Country singer Clint Black dropped out of high school to perform in a band with his older brothers before launching his solo career. ∙ He worked as an ironworker, bait cutter, and fishing guide while also performing nights on Houston’s lounge circuit until 1989, when he scored a No. 1 hit with his first single, “A Better Man.” ∙ Four consecutive singles from his debut album, Killin’ Time, topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. ∙ Black credits George Strait, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson as his key musical influences. ∙ He appeared in the 1994 movie Maverick alongside country music superstars Waylon Jennings, Reba McEntire, and Vince Gill. ∙ Nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, Black won in 1998, for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Same Old Train.” ∙ Black and his wife, Lisa Hartman Black, were contestants on the 2020 season of The Masked Singer.