CLAY WALKER (MUSICIAN)

'Earnest Clayton (Clay) Walker, Jr.' (born August 19, 1969 in Beaumont, Texas) is an American country music singer.

Contents

Early Years

Career

Additional Information

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilations

Singles

References

External links

Early Years

Earnest Clayton Walker, Jr. is the oldest child of Earnest Clayton Walker Sr. and Danna Yvonne Bush. He has a younger sister, Kimberly. His parents divorced when he was young. His mother remarried giving him additional half siblings: Christen, Mandy and Jarod.
Walker fell in love with music at age 9. After leaving his shift as night-shift desk clerk at a Super 8 Motel one morning when he was only 16, Walker stopped at a local radio station to deliver a tape of a song he had written himself. Although the morning dj told him that it was against the station's policy to play the song, as Walker drove away he heard his song play on the air for the first time.[1] After graduating from Vidor High School in 1987, he pursued a full-time music career.
After several years playing in various Texas honky-tonks, Walker became the house singer at the Neon Armadillo Bar in Beaumont. It was there that he was discovered by producer James Stroud, who helped Walker get a contract with Giant Records.

Career

Walker's debut album, the self-titled ''Clay Walker'', was released in 1993. It contained the #1 hit singles "What's It to You", "Live Until I Die" and "Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open". It also featured the #11 "Where Do I Fit In the Picture" as well as the song "White Palace" which was never an actual single, but Clay's momentum boosted the song's popularity as a club hit caused it to chart to #67 in April of 1994 (Billboard Magazine).
In 1994, Walker's second album, ''If I Could Make a Living'', was released. The album contained two #1 hit singles, the title track and "This Woman and This Man," and the top 20 single "My Heart Will Never Know".
Walker's third album, ''Hypnotize the Moon'', was released in 1995. It contained the #2 hit "Who Needs You Baby", as well as the top 5 title track, another top 10 hit called "Only On Days That End In 'Y'", and minor hit "Bury the Shovel".
1996 saw the birth of his oldest daughter MaClay DaLayne on January 14 as well as some discouraging news. Clay Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in April. Walker, however, didn't care. He was going to make music and perform concerts no matter what happened to him.
1997 saw the release of Walker's fourth album, ''Rumor Has It''. The hits on this album included the title track (which went No. 1), the top 5 hits "Watch This" and "Then What", and a lesser hit called "One, Two, I Love You".
In 1998, Walker's ''Greatest Hits'' was released, featuring all of his hit singles, plus two new hit songs, "You're Beginning to Get to Me", and "Ordinary People". "You're Beginning to Get to Me" reached #2 on the charts.
Walker's last Giant Records album, ''Live, Laugh, Love'' came in 1999. It included the #3 hit "Chain of Love", plus the #11 title track, as well as the #16 "She's Always Right", and a remake of the Earl Thomas Conley hit "Holding Her and Loving You".
Also in 1999, Clay's second daughter Skylor ClayAnne was born on May 14.
Walker then recorded an album for Warner Brothers, of which Giant Records was the sister label. ''Say No More'' was released in 2001. It was the least successful of his albums, only reaching Gold status. It included minor hits "If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again" and the title track.
In 2002, Walker wrote and recorded a song for the NFL's newest expansion team, the Houston Texans. "Football Time in Houston" was used as the team's official fight song during the team's inaugural season. In 2003, the franchise chose to go with a different song that had an overwhelmingly negative response from the fans. Shortly thereafter, Walker's song returned and is still the team's fight song today. The song can be heard over Reliant Stadium's Public Address system after a Texans score. Walker makes frequent appearances at Texans games and traditionally sings the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the team's home-opener each season.
Walker's RCA debut, ''A Few Questions'', came in 2003. It included the top-ten title track, plus another top-ten, "I Can't Sleep". It also featured a minor hit, "Jesus Was a Country Boy".
Walker is one of a select few artists to have one of his songs included in ''Billboard'''s year-end Top 10 Country Songs list for 5 consecutive years. His albums have sold a combined 8 million copies, and he has had 6 number-one singles and 15 Top 10 singles.
His new album on Asylum-Curb, titled ''Fall'', was released April 17, 2007 and features his Top 25 single "'Fore She Was Mama", as well as his current single, which is the album's title track.

Additional Information

Although doctors originally told him he had only a few years to live, Walker's MS is now manageable. To spur research into the disease, he formed the Band Against MS organization.
Walker recently competed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the cutting competition with his horse, Maddie, and placed seventh. He is also an avid golfer, and regularly competes in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In 2005, his team won the tournament. Walker donated his share of the winnings to Band Against MS. [2]
Clay has two daughters with his ex-wife Lori, MaClay DeLayne and Skylor ClayAnne.
In November, 2006, Clay proposed to model Jessica Craig on the steps of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Galveston, Texas. Her grandfather proposed to her grandmother in the same place. Jessica's parents and Clay's children were present for the proposal. The couple are planning to wed in New Orleans on September 28, 2007.

Discography

Studio Albums

Album	Released	Charts
'''Clay Walker'''	1993	★ RIAA: Platinum Certified, #52 US
'''If I Could Make a Living'''	September 27, 1994	★ RIAA: Platinum Certified, #42 US
'''Hypnotize the Moon'''	October 17, 1995	★ RIAA: Platinum certified, #57 US
'''Rumor Has It'''	April 8, 1997	★ RIAA: Platinum certified, #32 US
'''Live, Laugh, Love'''	August 24, 1999	★ RIAA: Gold certified, #55 US
'''Say No More'''	March 27, 2001	★ #129 US
''''	September 10, 2002
'''A Few Questions'''	September 9, 2003	★ #23 US
'''Fall'''	April 17, 2007	★ #15 US

Compilations

Album	Released	Charts
'''Greatest Hits'''	June 9, 1998	★ RIAA: Gold certified, #41 US

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions		Album
		US Country	US Hot 100
1993	"What's It to You"	1	73	''Clay Walker''
1993	"Live Until I Die"	1	107	''Clay Walker''
1994	"Where Do I Fit in the Picture"	11		''Clay Walker''
1994	"Dreaming With My Eyes Open"	1		''Clay Walker''
1994	"White Palace"A	67		''Clay Walker''
1994	"If I Could Make a Living"	1	121	''If I Could Make A Living''
1995	"This Woman And This Man"	1		''If I Could Make A Living''
1995	"My Heart Will Never Know"	16		''If I Could Make A Living''
1995	"Who Needs You Baby"	2	120	''Hypnotize The Moon''
1996	"Hypnotize The Moon"	2	105	''Hypnotize The Moon''
1996	"Only On Days That End In “Y”"	5		''Hypnotize The Moon''
1996	"Bury The Shovel"	18		''Hypnotize The Moon''
1997	"Rumor Has It"	1		''Rumor Has It''
1997	"One, Two, I Love You"	18		''Rumor Has It''
1997	"Watch This"	4	65	''Rumor Has It''
1997	"Then What?"	2	65	''Rumor Has It''
1998	"Ordinary People"	35	120	''Greatest Hits''
1998	"You're Beginning To Get To Me"	2	39	''Greatest Hits''
1998	"Holding Her And Loving You"A	68		''Live, Laugh, Love''
1999	"Once In A Lifetime"	50		''Live, Laugh, Love''
1999	"She's Always Right"	16	74	''Live, Laugh, Love''
1999	"Live, Laugh, Love"	11	65	''Live, Laugh, Love''
1999	"The Chain Of Love"	3	40	''Live, Laugh, Love''
2000	"Blue Christmas"A	53		''Believe: A Christmas Collection''
2001	"Cowboy Christmas"A	70		''Believe: A Christmas Collection''
2001	"Say No More"	33		''Say No More''
2001	"If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again"	27		''Say No More''
2003	"Feliz Navidad"A	49		''Christmas''
2003	"A Few Questions"	9	55	''A Few Questions''
2004	"I Can't Sleep"	9	61	''A Few Questions''
2004	"Jesus Was a Country Boy"	31		''A Few Questions''
2006	"'Fore She Was Mama"	21	116	''Fall''
2007	"Fall"B	16	103	''Fall''

★ ^AAlbum cut.

★ ^BCurrent single.

References

★ U.S. chart data: Billboard 200, Billboard Top Country Albums, Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Hot Country Songs.

★ RIAA Gold and Platinum Database

External links

★ Clay Walker Official Website

★ Band Against MS