Music icon Clint Black is opening up about his highs and lows throughout his career. The country singer revealed his first manager swindled him out of everything and left him broke.
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For this tale, we have to go all the way back to 1987. Black signed with RCA and released his first album a few short years later.
Speaking with Fox & Friends, the music icon opened up about that early period. That included recording his first-ever demo.
He said, "I met this guy, Hayden Nicholas, who is still my lead guitar player. He was filling in for a band I hired for this one gig. He was amazing. We gravitated towards each other. He had a demo recording machine in his garage. The first demo we made was 'Nobody's Home,' which would become a hit for me. I took that to this record promoter I had met years earlier and asked him to help me find a manager."
Music Icon Sues His Former Manager
But that period of time also marks a period of uncertainty for the singer. Black says that his manager signed him to three contracts that swindled the music icon. The manager took 100% of publishing and 50% of all profits. According to Black, the manager hid this from the musician.
"I didn't even know there was a million-dollar advance. I was in Nashville recording parts for the album and ran out of money. Didn't have any money to eat. The producer came over and bought me a pizza, and then called the manager the next day and said, 'Give him per diem,'" he said.
Ultimately, Black sued his manager for $5 million. After months, they eventually settled the matter out of court. Fast forward to 2008, Black ended up suing another manager due to similar reasons. The two later settled out of court as well.
He said, "What strikes me is, when I put it all together, is how that little guy pushed through all of that. The things I didn't know I had in me, to get through the injuries and legal battles. It was surprising."
