and final single from his album: ''Longnecks & Short Stories''. It peaked at number 4 on th ...
" (also written by Harden). "I'll Think of Something", previously a single for
Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
in 1974, became Chesnutt's second number-one single on ''Billboard'' in 1992. The other three singles all made top ten on ''Billboard''. The album included many of the same session musicians as its predecessor, along with guest vocals from
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
on "Talkin' to Hank", and both
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and musician. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of 8 and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with ...
and
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
on " It's Not Over". The latter was originally recorded by Reba McEntire, while the closing track "Who Will the Next Fool Be?" was originally recorded by Charlie Rich. Chesnutt noted in a 1992 news article in ''
The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...
'' that "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" (written by
Dennis Linde Dennis Linde (pronounced LIN-dy, March 18, 1943December 22, 2006) was an American music songwriter based in Nashville who has had over 250 of his songs recorded. He is best known for writing the 1972 Elvis Presley hit, "Burning Love". Rarely w ...
) had been released as a single due to high demand from fans, and that he was pleased to have recorded a duet with Jones, whom he considered a musical idol. He also noted that "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" had been serviced "as a joke" by Nashville song promoters and was not taken seriously by other artists, but he felt that the song had potential. The song was not originally intended to be a single, but was selected as one after a number of stations on the ''Billboard'' survey played the song frequently enough for it to enter the charts. Mansfield wrote in AllMusic that the album "heralded the emergence of a Texas voice that contained both the knack for humor... and the depth for heartache". Nash praised the song variety, highlighting the singles and "It's Not Over" in particular, but felt that Chesnutt's voice was "a little too laid back".


''Almost Goodbye''

Chestnutt's third album for MCA was '' Almost Goodbye''. Released in 1993, it produced three straight number-one singles on Hot Country Singles & Tracks: " It Sure Is Monday" (also written by Linde), the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
, and " I Just Wanted You to Know". The album's final single, a cover of
Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...
's 1972 single " Woman (Sensuous Woman)", was less successful on the charts. The album also became his third to be certified platinum. Mansfield wrote of the album in AllMusic that "Weak material weighs down Chesnutt's third release, though he still sings them like the most romantic
western swing Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...
er since George Strait." He praised the title track for its string section, but criticized the uptempo material as being inferior to "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" and "Old Flames Have New Names". Nash felt that the album was "class-A honky-tonk, ballad, and Texas swing, delivered by a guy whose instincts are usually as sure as his pitch", but criticized the lyrics of the closing track "The Will". Also in 1993, Chesnutt won two awards from the Country Music Association: the Horizon Award, and Vocal Event of the Year for George Jones' 1992 single " I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", which featured Chesnutt as one of several guest vocalists and was awarded to all participants on the song. Following the success of ''Almost Goodbye'', Chesnutt embarked on his first headlining tours in 1994, a move which Chesnutt later said inspired him to focus more on songwriting due to the minimal profitability from touring.


''What a Way to Live''

In 1994, MCA revived the Nashville branch of Decca Records and moved Chesnutt to it. His first Decca album, '' What a Way to Live'', came out that year. The album included four singles: " She Dreams", " Goin' Through the Big D", " Gonna Get a Life", and " Down in Tennessee". Of these, "She Dreams" was previously a single in 1993 for its co-writer Tim Mensy, while "Down in Tennessee" was previously a single for John Anderson in 1985. "Gonna Get a Life" was the most successful of the singles, reaching the top of the ''Billboard'' country charts in 1995. Two other cover songs were included on the album as well: the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
was originally recorded by
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
in 1960, while a cover of
Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
' 1974 single " Rainy Day Woman" included Jennings on duet vocals and lead guitar. Chesnutt said that he chose to record the Jennings cover at the suggestion of his managers while listening to Jennings' albums on his tour bus, and that Wright was responsible for making arrangements for Jennings to appear on the song. The album received a positive review from David Zimmerman of Gannett News Service, who praised the variety of traditional-leaning country sounds and Chesnutt's singing voice. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic was less favorable, stating that the album "is dogged by inconsistent material, but Chesnutt's fine singing manages to save most of the weaker material from being a bore." ''What a Way to Live'' earned a gold certification from the RIAA in 1995 for shipments of 500,000 copies.


''Wings'' and ''Greatest Hits''

His next album, ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
'', came out in 1995. For this album, Tony Brown served as producer instead of Wright. According to Chesnutt, he chose a different producer because Wright had wanted to push him to a more
country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
style, a change with which Chesnutt disagreed.Page 1page 2
/ref> Chesnutt noted that the album was completed more quickly than his previous ones: while the others took an average of two months to complete due to him having to schedule recording sessions around tour dates, he was able to complete ''Wings'' in only ten consecutive days. He also took most of April and May 1995 off from touring, and resumed in June on a tour that also featured
Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were so ...
. Contributing songwriters on ''Wings'' included
Jim Lauderdale James Russell Lauderdale (born April 11, 1957) is an American country, bluegrass, and Americana singer-songwriter. Since 1986, he has released 31 studio albums, including collaborations with artists such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Buddy Miller, and ...
and
Mack Vickery Mack Vickery (June 8, 1938 – December 21, 2004), also known as Atlanta James and Vick Vickers, was an American musician, songwriter, and inductee in the Hillbilly Hall of Fame and Alabama Music Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by ...
. The first single was a cover of
Todd Snider Todd Daniel Snider (born October 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk. Early career Todd Snider was born in Portland, Oregon, but was raised in nearby Beave ...
's " Trouble", which Chesnutt took to Top 20 of Hot Country Songs in 1995. The album's second single, " It Wouldn't Hurt to Have Wings", was a top-ten country hit, while followup " Wrong Place, Wrong Time" was less successful on the charts. Also included on the album was a cover of Hank Williams Jr.'s 1972 hit "Pride's Not Hard to Swallow." Chesnutt co-wrote the track "As the Honky Tonk Turns", which he said was inspired by his early days singing in honky-tonk bars and observing the crowds. Rick Mitchell in ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music'' described it as a "honky-tonk concept album" that "bucked the commercial trend toward throwaway novelty tunes and lightweight country-pop." The album received largely positive reviews from publications such as ''
Country Standard Time ''Country Standard Time'' is a website dedicated to country music and related genres including Americana, bluegrass and rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1993 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a ...
'', ''Billboard'', and AllMusic, all of which praised the songwriting quality and honky-tonk stylings of the music, with the former two publications also considering it among the strongest album releases of the year. Decca issued a ''Greatest Hits'' package in 1996. This album reprised ten of his biggest hits and included two new songs in " It's a Little Too Late" and " Let It Rain"; both were released as singles, with the former becoming a number-one single on ''Billboard'' in 1997. At the time of this compilation's release, Chesnutt stated that he had toured almost nonstop for the past six years, and that he had wanted to take longer breaks between touring but was unable to since his album sales were not as strong as those of his contemporaries. Four years after its release, ''Greatest Hits'' became Chesnutt's fourth and final platinum album. Also during this time, George Strait recorded a song that Chesnutt co-wrote called "I Ain't Never Seen No One Like You" for his 1996 album ''
Blue Clear Sky ''Blue Clear Sky'' is the sixteenth studio album released on April 23, 1996 by American country music artist George Strait. Certified 3× Multi-Platinum in the U.S. for sales of three million copies, the album produced four singles. The title tr ...
''.


''Thank God for Believers''

In 1997, Chesnutt released '' Thank God for Believers'', which reunited him with Wright on production duties. Of their reunion, Wright said that he felt that both of them were "on a downslide" prior to ''Wings'', while Chesnutt said that "Mark and I kind of got away from each other for awhile because we needed it. We both lost a little bit of what we started together" and that, once the two started working together, "It was like we were never apart." The album also featured several songs penned by Roger Springer, with whom Chesnutt soon developed a friendship and songwriting relationship. This album's
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
, which also served as the lead single, ascended to the number two position on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts by the end of 1997. While finishing the album, Chesnutt and Wright chose to include the same recording of "It's Not Over" that had previously appeared on ''Longnecks & Short Stories'' to replace a song that the two felt did not fit with the rest of the album. "It's Not Over" was sent out as the second single from ''Thank God for Believers'' due to demand from radio listeners. Chesnutt agreed to release the song because he felt it had potential as a single, and he was "disappointed" that it had not been a single from its original album. Two more singles followed in 1998: " I Might Even Quit Lovin' You" and "Wherever You Are". Nash called the album "a sometimes stunning reminder of the singer’s first-rate, smooth-as-bourbon interpretive style". Thom Owens wrote in AllMusic that the album was "strong, thoroughly enjoyable modern country."


''I Don't Want to Miss a Thing''

In late 1998, Chesnutt recorded a cover version of Aerosmith's " I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" at the suggestion of Wright, who had heard the song on his car radio. Because the two thought that the song had potential as a single, Decca withdrew promotion of "Wherever You Are" in favor of the cover, which resulted in "Wherever You Are" becoming his first single not to make top 40 on the country music charts. Chesnutt said that he decided to cover the song because he felt that, despite his chart successes, he "wasn't getting noticed" due to the weaker sales of his last two albums compared to his first three. He felt that covering a pop song would "show people ecould sing something other than the same old stuff", while also noting that many of his previous successful songs had been ballads. By early 1999, his version of "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" had reached the top of the Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts; it was also his first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it ascended to No. 17. Despite showing favor toward the cover song at the time, he later expressed disdain for recording it; he told the blog Taste of Country in 2018 that he did not think that it fit his established style, that neither the single nor the corresponding album sold well despite the song's success at radio, and that he had refused offers from the label to release another cover of a pop song. The corresponding album, also titled '' I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'', went on to account for only one other single in " This Heartache Never Sleeps". which reached top 20 on the country music charts. Nash wrote of the album that the cover was "a bit of a jolt", but added that Chesnutt "goes on to find enough snappy rhythm tunes and scampering Western swing to keep the toes tapping." An uncredited review from ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' magazine praised Chesnutt's singing voice and the "good and varied songs".


''Lost in the Feeling''

In January 1999, MCA Nashville dissolved the Decca Nashville division. While most of the artists were dropped, Chesnutt was one of only three to move back to MCA, alongside
Lee Ann Womack Lee Ann Womack Liddell (; born August 19, 1966) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Her 2000 single, " I Hope You Dance" was a major crossover music hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 ...
and
Gary Allan Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967) is an American country music singer. Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his country music debut with the release of his single " Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album '' U ...
. MCA released his album '' Lost in the Feeling'' in October 2000. The album included covers of two songs co-written and originally recorded by Shawn Camp on his 1993 self-titled debut album, which was also produced by Wright: " Fallin' Never Felt So Good" and " Confessin' My Love". Also covered on the album were the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
, previously a single for Conway Twitty in 1983, and
Gene Watson Gary Gene Watson (born October 11, 1943) is an American country music singer. He is most famous for his 1975 hit "Love in the Hot Afternoon," his 1981 No. 1 hit " Fourteen Carat Mind," and his signature 1979 song " Farewell Party." Watson's l ...
's 1975 single "
Love in the Hot Afternoon "Love in the Hot Afternoon" is a song written by Vince Matthews and Kent Westbury, and recorded by American country music artist Gene Watson. It was released in May 1975 as the second single and title track from the album ''Love in the Hot After ...
". "Fallin' Never Felt So Good" and "Lost in the Feeling" were both issued as singles, but neither made Top 40 of the country music charts. A review in ''Billboard'' was positive, stating that "seldom has he packed more authority and emotion into a recording", highlighting the cover songs in particular. Maria Konicki Dinoia of AllMusic also showed favor toward the cover songs while comparing Chesnutt's voice to that of
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
. ''Lost in the Feeling'' was commercially unsuccessful, and Chesnutt was dropped from MCA's roster one month after the album's release. Despite not being on a label at the time, he sang duet vocals on
Tracy Byrd Tracy Lynn Byrd (born December 17, 1966) is an American country music artist. Signed to MCA Nashville Records in 1992, Byrd broke through on the country music scene that year with his 1993 single " Holdin' Heaven", which reached Number One on ' ...
's early-2001 single "
A Good Way to Get on My Bad Side "A Good Way to Get on My Bad Side" is a song recorded by American country music artists Tracy Byrd and Mark Chesnutt. It was released in March 2001 as the first single from Byrd's album '' Ten Rounds''. The song reached #21 on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...
", from Byrd's album '' Ten Rounds''.


''Mark Chesnutt''

Chesnutt signed to Columbia Records in 2002 for the release of his
self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
studio album. The lead single " She Was" went to number 11 on Hot Country Singles & Tracks and number 62 on the Hot 100, while the followup singles "I Want My Baby Back" and "I'm in Love with a Married Woman" did not reach Top 40 of the former. To promote the album, Chesnutt went on a 75-date tour known as the Rockin' Roadhouse Tour, which also featured
Joe Diffie Joe Logan Diffie (December 28, 1958 – March 29, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. After working as a demo (music), demo singer in the mid 1980s, he signed with Epic Records' Nashville division in 1990. Between then and ...
and
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 ...
.
Billy Joe Walker Jr. Billy Joe Walker Jr. (February 29, 1952 – July 25, 2017) was an American songwriter, record producer and recording artist. He composed singles for Eddie Rabbitt, including " I Wanna Dance with You", " That's Why I Fell in Love with You" and " ...
produced the album, and contributing musicians included Aubrey Haynie,
Brent Mason Brent Mason (born July 13, 1959) is an American, Nashville, Tennessee-based recording studio guitarist and songwriter, performing primarily country music. Guitar World Magazine listed him as one of the "Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time". ...
, and
Dan Dugmore Dan Dugmore is an American session musician known primarily for playing the pedal steel guitar Born in 1949, Dugmore was raised in Pasadena, California. Influenced by the Flying Burrito Brothers, he learned to play steel guitar after Flying Bur ...
. Both William Ruhlmann of AllMusic and Peter Cooper of ''The Tennessean'' criticized the album for weak songwriting, while John Lupton of ''Country Standard Time'' felt that the album was "about average for him, but...it's an average that's usually a cut above." Chesnutt later stated that he quickly left Columbia Records because executives had pressured him into recording more modern-sounding
country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
instead of his traditional style, a concern that he had also had during his latter years at MCA.


''Savin' the Honky Tonk'' and ''Heard It in a Love Song''

Chesnutt's eleventh album, '' Savin' the Honky Tonk'', was released in 2004 via the independent Vivaton! label.
Jimmy Ritchey Jimmy Ritchey is an American country music songwriter and record producer from Centralia, Washington. Ritchey got his start as a record producer after producing demos for Tommy Shane Steiner. Initially, Ritchey was not intended to produce Steiner' ...
was the album's producer, and one of several contributing songwriters along with Chesnutt, Jerry Salley, Dean Miller,
Jason Sellers Jason Sellers (born March 4, 1971) is an American country music artist. After several years of touring the United States in his family's band, Sellers joined the road band of Ricky Skaggs. By 1997, he was signed to a recording contract with BNA Re ...
, and Kevin Fowler. Chesnutt said that he intended for the album to be a return to the honky-tonk sounds of his earlier albums, and felt that being on an independent label allowed for him to record music that he wanted to record, as opposed to being pressured into recording songs that were forced upon him by major-label executives. The album accounted for three singles: "The Lord Loves the Drinkin' Man", "I'm a Saint", and "A Hard Secret to Keep". Erlewine said of the album that "Chesnutt not only sounds comfortable and relaxed, he's re-energized, both by the straight-ahead setting and the freedom to pick songs without an eye on the airwaves." Robert Loy of ''Country Standard Time'' considered the disc a concept album, noting the unifying theme of alcohol consumption in most of the songs. Chesnutt toured small venues in 2004 and 2005 in support of the album. '' Heard It in a Love Song'' followed in 2006 on CBuJ Records. Its
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
was previously a pop hit for
The Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country, and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. W ...
, and many of the other songs on the album were covers as well, including
Charley Pride Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player. His greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he was the best-selling performer for RCA Rec ...
's " A Shoulder to Cry On" and Hank Williams's " Lost Highway". Barry Gilbert of the '' St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' rated the album "B", praising Chesnutt's singing voice and the contrast of the title track with the other cover songs. Mark Deming of AllMusic stated that "while ''Heard It in a Love Song'' lacks the hard country feel of 'Savin' the Honky Tonk'' it's a solid set that confirms the man's musical instincts are back on track."


''Rollin' with the Flow'' and ''Outlaw''

Chesnutt signed to Lofton Creek Records in 2007. His only disc for the label was '' Rollin' with the Flow'', the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
of which was a number-one single on the country charts for Charlie Rich in 1977. Chesnutt's version reached number 25 on the same chart in late 2007-early 2008, and "She Never Got Me Over You" made the charts as well. The album once again featured Jimmy Ritchey as producer, with contributing musicians including
Glenn Worf Glenn Worf is an American bassist known mainly for his work as a session musician. He has recorded with many major country music acts and also tours with Mark Knopfler. Early life and education Worf was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Mad ...
,
Brent Mason Brent Mason (born July 13, 1959) is an American, Nashville, Tennessee-based recording studio guitarist and songwriter, performing primarily country music. Guitar World Magazine listed him as one of the "Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time". ...
,
Eddie Bayers Eddie Bayers (born January 28, 1949) is an American session drummer who has played on 300 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for fourteen years, has three times won the Nashville Music ...
, and
Lonnie Wilson Lonnie Wilson is an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer, known primarily for his work in country music. Born in Monroe, Louisiana, Wilson was originally the lead singer of the band Bandana, which charted ten singles on the Hot Co ...
. Ritchey also co-wrote several songs on the album. Mark Deming of AllMusic wrote of the album that it was "as solid an album as Chesnutt's ever recorded — which is saying plenty." Writing for ''Roughstock'', Matt Bjorke said that it was "the kind of record that traditionalist country fans dream about. It has something for all those fans", highlighting Chesnutt's vocal delivery on the title track in particular. In 2010, Chesnutt announced the release of his next studio album, '' Outlaw''. The album includes covers of songs by outlaw country artists, including
Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
,
Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...
,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...
,
Billy Joe Shaver Billy Joe Shaver (August 16, 1939 – October 28, 2020) was an American outlaw country singer and songwriter, as well as an actor. Biography Shaver was born in Corsicana, Texas, and raised by his mother, Victory Watson Shaver. Until he was 12 ...
,
David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...
, and
Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was bes ...
. According to Chesnutt, he was presented the idea by record producer
Pete Anderson Pete Anderson is an American guitarist, music producer, arranger and songwriter. Anderson is most known for his guitar work with, and critically acclaimed production of, country music star Dwight Yoakam from 1984 through 2002, a partnership th ...
, best known for his work with
Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerabl ...
, when Saguaro Road Records was seeking an artist to perform a covers album. The two recorded the album at Anderson's studio in Burbank, California, in only two days. To support the album, he toured with
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 ...
and
Richie McDonald Richard Vance McDonald (born February 6, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. From 1998 until his departure in 2007, he was the lead singer of the group Lonestar, which recorded seven studio albums on BNA Records during his t ...
(of Lonestar) on the Country Rat Pack Tour. Thom Jurek referred to the album as "a no-frills, solid, lean, mean, rocking, emotionally sincere tribute to the outlaw generation, which is, in many ways, an extension of Chesnutt's own persona."


''Live From The Big D'', ''Greatest Hits II'', and ''Tradition Lives''

Chesnutt formed his own label, Nada Dinero, in 2012. His first release through this label was a live album called ''Live from the Big D'', recorded in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
. This was followed by a second Greatest Hits package in 2015. The album accounted for one single, "When the Lights Go Out (Tracie's Song)". Chesnutt continued to tour throughout the 2010s. In 2013,
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
invited Chesnutt to be his opener on the last show of his farewell tour at
Bridgestone Arena Bridgestone Arena (originally Nashville Arena, and formerly Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1996, it is the home of the Nashville Predators o ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. However, Jones died before the show could take place, so Chesnutt and other artists held a tribute show in Jones's honor instead. His next studio album, '' Tradition Lives'', came out in 2016. Included on the album was a cover of
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
's "There Won't Be Another Now", from his 1985 album ''
Kern River The Kern River, previously Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield ...
''. According to Chesnutt, the cover was something that Ritchey and Chesnutt had done for fun, without the intention of ever putting it on an album, due to it being one of Chesnutt's favorite Merle Haggard songs. As Haggard died just before the album's release, they chose to include it as a tribute to him. Of the album's sound, Chesnutt remarked that "I wanted to show the world that I’m still here and that I’m still Country. I’m not changing with the times." Erlewine noted the "simple, spare, and easy" production of the album, and thought that it was similar in sound to Chesnutt's earlier albums. In October 2021, Chesnutt announced that he would be taking a hiatus from touring until 2022 in order to recover from back surgery.


Additional contributions

In 1993, Chesnutt was featured in an ad campaign for
Frito-Lay Frito-Lay is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets, and sells corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-fla ...
where he sang their tagline "I know what I like and I like
Fritos Fritos is an American brand of corn chips and dipping sauces that was created in 1932 by Charles Elmer Doolin and produced since 1961 by the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo. Fritos are made by deep-frying extruded whole cornmeal, unlike the simi ...
." In 1994, he contributed three cover songs to multi-artist compilation albums. These were
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
's "Goodbye Comes Hard for Me", recorded for the AIDS benefit album '' Red Hot + Country''; Keith Whitley's "I Never Go Around Mirrors (I've Got a Heartache to Hide)" to '' Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album''; and "Good Ones and Bad Ones", a duet with George Jones on the latter's 1994 duets album '' The Bradley Barn Sessions''. In 1996, the radio station
WKIS WKIS (99.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Boca Raton, Florida, and serving South Florida, including the Miami-Fort Lauderdale radio market. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and airs a country music radio format. Its studios are loca ...
in Boca Raton, Florida, compiled a Christmas album titled ''A Country Christmas from WKIS 99.9'', to which Chesnutt contributed a recording of the Christmas carol "
What Child Is This? "What Child Is This?" is a Christmas carol with lyrics written by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 and set to the tune of " Greensleeves", a traditional English folk song, in 1871. Although written in Great Britain, the carol today is more popul ...
" His version made the Hot Country Songs charts that same year due to seasonal airplay.


Musical style and influences

Chesnutt's musical style draws mainly from
honky-tonk A honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, or tonk) is both a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons and the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano (tack piano) ...
and
neotraditional country Neotraditional country (also known as new traditional country and hardcore country) is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style. Neo-traditional country artists often dress in the fash ...
. Due to both singers hailing from Beaumont, Chesnutt was frequently compared stylistically to George Jones. Jack Hurst of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' wrote that he was "a throwback to the inwardly-tough, just-do-it kind of country star they were making back when they minted George Jones, who preceded Chesnutt out of the rough-and-tumble East Texas honky-tonks 40 years ago." Nash described Chesnutt's vocal style by saying that he "has a comely, smooth baritone and a supple way of moving through his vocal range", and a "friendly foghorn" with "earnestness". Rick Mitchell, writing in ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music'', described Chesnutt as "arguably the strongest pure-country voice to come out of Southeastern Texas since George Jones", and an uncredited review in ''People'' said that Chesnutt "has a natural, George Jonesian sob and enough machismo to get away with going falsetto when he wants." Chesnutt has cited
Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
, Hank Williams, and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
as major influences of his. Mitchell also noted that Chesnutt was able to have success with both ballads and uptempo material such as "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" and "Old Flames Have New Names", as well as the strong presence of cover songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Some of his songs, such as "It Sure Is Monday" and "Gonna Get a Life", have featured influences of
Cajun music Cajun music (french: Musique cadienne), an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem ...
through prominent use of fiddle and accordion. Chesnutt's musical persona placed a greater emphasis on song quality over physical attractiveness, compared to the move toward young and attractive males that prevailed in country music in the 1990s. Nash stated that he "distanced himself from the pack with an identifiable baritone and a focus on music over image", and Barry Gilbert of the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' similarly stated that he "put the music and his warm, classic-country voice before the image." Chesnutt stated in a 1996 interview that "I would rather play honky-tonks the rest of my life for $500 a week than be something I'm not." He noted that during his latter years at Decca and MCA, he was constantly pressured by label heads to record more mainstream-friendly country pop instead of the traditional sounds of his earlier albums, due to the genre's shift away from neotraditional country having a negative impact on his album sales. He also said that some of the tracks on ''Savin' the Honky Tonk'' were songs that the major labels had rejected, and that he would "rather sell 100,000 albums f traditional countrythan 6 million of some crap that I wasn't happy with."


Personal life

Chesnutt has been married to the former Tracie Motley since 1992. The two met in a bar, and according to Chesnutt, "She came out there with a guy she was with at the time, and I took her away from him". The couple have three sons: Waylon, Casey, and Cameron. Waylon was named after Waylon Jennings, who jokingly suggested during the recording sessions for their cover of "Rainy Day Woman" that the then-pregnant Tracie name their child after him. Although Jennings later stated that the suggestion was a joke, Chesnutt decided to choose the name anyway. In late 1995, following Waylon Chesnutt's birth, Tracie typically stayed home at the couple's house in
Jasper, Texas Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,884 at the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 7,590 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about west of the Te ...
, while also working as an artist. The birth of his sons also caused Chesnutt to tour less frequently by the end of the 1990s, as he wanted to be able to spend more time with his family.


Discography

;Studio albums *''Doing My Country Thing'' (1988) *'' Too Cold at Home'' (1990) *'' Longnecks & Short Stories'' (1992) *'' Almost Goodbye'' (1993) *'' What a Way to Live'' (1994) *''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
'' (1995) *'' Thank God for Believers'' (1997) *'' I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'' (1999) *'' Lost in the Feeling'' (2000) *'' Mark Chesnutt'' (2002) *'' Savin' the Honky Tonk'' (2004) *'' Heard It in a Love Song'' (2006) *'' Rollin' with the Flow'' (2008) *'' Outlaw'' (2010) *'' Tradition Lives'' (2016) *''Duets'' (2017) *''The Early Years'' (2017) *''Gone But Not Forgotten...A Tribute Album by Mark Chesnutt'' (2018)


Awards and nominations


Awards

Country Music Association * 1993 Horizon Award * 1993 Vocal Event of the Year - with
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song " He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
and Various Artists
– " I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair"


Nominations

Country Music Association * 1991 Horizon Award
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
* 1991 Top New Male Vocalist TNN/Music City News Awards * 1991 Star of Tomorrow


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesnutt, Mark 1963 births Living people People from Beaumont, Texas American country singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Texas Country musicians from Texas Lofton Creek Records artists MCA Records artists Decca Records artists