Clay Walker was born on August 19, 1969, in Beaumont,

Texas and grew up in Vidor, TX, where he learned to

play guitar at the age of nine. At an early young age, he

entered area talent competitions and even submitted

tapes to local radio stations in an attempt to promote his

music. Walker graduated from Vidor High School in

1987 and began touring the state shortly after that,

eventually finding work as a house singer at the Neon

Armadillo bar in Beaumont. In November 1992,

Walker was signed to Giant Records when he was

discovered by James Stroud, record producer and

president of Warner Music Group.

 

In 1993, Walker released his self-titled album and

garnered three #1 singles, "What's It to You," "Live

Until I Die," and "Dreaming with My Eyes Open." Clay

Walker was certified platinum by the Recording

Industry of America. He received two nominations

the following year: TNN/Music City News'

Star of Tomorrow award and the Academy of Country

Music's Top New Male Vocalist award.

 

Walker quickly followed up with his sophomore release,

If I Could Make a Living (1994) which also went

platinum, with the title track and the song "This

Woman and This Man" both spending weeks at #1. The

next few years saw the release of Hypnotize the Moon

(1995), Rumor Has It (199T), Greatest Hits (1998), Live,

Laugh, Love (1999) and Say No More (2001).

 

Giant Records closed in late 2001, and Walker signed

with RCA releasing “A Few Questions” in 2003, which

received criticism for its more pop-country format. In

July 2005, Walker signed his third record deal with the

Asylum-Curb division of Curb Records and has since

released two more albums, 2007's Fall and 2010's She

Won't Be Lonely Long.

 

Walker continues to tour, promoting his albums and

giving concerts the world over along with participating

in charities that raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis

as he was diagnosed with the central nervous system

disease in 1996. In 2003, Clay Walker formed a

non-profit charity, Band Against MS and was

recognized for his efforts with a Humanitarian

Award in 2008.