There aren’t many musicians who
live up to the term “overnight success” quite
as well as Clay Walker. The Beaumont, Texas, native scored
a pair of number one country music hits with his first
two singles. “What’s It to You” was
the first single from Walker’s 1993 self-titled
debut album, and it quickly became his first number one
hit. “Live Until I Die” was the second single,
and it didn’t take long to follow suit. Within the
first three years of his major-label career, Walker had
racked up five number one hits. But, it had taken him
a little longer to score that major label deal.
After graduating from high school, Walker decided to
pursue music full-time, so he played concerts across
the south and Midwest, as well as in Canada, all while
taking college courses dealing with the music business.
Walker kept to this lifestyle for more than three years
while also acting as his own manager. Then, producer
James Stroud heard Walker singing at the Neon Armadillo
in Beaumont and helped him sign with Giant Records.
After Walker’s first two singles rocketed up the
charts and his debut album went platinum, Clay Walker
concert tickets were a top draw for country music listeners,
and the artist began to draw a few comparisons to another
popular Texan, George Strait.
Walker released six more studio albums and a greatest
hits collection in the next eight years. Though none
of the albums attained the success of his debut, all
could be considered successful, and Walker hit the charts
with numerous singles, including the number two hit
“Who Needs You Baby.” “Rumor Has It,”
a track from the album of the same name, put Walker
back at the top of the country charts.
The 2001 effort “Say No More” was released
on Warner Bros. Records, and in 2003, Walker switched
labels again, releasing “A Few Questions”
on RCA. Though nothing has yet matched the success of
his earliest efforts, Walker’s appeal remains.
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