Clint Black stopped by The Bobby Bones Show to discuss his new memoir, Killin’ Time, while reflecting on his music career, personal struggles and the stories behind some of his biggest hits.
Writing his new memoir, Black shared that many memories resurfaced while putting it together. Looking through old photographs helped unlock moments he had not thought about in years, including memories of delivering newspapers as a child and falling asleep on stacks of papers before finishing his route. Before fully committing to music, Black worked in construction, which provided financial stability, but he constantly felt pulled toward performing instead. Although leaving construction behind was financially risky, Black said the decision itself was not difficult. He admitted he had no savings plan and decided to take the chance anyway. Bones noted that Black was one of country music’s early video-era stars during the rise of Country Music Television. Black admitted he struggled with the “heartthrob” label because he wanted to be viewed as a serious artist, but acknowledged the visibility helped launch his career. The music video for “A Better Man” dramatically increased public recognition and attendance at his concerts. Black was overwhelmed by the rapid rise to fame, recalling how he suddenly became recognizable everywhere he went. He admitted there were moments when he longed for privacy and escape from the pressures of celebrity. When asked whether he ever viewed himself as especially handsome, Black said he was comfortable with his appearance but intentionally avoided feeding his ego. Early friends warned him not to let fame change him, which caused him to actively downplay compliments throughout his career.
Steve Wariner was one of Black’s closest collaborators. Their friendship began through humor before evolving into songwriting sessions that produced hits like “Nothing but the Taillights” and “Been There.” Black also shared the story behind how “A Better Man” became his debut single. During a radio station visit in the late 1980s, a program director showed little enthusiasm for the original single choice. Black then pulled out another cassette from his pocket and played “A Better Man” instead. According to Black, the station immediately expressed interest in adding the song to rotation, prompting Black and his promotion team to change the single. The move ultimately altered the trajectory of his career. “A Better Man” went on to become a number one hit, followed by “Killin’ Time” and several additional chart-toppers from his debut album. Bobby wanted to know if Black ever gets tired of playing the same songs night after night, but Black never gets bored because every performance feels different depending on the venue and audience. There are nights when the songs simply don’t connect, but he still pushes through anyway. He also admitted that crowd safety has become a growing concern because fans have been throwing objects on stage at artists lately.
When asked why he chose Killin’ Time as the memoir’s title, Black revealed that throughout his teenage years he believed he would likely die young after losing friends to accidents, illness and overdoses while also growing up during the Vietnam War era. Those experiences gave him a fatalistic view of life and caused him to constantly think about time running out. Over the years, themes involving time repeatedly appeared throughout his songwriting. He explained that Killin’ Time felt like the obvious title because it connected both to his biggest album and to his lifelong fascination with time itself. Black did suffer a devastating stage injury during a concert in Canada, he accidentally stepped beyond the edge of a stage where safety tape had not been placed. Black turned the misstep into a jump to avoid falling but landed awkwardly on concrete, rupturing a disc and damaging his hip. Despite the injury, Black finished the show and continued performing additional concerts before eventually requiring surgery. He later underwent numerous surgeries and medical procedures connected to the injury. Black said revisiting those experiences while writing the memoir left him emotional and deeply grateful for medical advancements and the surgeons who helped him recover. He also revealed that one of his spinal surgeries required doctors to move his vocal cords and major blood vessels aside because years of singing and playing harmonica had enlarged them significantly.
