Biography

Ninety-nine out of 100 singers will tell you they tour in order to support their latest album That's just the way it's done. Artist number 100 - Mark Chesnutt doesn't see it that way. "I make records because I want people to come see my show," the talented Texan states. That includes his latest collection, Lost In The Feeling. Now in his 10th year of recording for MCA Nashville, Chesnutt regards his new CD as the perfect bait to lure music lovers to one of his high energy concerts.

Mark chose each song on Lost In The Feeling - from the rollicking "Angelina" to the pensive "Somewhere Out There Tonight" - with his live stage show in mind. "I'm hard on songs," he admits. "I have those song meetings in Nashville where we sit in the office and all these pluggers bring songs in from different companies. We literally listen to hundreds and hundreds of songs, and may not get anything out of two days of doing that. I'm sure I've missed a few hits, but if they don't hit me the first time, I just can't do anything with it."

It's a system that has served him well, resulting in chart-topping hits including 1990's "Brother Jukebox", 1993's "Almost Goodbye", and last year's record-breaking smash, "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing". "My biggest hits were the songs that I really believed in," Mark says. "I'd rather miss a deadline than put out an album that didn't have all good songs on it."

Some singers believe a song should sound the same live as it does on the CD, but for Mark, singing in the studio and performing live are two distinct disciplines. "It's totally different!" he states. "There's no way we could put on an album what we're doing in our show each night - and I'm not sure I'd ever want to if it was possible. The way I feel about it, this is a good, solid album. Great songs, great music. I hope it encourages fans to come out and see us live. We're surprising a lot of people with the kind of show we do. We really get after it and pull out all the stops, no matter where we're at."

After 10 years of professional recording and touring, Mark's got the know-how to put together a string of critically acclaimed CD's and great concerts. He's become a symbol of pure honky-tonk, with a repertoire of danceable songs with wry lyrics, such as "It Pays Big Money". Yet he also manages to wrap his Haggardesque vocals around the tenderest of tunes, including "Halfway Back To Birmingham". With each song on Lost In The Feeling, he imparts honesty and conviction. On stage, lie adds zest and intrigue. When you listen to the CD, you can imagine the twinkle in his eye. When you're in his audience, you see that twinkle and feel the electricity.

"I like to sing a George Jones song and turn around and sing a rock'n roll song," he teases. "We have a lot of fun on stage. I could go out and buy an expensive stage with fireworks and heavy-metal-rock-star lights, but I take my music a little more seriously than that. Still, that doesn't mean I'm going to stand in one spot and sing ballads all night! You have to be able to do all kinds of different things, especially if you're gonna put on a good show."

Although he's logged over 200 shows in the past year, Mark devoted quality time to finding the tunes for Lost In The Feeling. On rare trips to Nashville or traveling cross-country on the bus, he listened to thousands of songs, searching for the right combination for this project. On occasion, he'd try a song or two out during his stage show, gauging audience reaction with the eye of a seasoned pro. "It's just trial and error," he explains. "It's 10 years of being on stage and watching the crowd and paying attention to 'em and knowing what turns 'em on and what doesn't. To me, if they're not excited throughout the whole set, then I'm not doing my job. That's why I'm so hard on songs. Each one has to be something I believe in, but they have to be something the fans believe in, too."

In true Chesnutt fashion, musical integrity wins out every time. "The only reason I cut each song is 'cause I liked 'em," he laughs. "That's all I can tell you. I liked their melody, I liked what they said. And that's basically it. There's not a dramatic story behind any of 'em! The songs that were recorded, I loved 'em, and I wanted to cut 'em!"

Mark originally recorded the CD's title track, "Lost In The Feeling", for the soundtrack of an upcoming Billy Bob Thornton movie, Daddy & Them. The song was a hit for Conway Twitty in 1983. Approached by filmmakers to contribute a song to the movie, Mark's initial response was, "I'll do it if the song is right." When they told him the song was "Lost In The Feeling", he grinned. "I didn't have to learn a word of that one," Mark says. "I knew it long before they called. I used to sing it in clubs back in the '80s."

He also recorded the not-so-politically-correct "Love In The Hot Afternoon", with it's straightforward sexy lyric. "When you really listen to the lyrics, you realize it's a pretty steamy song," Mark says. "You don't hear songs like this on the radio these days - everything has to be so clean and safe and sterile now. This will probably never be a single, but I sure love singing it."

On "Go Away", Mark's full, lush vocal is reminiscent of the mellow, comfortable phrasing of the great Eddy Arnold, demonstrating his artistic maturity. Music fans who appreciated his deep baritone on his debut 10 years ago will bear an even richer tone on Lost In The Feeling. Even Mark admits to hearing a difference.

"I can't stand to listen to the first couple of albums," he laughs. "I had no range at all. Sometimes it doesn't even sound like me now. Back then I sounded like I was holding back all the time. It's just different now. I guess it's just experience."

In addition to his musical evolution, Mark's personality has also blossomed. The shy singer of "Too Cold At Home" has become a confident and self-assured entertainer. "I had to come out of my shell!" he says. "All of a sudden, you're thrown into this business to where you're on live TV and meetin' people every day. I got used to that."

A decade after the release of his first MCA Nashville album, Mark's resolve to succeed has paid off. "Ten years is not really a long time, but it is a long time in the country music business," he reflects. "When I first got signed to MCA Nashville, I was told that five years is about the lifespan of an average career. I was determined to prove 'em wrong."

He's done that and more, thanks to one simple factor. "I like to think it's because the music has been good," he states. "Not just the records, but our live show. The two go hand-in-hand. I want people to buy the record because I'm proud of it, but I also want 'em to come see the show. I think the music is what kept me around this long, and as long as I can walk up on stage and pick up a guitar, I ain't finished yet!"