Mark Chesnutt
Interview with Mark Chesnutt
(Q)-Please state your name, age, date and place of birth.
Mark Chesnutt- My name is Mark Chesnutt, I was born on September 6, 1963. I was born In Beaumont Texas.
(Q)-Are you proud to known as the “Keeper Of The Flame”, in regards to your purist stance as a country music recording artist?
Mark Chesnutt- Yes. I am. With this new album, “Savin’ the Honky Tonk”, I wanted to get back to my honk-tonk roots. For a few years there in Nashville, I was being discouraged by my record label to record those real traditional country songs.
(Q)-What did that situation feel like to you?
Mark Chesnutt- Since I was kind of being pressured into it to be honest with you, at times it was kind of a strange deal for me. I recorded the song “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, (1998) because my (record) producer at the time was thinking that I had to kind of pull away from traditional country music and do what everybody else (in Nashville) was doing, which was to attempt to cross over. So, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”, was a big Number One record for like a month, but the single didn’t sell that many albums.
(Q)-Was it a, “turntable”, meaning a radio-only hit single?
Mark Chesnutt- That’s exactly what it was. The next thing I knew my (record) producer was trying to get me to cover (record) some other pop songs.
(Q)-What happened to your career after the success of “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”?
Mark Chesnutt- I went over to another record label (company) and I released an album. The songs weren’t exactly the kind of stuff that I wanted to cut (record) either.
(Q)- Why?
Mark Chesnutt- I was just trying to stay in the business.
(Q)-So how did you arrive to where you are presently with your music and career?
Mark Chesnutt- Finally, when I got out on my own, I decided to record the most country, honky tonk songs that I could find.
(Q)-Why such a bold move?
Mark Chesnutt- To show radio and my fans what I’m really all about. So that’s why I have the new album, “Savin’ the Honky Tonk”,right now. This album is the best honky-tonk songs that I can find and I co-wrote one of them. I am really happy with the way it has turned out and with the way it is doing. This album is the music that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m more proud of this album then any other I’ve ever recorded. This album is who I am. It is a clear picture of who I am. I’m not trying to cross over and become a pop star or a movie star or anything like that. I’m just trying to sing honky-tonk country music. The kind of music I grew up listening to in Southeast Texas. The kind of music I was playing in the bars and clubs of Southeast Texas. With this new music and new album, this is exactly the kind of music that agrees with me one hundred per cent. The fan response has been great, it has been really great. My fans have been telling me that this is the exact kind of music they want me to do. Everybody loves our live show. The album is selling real well. On the road, in my performances, we’re doing a lot of the new songs off of the album in my show now. For once, we’re doing exactly what I want to do with my music.
(Q)-What is next for Mark Chesnutt?
Mark Chesnutt- I’ve got the next single,”A Hard Secret To Keep”, ready to come out for the radio and the fans.
(Q)-Why is that song special to you?
Mark Chesnutt- Well, it’s a cheatin’ song. It’s a song from the man’s perspective. The women really love the song. It has a beautiful, haunting melody to it.
(Q)-Hard country music is Mark Chesnutt. Agree?
Mark Chesnutt- My fans and radio were waiting for this kind of music to come from me. There always was a place for it. I never did really change, I just had to do some different kinds of music to stay on the charts. Now, I’d rather not be on the charts if I’m not doing something that I’m comfortable with.
(Q)-Now one fact is now crystal clear. “Mark Chesnutt is Mark Chesnutt and Mark Chesnutt is all about country music.
Mark Chesnutt- I’m just a country singer. I’m not a real video friendly kind of guy, I’m a redneck country singer. Now, after so many years of trying to fit in, in Nashville, I’m working for the whole lot of fans who like me as I am and like me the way I am. So now, I’m just working for them. Now there’s more country music on the radio then four years ago and there’s some fun country music on the radio. We’re singing about drinking, we’re singing about real life. We’re having a lot of fun. Fun country music, the way it’s supposed to be. I remember back in the 80’s, Hank Williams JR. was singing real country music about real country themes and about being wild and crazy. Then that all just sort of went away. I’m just so glad that now, we can do those kind of songs without worrying about getting somebody mad at us. We can be politically incorrect now and still have hit records.