Mark Wills
Encyclopedia
Daryl Mark Williams is an American country music
artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records
between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills
, Wish You Were Here
, Permanently
, Loving Every Minute
and And the Crowd Goes Wild
— as well as a greatest hits
package. In that same timespan, he charted sixteen singles on the Billboard
country charts, all of which made the top 40. After leaving Mercury in 2003, he signed to Equity Music Group
and charted three more singles. Two of these were later included on his sixth studio album, Familiar Stranger
, which was released on the Tenacity label in 2008.
Of his albums, Wish You Were Here is the best-selling, with a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
. This album's title track
and the late 2002 release "19 Somethin'
" both reached number one on the country music charts. Besides these, six more of his singles have reached Top Ten on the charts: debut single "Jacob's Ladder
", "Places I've Never Been
", "I Do (Cherish You)
", "Don't Laugh at Me
", "She's in Love
" and a cover version
of Brian McKnight
's "Back at One
".
Mark is also a well-known participant in the NRA
Bianchi Cup
.
. His family later moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia
. In his teenage years, Wills played in garage band
s, taking inspiration from rock groups such as Bon Jovi
. During his young adulthood, however, he began to take an interest in country music. He entered a local talent contest in Marietta, Georgia
, at age 17, and after winning the contest, he began to perform locally. From there, he went to work as a demo singer in Atlanta, Georgia
, before doing the same in Nashville, Tennessee
. While in Nashville, he was discovered by record producers Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall
, who helped him sign to a recording contract with Mercury Records Nashville.
was released in 1996 under the production of Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall
. Its lead-off single, "Jacob's Ladder
", was went to number 6 on the country charts. "High Low and In Between," the B-side to "Jacob's Ladder," was the next single, reaching number 33. Finishing off the single releases was the number five "Places I've Never Been
." Despite the success of its first and third singles, the album did not sell well, and it reached 38 on the country albums charts.
Wish You Were Here
was the title of Wills's second album. This was his most commercially successful album, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
. The lead-off single "I Do (Cherish You)
" and its followup, "Don't Laugh at Me
", both reached #2 on the country charts, with the former bringing him to the Billboard Hot 100
for the first time. Following the pair of #2-peaking songs was the album's title track
. Co-written by Bill Anderson, Skip Ewing
and Debbie Moore, it became Wills's first Number One hit in 1999. Later that year, the boy band 98 Degrees
covered "I Do (Cherish You)" on their album 98 Degrees and Rising
. Following "Wish You Were Here" was "She's in Love
", the final single from Wish You Were Here, which peaked at #7. Also in 1999, Wills received an Academy of Country Music
award for Top New Male Vocalist.
. Also for the film, Wills and Lee Ann Womack
, who plays the singing voice of Becky in the film, as a duet sing the end title song "Never Ever and Forever". Wills's eighth chart entry was a cover of R&B singer Brian McKnight
's 1998 hit single "Back at One
". This cover was a Top Five hit for him in early 2000 and the first single from his third album, Permanently
. This album was Wills's highest entry on the country albums charts, peaking at #3 there. Following "Back at One" was another R&B cover, this time of Brandy
's 1999 single "Almost Doesn't Count
". This cover reached Top 20, and was followed by "I Want to Know (Everything There Is to Know About You)", which reached #33. Permanently was ceritifed gold by the RIAA. Unlike his previous albums, this album was produced entirely by Carson Chamberlain, as Stegall had exited Mercury in 2000.
Loving Every Minute
was the title of Wills's fourth studio album and its lead-off single. This song, co-written by Michael White
, only peaked at #18, however, and the album's other single — the Jamie O'Neal
duet "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You", which was also on O'Neal's debut album Shiver
— reached #31. Also included on this album was the song "Somebody
", which later became a Number One hit in 2004 when Reba McEntire
recorded it for her 2003 album Room to Breathe
.
Wills's biggest chart hit, "19 Somethin'
", was released in late 2002. It topped the country charts in early 2003, and stayed at Number One for six weeks. The song was also his highest Hot 100 entry, peaking at #23. This song was the first of two newly-recorded songs on his 2003 greatest hits
album, which reprised all of his chart singles to that point except "High Low and In Between" and "I Want to Know (Everything There Is to Know About You)". The other new song on this album, "When You Think of Me", was a #28 country hit in early 2003. Wills produced these two new tracks with Chris Lindsey.
And the Crowd Goes Wild
, his fifth studio album, came later in 2003. This was his first full studio album which he co-produced, again doing so with Chris Lindsey. Although the album itself peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, its two singles only made the middle and lower top 40 regions on the Hot Country Songs chart. Its Jeffrey Steele
-penned country rock
and country rap-generated title track was the lead-off single, reaching #29 on the country charts. Following it was "That's a Woman", which stopped at #40. Like his previous studio release, this album included a song that would later become a Number One hit for another artist: "What Hurts the Most
", which was a Number One country and Adult Contemoporary hit for the group Rascal Flatts
when they covered it on their 2006 album Me and My Gang
. This song was also a single for Jo O'Meara
in 2005 and Cascada
in 2007. Wills's own rendition was a minor hit on the Hot Digital Songs charts in 2006. Also included on And the Crowd Goes Wild was a cover of Ronnie Milsap
's hit "Prisoner of the Highway
", recorded as a duet with Milsap.
's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love
" for the southern rock
tribute album Southern Rock Country Style. He did not record again until country singer Clint Black
signed him to his Equity Music Group
label in 2006. Wills's first release for the label was "Hank", which peaked at #49 and was never included on an album. His first album for the label, titled Familiar Stranger
, was originally slated for release in September 2007, and was repeatedly pushed back due to the poor chart performance of "Take It All Out on Me" and "Days of Thunder." Tenacity Records then acquired the album and released it in 2008, issuing "The Things We Forget" as its third single. After this song came "Entertaining Angels", co-written by Willie Mack
. In late 2009, he released then a fifth single, "Crazy White Boy," written by Brett James and Blair Daly. Wills released the compilation album 2nd Time Around in July 2009, which comprises re-recordings of several Mercury singles.
Wills released a new single in January 2011 called "Looking for America", written by Bernie Nelson, Philip Douglas and Jeremy Bussey. It served as the title track to his 2011 album of the same name, released June 21, 2011, from Big Red Records and Tenacity Records.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills
Mark Wills (album)
Mark Wills is the self-titled debut album of American country music singer Mark Wills. Released in 1996 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: "Jacob's Ladder", "High Low and In Between", and "Places I've Never...
, Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (Mark Wills album)
Wish You Were Here is the second studio album of American country music artist Mark Wills. Released on May 5, 1998, on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, all of which made top 10: "I Do ", "Don't Laugh at Me", "Wish You...
, Permanently
Permanently
Permanently is the third studio album by American country music singer Mark Wills. Released in 2000 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: "Back at One", "Almost Doesn't Count", and "I Want to Know Permanently is the...
, Loving Every Minute
Loving Every Minute (album)
Loving Every Minute is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2001 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced two singles: the title track and "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You" , which peaked at #18 and #31, respectively, on the Billboard Hot...
and And the Crowd Goes Wild
And the Crowd Goes Wild
And the Crowd Goes Wild is the fifth studio album, and sixth album overall, by American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2003 as his last album for Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced two top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: the title track...
— as well as a greatest hits
Greatest Hits (Mark Wills album)
Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation of American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2002 on Mercury Nashville Records, it features the greatest hits from his first four studio albums: 1996's Mark Wills, 1998's Wish You Were Here, 2000's Permanently, and 2001's Loving Every...
package. In that same timespan, he charted sixteen singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts, all of which made the top 40. After leaving Mercury in 2003, he signed to Equity Music Group
Equity Music Group
Equity Music Group was an American country music record label founded in 2003 by singer Clint Black. The label was distributed by Koch Entertainment ....
and charted three more singles. Two of these were later included on his sixth studio album, Familiar Stranger
Familiar Stranger (album)
Familiar Stranger is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Mark Wills. Originally recorded for Equity Music Group, it was released on November 4, 2008 by Tenacity Records. While signed to Equity, Wills released three singles: "Hank", "Take It All Out on Me" and "Days of Thunder",...
, which was released on the Tenacity label in 2008.
Of his albums, Wish You Were Here is the best-selling, with a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. This album's title track
Wish You Were Here (Mark Wills song)
"Wish You Were Here" is the title of a song recorded by American country musician Mark Wills. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
and the late 2002 release "19 Somethin'
19 Somethin'
"19 Somethin'" is a song written by David Lee and Chris DuBois, and recorded by American country music singer Mark Wills. The song was released in September 2002, and spent six weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in early 2003. It also reached number 23 on the Hot 100 chart and was...
" both reached number one on the country music charts. Besides these, six more of his singles have reached Top Ten on the charts: debut single "Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder (Mark Wills song)
"Jacob's Ladder" is the title of a song written by Cal Sweat, Brenda Sweat, and Tony Martin. It was recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills, who released it in May 1996 as the first single from his self-titled debut album. It reached a peak of number 6 on both the U.S...
", "Places I've Never Been
Places I've Never Been
"Places I've Never Been" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills. It was released in February 1996 as the third and final single from his 1996 self-titled debut album Mark Wills...
", "I Do (Cherish You)
I Do (Cherish You)
"I Do " is a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill. It was first released in 1998 by country music artist Mark Wills. The first single from his second album Wish You Were Here, it became his third top ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts that year.-98 Degrees...
", "Don't Laugh at Me
Don't Laugh at Me
"Don't Laugh at Me" is the title of a song written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin. It was recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills and released in July 1998 as the second single from his 1998 album Wish You Were Here. Like "I Do " before it, "Don't Laugh at Me" was a number 2 hit on...
", "She's in Love
She's in Love
"She's In Love" is the title of a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill, and recorded by American country artist Mark Wills. It was the fourth and final single from his album Wish You Were Here and it was his seventh single overall. It later appears on Wills' Greatest Hits package. It peaked...
" and a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
's "Back at One
Back at One (song)
"Back at One" is a song written and recorded by American R&B singer Brian McKnight, and released as a single from his 1999 album Back at One. "Back at One" was a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. Later that same year country music singer Mark Wills released a cover version of the song,...
".
Mark is also a well-known participant in the NRA
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
Bianchi Cup
The Bianchi Cup
The Bianchi Cup is the NRA National Action Pistol Championship, a major Action Pistol tournament held over three days in late May, in Columbia, Missouri at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club. It has the largest purse of any tournament on the action pistol calendar and is the premier action...
.
Biography
Mark Wills was born Daryl Mark Williams on August 8, 1973 to in Cleveland, TennesseeCleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
. His family later moved to Blue Ridge, Georgia
Blue Ridge, Georgia
Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,210 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Fannin County.-Geography:Blue Ridge, GA is located at ....
. In his teenage years, Wills played in garage band
Garage band
The term garage band can refer to:* A band that performs garage rock* GarageBand, audio production software published by Apple Inc.* GarageBand.com, a website that helps publicize emerging bands...
s, taking inspiration from rock groups such as Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
. During his young adulthood, however, he began to take an interest in country music. He entered a local talent contest in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, at age 17, and after winning the contest, he began to perform locally. From there, he went to work as a demo singer in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, before doing the same in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. While in Nashville, he was discovered by record producers Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall
Keith Stegall
Robert Keith Stegall is an American country music recording artist and record producer. Active since 1980, Stegall has recorded two-major label studio albums: 1985's Keith Stegall and 1996's Passages...
, who helped him sign to a recording contract with Mercury Records Nashville.
Musical career
Wills's self-titled debut albumMark Wills (album)
Mark Wills is the self-titled debut album of American country music singer Mark Wills. Released in 1996 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: "Jacob's Ladder", "High Low and In Between", and "Places I've Never...
was released in 1996 under the production of Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall
Keith Stegall
Robert Keith Stegall is an American country music recording artist and record producer. Active since 1980, Stegall has recorded two-major label studio albums: 1985's Keith Stegall and 1996's Passages...
. Its lead-off single, "Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder (Mark Wills song)
"Jacob's Ladder" is the title of a song written by Cal Sweat, Brenda Sweat, and Tony Martin. It was recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills, who released it in May 1996 as the first single from his self-titled debut album. It reached a peak of number 6 on both the U.S...
", was went to number 6 on the country charts. "High Low and In Between," the B-side to "Jacob's Ladder," was the next single, reaching number 33. Finishing off the single releases was the number five "Places I've Never Been
Places I've Never Been
"Places I've Never Been" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills. It was released in February 1996 as the third and final single from his 1996 self-titled debut album Mark Wills...
." Despite the success of its first and third singles, the album did not sell well, and it reached 38 on the country albums charts.
Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (Mark Wills album)
Wish You Were Here is the second studio album of American country music artist Mark Wills. Released on May 5, 1998, on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, all of which made top 10: "I Do ", "Don't Laugh at Me", "Wish You...
was the title of Wills's second album. This was his most commercially successful album, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The lead-off single "I Do (Cherish You)
I Do (Cherish You)
"I Do " is a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill. It was first released in 1998 by country music artist Mark Wills. The first single from his second album Wish You Were Here, it became his third top ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts that year.-98 Degrees...
" and its followup, "Don't Laugh at Me
Don't Laugh at Me
"Don't Laugh at Me" is the title of a song written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin. It was recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills and released in July 1998 as the second single from his 1998 album Wish You Were Here. Like "I Do " before it, "Don't Laugh at Me" was a number 2 hit on...
", both reached #2 on the country charts, with the former bringing him to the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for the first time. Following the pair of #2-peaking songs was the album's title track
Wish You Were Here (Mark Wills song)
"Wish You Were Here" is the title of a song recorded by American country musician Mark Wills. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
. Co-written by Bill Anderson, Skip Ewing
Skip Ewing
Donald Ralph "Skip" Ewing is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1988, Ewing has recorded nine studio albums, and has charted fifteen singles on the Billboard country charts.-Career:...
and Debbie Moore, it became Wills's first Number One hit in 1999. Later that year, the boy band 98 Degrees
98 Degrees
98 Degrees is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California....
covered "I Do (Cherish You)" on their album 98 Degrees and Rising
98 Degrees and Rising
-Holland Edition:-Singles:*True to Your Heart – July 21, 1998*Because of You – September 15, 1998*Hardest Thing – June 8, 1999*I Do – July 24, 1999-Chart positions:...
. Following "Wish You Were Here" was "She's in Love
She's in Love
"She's In Love" is the title of a song written by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill, and recorded by American country artist Mark Wills. It was the fourth and final single from his album Wish You Were Here and it was his seventh single overall. It later appears on Wills' Greatest Hits package. It peaked...
", the final single from Wish You Were Here, which peaked at #7. Also in 1999, Wills received an Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
award for Top New Male Vocalist.
2000–03
In 2000 he voiced the character of Huckleberry Finn in MGM's animated remake of Tom SawyerTom Sawyer (2000 film)
Tom Sawyer is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film from MGM. It is an adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, with a cast of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans...
. Also for the film, Wills and Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
, who plays the singing voice of Becky in the film, as a duet sing the end title song "Never Ever and Forever". Wills's eighth chart entry was a cover of R&B singer Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
's 1998 hit single "Back at One
Back at One (song)
"Back at One" is a song written and recorded by American R&B singer Brian McKnight, and released as a single from his 1999 album Back at One. "Back at One" was a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. Later that same year country music singer Mark Wills released a cover version of the song,...
". This cover was a Top Five hit for him in early 2000 and the first single from his third album, Permanently
Permanently
Permanently is the third studio album by American country music singer Mark Wills. Released in 2000 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: "Back at One", "Almost Doesn't Count", and "I Want to Know Permanently is the...
. This album was Wills's highest entry on the country albums charts, peaking at #3 there. Following "Back at One" was another R&B cover, this time of Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
's 1999 single "Almost Doesn't Count
Almost Doesn't Count
"Almost Doesn't Count" is an Grammy-award nominated R&B ballad written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche for Brandy's second studio album Never Say Never . It also was produced by Roche and released as the album's fourth single during the second quarter of 1999 .The ballad reached the top 20 in New...
". This cover reached Top 20, and was followed by "I Want to Know (Everything There Is to Know About You)", which reached #33. Permanently was ceritifed gold by the RIAA. Unlike his previous albums, this album was produced entirely by Carson Chamberlain, as Stegall had exited Mercury in 2000.
Loving Every Minute
Loving Every Minute (album)
Loving Every Minute is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2001 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced two singles: the title track and "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You" , which peaked at #18 and #31, respectively, on the Billboard Hot...
was the title of Wills's fourth studio album and its lead-off single. This song, co-written by Michael White
Michael White (singer)
Larry Michael White is an American country music artist. The son of songwriter L.E. White, who has written for Conway Twitty, Michael was signed to Reprise Records in 1992, releasing his debut album Familiar Ground that year...
, only peaked at #18, however, and the album's other single — the Jamie O'Neal
Jamie O'Neal
Jamie O'Neal is a contemporary country singer and songwriter who has had success in the United States. She was born Jamie Murphy in Sydney, Australia, to parents Jimmy and Julie Murphy, who were also professional musicians...
duet "I'm Not Gonna Do Anything Without You", which was also on O'Neal's debut album Shiver
Shiver (Jamie O'Neal album)
Shiver is the debut country album from country music artist Jamie O'Neal. Released on October 31, 2000, the album reached its peak of number 14 on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart and number 125 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000. The was released through...
— reached #31. Also included on this album was the song "Somebody
Somebody (Reba McEntire song)
"Somebody" is a country music song written by Dave Berg, Sam Tate, and Annie Tate. It was initially recorded by singer Mark Wills for his 2001 studio album Loving Every Minute. Reba McEntire later recorded the same song for her 2003 album Room to Breathe, releasing it as that album's second single...
", which later became a Number One hit in 2004 when Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
recorded it for her 2003 album Room to Breathe
Room to Breathe (Reba McEntire album)
-Personnel:Musicians* Bob Bailey – background vocals* Lisa Cochran – harmony vocals* J.T. Corenflos – electric guitar* Chip Davis – background vocals, harmony* Linda Davis – background vocals, harmony...
.
Wills's biggest chart hit, "19 Somethin'
19 Somethin'
"19 Somethin'" is a song written by David Lee and Chris DuBois, and recorded by American country music singer Mark Wills. The song was released in September 2002, and spent six weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in early 2003. It also reached number 23 on the Hot 100 chart and was...
", was released in late 2002. It topped the country charts in early 2003, and stayed at Number One for six weeks. The song was also his highest Hot 100 entry, peaking at #23. This song was the first of two newly-recorded songs on his 2003 greatest hits
Greatest Hits (Mark Wills album)
Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits compilation of American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2002 on Mercury Nashville Records, it features the greatest hits from his first four studio albums: 1996's Mark Wills, 1998's Wish You Were Here, 2000's Permanently, and 2001's Loving Every...
album, which reprised all of his chart singles to that point except "High Low and In Between" and "I Want to Know (Everything There Is to Know About You)". The other new song on this album, "When You Think of Me", was a #28 country hit in early 2003. Wills produced these two new tracks with Chris Lindsey.
And the Crowd Goes Wild
And the Crowd Goes Wild
And the Crowd Goes Wild is the fifth studio album, and sixth album overall, by American country music artist Mark Wills. Released in 2003 as his last album for Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced two top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts: the title track...
, his fifth studio album, came later in 2003. This was his first full studio album which he co-produced, again doing so with Chris Lindsey. Although the album itself peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, its two singles only made the middle and lower top 40 regions on the Hot Country Songs chart. Its Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele...
-penned country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
and country rap-generated title track was the lead-off single, reaching #29 on the country charts. Following it was "That's a Woman", which stopped at #40. Like his previous studio release, this album included a song that would later become a Number One hit for another artist: "What Hurts the Most
What Hurts the Most
"What Hurts the Most" is the title of a song written by American songwriter Jeffrey Steele and English songwriter Steve Robson. Initially recorded by country music artist Mark Wills in 2003 on his album And the Crowd Goes Wild, it was covered by Bellefire a year later...
", which was a Number One country and Adult Contemoporary hit for the group Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
when they covered it on their 2006 album Me and My Gang
Me and My Gang
Me and My Gang is the fourth studio album from the American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released on April 4, 2006. The album sold more than 721,747 units and went double platinum in the first month of release...
. This song was also a single for Jo O'Meara
Jo O'Meara
Joanne Valda O'Meara is an English singer-songwriter, television personality and actress. Formerly one of the lead singers of pop group S Club, she launched a solo single after the group's split in 2003, which cut short the production of a proposed album following an appearance on Celebrity Big...
in 2005 and Cascada
Cascada
Cascada is a German Eurodance act most famous for their hit singles "Everytime We Touch", "What Hurts the Most", and "Evacuate the Dancefloor"...
in 2007. Wills's own rendition was a minor hit on the Hot Digital Songs charts in 2006. Also included on And the Crowd Goes Wild was a cover of Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...
's hit "Prisoner of the Highway
Prisoner of the Highway
"Prisoner of the Highway" was a hit single from 1984, recorded by country music singer Ronnie Milsap. Although it was originally made exclusive to the album One More Try For Love, it was later included on one of his compilation albums that was released in 1992; this album was entitled Greatest...
", recorded as a duet with Milsap.
2006–present
Due to the poor performance of And the Crowd Goes Wild, Wills exited Mercury in 2004. In 2004, Wills also recorded a cover of Elvin BishopElvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop is an American blues and rock and roll musician and guitarist.-Career:Bishop was born in Glendale, California, and grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was ten years old...
's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love
Fooled Around and Fell in Love
"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" was a single by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. It appeared on his 1975 album Struttin' My Stuff and was released as a single the following year. Bishop does not sing lead vocals on the track; feeling that his gravelly voice didn't do the song justice, he invited...
" for the southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
tribute album Southern Rock Country Style. He did not record again until country singer Clint Black
Clint Black
Clint Patrick Black is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and occasional actor. Signed to RCA Records in 1989, Black made his debut with his Killin' Time album, which produced four straight Number One singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country...
signed him to his Equity Music Group
Equity Music Group
Equity Music Group was an American country music record label founded in 2003 by singer Clint Black. The label was distributed by Koch Entertainment ....
label in 2006. Wills's first release for the label was "Hank", which peaked at #49 and was never included on an album. His first album for the label, titled Familiar Stranger
Familiar Stranger (album)
Familiar Stranger is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Mark Wills. Originally recorded for Equity Music Group, it was released on November 4, 2008 by Tenacity Records. While signed to Equity, Wills released three singles: "Hank", "Take It All Out on Me" and "Days of Thunder",...
, was originally slated for release in September 2007, and was repeatedly pushed back due to the poor chart performance of "Take It All Out on Me" and "Days of Thunder." Tenacity Records then acquired the album and released it in 2008, issuing "The Things We Forget" as its third single. After this song came "Entertaining Angels", co-written by Willie Mack
Willie Mack
Willie Mack is a country music singer-songwriter born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and raised in Chico, Texas. He has had his songs recorded by Sara Evans, Collin Raye, The Oak Ridge Boys and Mark Wills, among others...
. In late 2009, he released then a fifth single, "Crazy White Boy," written by Brett James and Blair Daly. Wills released the compilation album 2nd Time Around in July 2009, which comprises re-recordings of several Mercury singles.
Wills released a new single in January 2011 called "Looking for America", written by Bernie Nelson, Philip Douglas and Jeremy Bussey. It served as the title track to his 2011 album of the same name, released June 21, 2011, from Big Red Records and Tenacity Records.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Top New Male Vocalist | |
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer (2000 film) Tom Sawyer is a 2000 direct-to-video animated film from MGM. It is an adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, with a cast of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans... |
Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic Mark Twain novel.Huckleberry Finn may also refer to:*Huckleberry Finn , a fictional character in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer... |
Direct-to-video Direct-to-video Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television... |