Clint Patriot Black (Long Branch, 1962), originario del Texas, era leggermente più esistenzialista del tipico cantante country-pop medio degli anni '80.
Il suo album di debutto, Killin' Time (RCA, 1989), divenne subito un best-seller (A Better Man, Killin' Time, Nobody's Home, Walkin' Away).

One More Payment e Put Yourself In My Shoes, da Put Yourself in My Shoes (1990), When My Ship Comes In, Burn One Down e We Tell Ourselves, da The Hard Way (1992), No Time To Kill, A Good Run Of Bad Luck, State Of Mind, A Bad Goodbye e When My Ship Comes In, da No Time to Kill (1993), One Emotion, Summer's Comin', Wherever You Go e Life Gets Away, da One Emotion (1994), Nothin' But The Taillights, Still Holding On, Something That We Do e The Shoes You're Wearing da Nothin' But the Taillights (1997), When I Said I Do e Been There, da D'lectrified (1999), diedero seguito alla sua serie di hit.