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Mark Nelson Chesnutt (born September 6, 1963) is an American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer and songwriter. Between 1990 and 1999, he had his greatest chart success recording for
Universal Music Group Nashville Music Corporation of America, formerly known as Universal Music Group Nashville, is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. It was officially opened in 1945 as MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville which opened on New Year's Day 1950 a ...
's MCA and
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...
branches, with a total of eight albums between those two labels. During this timespan, Chesnutt also charted twenty top-ten hits on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
charts, of which eight reached number one: " Brother Jukebox", " 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 Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
's "
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the theme song for the 1998 science fiction disaster film '' Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four songs perfor ...
". 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 creat ...
'' package issued on Decca are all certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA); 1994's ''
What a Way to Live ''What a Way to Live'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold album, gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies. The tracks "She D ...
'', also issued on Decca, is certified gold. After a self-titled album in 2002 on
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
, Chesnutt has continued to record predominantly on independent labels. Chesnutt is known for his neotraditionalist country and honky-tonk influences, with frequent stylistic comparisons to
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
. He has recorded several cover songs as both singles and album cuts, including covers of Hank Williams Jr., 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 enjo ...
,
Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...
, and
Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...
. 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 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" ...
,
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...
, and
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
. Mark Wright produced all but one of his albums released in the 1990s, while his work since 2005 has been produced by Jimmy Ritchey. Chesnutt has also won two awards from the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
: 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 Beaumont is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, located in Southeast Texas on the Neches River about east of Houston (city ...
. 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, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, 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. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
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 A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
) 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 ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
'', ''
Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...
'', and '' Cashbox''. The second single was " Brother Jukebox", which was written by Paul Craft, originally released as a single by
Don Everly Isaac Donald Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) was an American musician. Everly was one-half of the singing duo The Everly Brothers alongside his younger brother Phil Everly, Phil. Early life Don was born in Brownie, Kentucky on Febru ...
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 and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, ...
in 1977, and also recorded by Keith Whitley on his 1989 album '' I Wonder Do You Think of Me''. 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 Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...
in 1986. Contributing musicians to ''Too Cold at Home'' included Richard Bennett, David Briggs, Mark O'Connor, Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Matt Rollings, Brent Rowan, and Glenn Worf. 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 "Friends in Low Places" is a song recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 6, 1990, as the lead single from his album '' No Fences''. The song spent four weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs, and ...
", which was released as a single in late 1990 by
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
. ''Too Cold at Home'' was met with generally positive critical and commercial reception. Alanna Nash of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' praised Chesnutt's singing voice and honky-tonk style, but felt that the album had too many cover songs.
Brian Mansfield Brian Mansfield (born September 24, 1963) is an American writer and journalist. Early life and education Mansfield grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School. In 1984, Mansfield received a bachelor's degre ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
compared the album's sound to
Western swing Western swing, country jazz or smooth country 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 att ...
and
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
. 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 The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for U.S. shipments of one million copies. In addition, the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
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" (also written by Harden). "I'll Think of Something", previously a single for Hank Williams Jr. 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 music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
on "Talkin' to Hank", and both
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
and
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...
on " It's Not Over". The latter was originally recorded by
Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...
, while the closing track "Who Will the Next Fool Be?" was originally recorded by
Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...
. 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, w ...
'' 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" (written by Dennis Linde) 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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, 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 enjo ...
'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, country jazz or smooth country 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 att ...
er since
George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...
." He praised the title track for its
string section The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...
, 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 Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
and moved Chesnutt to it. His first Decca album, ''
What a Way to Live ''What a Way to Live'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold album, gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies. The tracks "She D ...
'', came out that year. The album included four singles: "
She Dreams "She Dreams" is a song co-written by Tim Menzies, Tim Mensy and Gary Harrison. It was originally recorded by Mensy for his 1993 album ''This Ol' Heart'' (produced by James Stroud), from which it was released as the third and final single. It was a ...
", " 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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
was originally recorded by
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
in 1960, while a cover of
Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...
' 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 Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
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'', 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 urban cowboy or even urban country) 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 g ...
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. Contributing songwriters on ''Wings'' included Jim Lauderdale and Mack Vickery. The first single was a cover of Todd Snider'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 ...
'', ''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.


''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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, 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 Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
's "
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the theme song for the 1998 science fiction disaster film '' Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four songs perfor ...
" 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 "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the theme song for the 1998 science fiction disaster film '' Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four songs perfor ...
'', 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 The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' 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 and Gary Allan. 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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, previously a single for
Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...
in 1983, and Gene Watson's 1975 single " Love in the Hot Afternoon". "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. ''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 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 early-2001 single " A Good Way to Get on My Bad Side", from Byrd's album '' Ten Rounds''.


''Mark Chesnutt''

Chesnutt signed to
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
in 2002 for the release of his self-titled 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 19 ...
. Billy Joe Walker Jr. produced the album, and contributing musicians included Aubrey Haynie, Brent Mason, and Dan Dugmore. 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 urban cowboy or even urban country) 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 g ...
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 was the album's producer, and one of several contributing songwriters along with Chesnutt, Jerry Salley,
Dean Miller Roger Dean Miller Jr. (born October 15, 1965) is an American country singer, songwriter and music producer known professionally as Dean Miller. He is the son of Roger Miller, a country pop artist who had several hit singles from the 1960s thro ...
,
Jason Sellers Jason Dale 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 B ...
, 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 A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
, 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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
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. Wh ...
, 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 Country music, country singer. Beginning his career as a Negro league baseball player in the early-1950s, he later pursued a career in country music, becoming the gen ...
's " A Shoulder to Cry On" and
Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...
's " Lost Highway". Barry Gilbert of the ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...
'' 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 An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
of which was a number-one single on the country charts for
Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...
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, Brent Mason,
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. 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 An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...
''. The album includes covers of songs by outlaw country artists, including
Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
, Hank Williams Jr.,
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
, Billy Joe Shaver,
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, Tennessee, Nashville. He ini ...
, and
Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He also wrote t ...
. According to Chesnutt, he was presented the idea by record producer Pete Anderson, best known for his work with Dwight Yoakam, 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 Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, 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 19 ...
and Richie McDonald (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 a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. 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 music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
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 indoor arena in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1996, it is the home of the Nashville Predat ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. 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's "There Won't Be Another Now", from his 1985 album ''
Kern River The Kern River 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 The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between ...
''. 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.


Additional contributions

In 1993, Chesnutt was featured in an ad campaign for
Frito-Lay Frito-Lay, Inc. (; ) is an American food company that manufactures, markets, and sells snack foods. It began in the early 1930s as two companies, Fritos, the Frito Company and Lay's, H.W. Lay & Company, that merged in 1961. Frito-Lay itself merg ...
where he sang their tagline "I know what I like and I like Fritos." In 1994, he contributed three cover songs to multi-artist compilation albums. These were Merle Haggard's "Goodbye Comes Hard for Me", recorded for the
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
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 in
Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...
, 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?" 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 and neotraditional country. 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 an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' 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,
Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...
, and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
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 (), 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 with the Creole-based ...
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 Administrative divisions of Texas, city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, Jasper County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,884 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, down from 7,590 at the 2010 Un ...
, 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.


Health

In October 2021, Chesnutt announced that he would be taking a hiatus from touring until 2022 in order to recover from back surgery. On November 1, 2023, Chesnutt was hospitalized for an issue that required critical care, and underwent multiple tests to determine the exact problem. Several of his concerts were canceled, but his condition was reported as stable. He canceled further shows in June 2024 after being hospitalized again for an emergency quadruple bypass surgery.


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 ''What a Way to Live'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold album, gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies. The tracks "She D ...
'' (1994) *'' Wings'' (1995) *'' Thank God for Believers'' (1997) *''
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the theme song for the 1998 science fiction disaster film '' Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four songs perfor ...
'' (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 An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them. ...
'' (2010) *'' Tradition Lives'' (2016) *''Duets'' (2017) *''The Early Years'' (2017) *''Gone But Not Forgotten...A Tribute Album by Mark Chesnutt'' (2018)


''Billboard'' number-one hits

*" Brother Jukebox" (2 weeks, 1990-1991) *" I'll Think of Something" (1 week, 1992) *" It Sure Is Monday" (1 week, 1993) *" Almost Goodbye" (1 week, 1993) *" I Just Wanted You to Know" (1 week, 1993-1994) *" Gonna Get a Life" (1 week, 1995) *" It's a Little Too Late" (2 weeks, 1996-1997) *"
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith as the theme song for the 1998 science fiction disaster film '' Armageddon'', in which lead singer Steven Tyler's daughter Liv starred. It is one of four songs perfor ...
" (2 weeks, 1998-1999)


Awards and nominations


TNN/Music City News Country Awards

, - ,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, Mark Chesnutt , Star of Tomorrow , , - ,
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
,
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...
and Friends , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , - ,
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, Mark Chesnutt , Star of Tomorrow ,


Academy of Country Music Awards

, - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, rowspan=3, Mark Chesnutt , rowspan=2, Top New Male Vocalist , , - ,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, , - , rowspan=2,
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, Top Male Vocalist of the Year , , - , " Almost Goodbye" , Single Record of the Year , , - ,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
,
Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...
and Mark Chesnutt , Top Vocal Duo of the Year ,


Country Music Association Awards

, - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, rowspan=2, Mark Chesnutt , rowspan=2, Horizon Award , , - , rowspan=2,
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, , - , " I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair" , Vocal Event of the Year , George Jones' "Friends" also includes:
Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...
,
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
,
Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music, country singer-songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In t ...
,
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 ...
,
Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studi ...
,
Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the eldest child of country singer Mel Tillis. After recording unsuccessful pop material for Elektra Records, Elektra ...
, T. Graham Brown, Patty Loveless and Clint Black

Nominated alongside George Jones and Friends


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesnutt, Mark 1963 births Living people Musicians 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