Born 63 Years Ago in the Lone Star State, the 90s Country Legend Who Sings Like George Jones and Took a Rock Ballad to No. 1

On this day (August 6) in 1963, Mark Chesnutt was born in Beaumont, Texas. He rose to prominence in the 1990s along with artists like George Strait and Alan Jackson. His smooth baritone voice and vocal delivery made many critics and fans compare him to George Jones, another East Texas native. Chesnutt notched several country hits in the 90s. His most successful single–and only crossover hit–was a cover of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” It was his final country No. 1 and sole top 40 hit on the Hot 100.

Chesnutt found his passion for music early. As a child, he got a drum set for Christmas and started learning to play. Then, his father convinced him to put down his drumsticks and practice singing. He spent years honing his vocal skills and dropped out of high school in his junior year to pursue a music career.

According to AllMusic, Chesnutt’s father started taking him to Nashville when he was 17. He recorded on small regional labels and had a steady gig as a member of the house band at Cutters, a Beaumont nightclub. By the late 1980s, he had released a handful of singles. One of those caught the ear of producer Tony Brown. He then brought Chesnutt to the attention of producer Mark Right, who helped him sign a deal with MCA.

Mark Chesnutt’s Recording Career

Mark Chesnutt signed his record deal in 1990 and released his debut album, Too Cold at Home, later that year. It peaked at No. 12 and produced five top-10 singles. The LP’s second single, “Brother Jukebox,” became Chesnutt’s first chart-topper.

His sophomore release, Longnecks and Short Stories, delivered more of the same. Chesnutt’s next full-length brought him three consecutive No. 1 singles. It also produced his first single to fall short of the top 10. “Woman, Sensuous Woman” peaked at No. 21.

[RELATED: Mark Chesnutt Recalls the No. 1 Hit He Regrets Recording]

By the end of the decade, tastes were beginning to change, and Chesnutt’s hard country style wasn’t taking him as far up the charts as it had before. After “Wherever You Are” peaked at No. 45 in 1998, he and his label knew something had to change. So, the label convinced him to record a cover of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” It worked like a charm. The song topped the country chart and reached No. 17 on the Hot 100. Despite its success, Chesnutt refused to cover another non-country song and later regretted recording the ballad. It was his final song to reach the top 10.

Chesnutt remains active and currently has several scheduled this year.

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