The Clark Family Experience

Last updated
The Clark Family Experience
Origin Rocky Mount, Virginia, U.S.
Genres Country
Years active2000–2002
Labels Curb
Spinoffs Sons of Sylvia
Past membersAaron Clark
Adam Clark
Alan Clark
Andrew Clark
Ashley Clark
Austin Clark

The Clark Family Experience was an American country music band composed of six brothers, all with the surname Clark: Alan (guitar, vocals), Aaron (bass guitar, vocals), Adam (mandolin, vocals), Ashley (fiddle), Andrew (drums), and Austin (lap steel guitar, keyboards), all natives of the state of Virginia.

Contents

Signed to Curb Records in 2000, The Clark Family Experience debuted on the American country music scene that year with the release of their single "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch". A Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, the song also became the thirteenth highest-selling single in the history of country music at the time. "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" was the first of four chart singles from their self-titled debut album, released in 2001. Due to a series of financial problems, however, the band declared bankruptcy and disbanded later that year.

In 2007, Adam, Ashley, and Austin reunited as The Clark Brothers and won the Fox Networks talent show The Next Great American Band that year. The Clark Brothers has since been renamed Sons of Sylvia.

Biography

The six members of The Clark Family Experience — Aaron, Adam, Alan, Andrew, Ashley and Austin — are part of a musically inclined family that comprises the eleven children of Freddy and Sylvia Clark. All six boys first performed professionally in 1993, eventually assuming the name The Clark Family Experience. [1]

The band was signed as "series regulars" on The Oak Ridge Boys' 1998 television show on The Nashville Network, Live From Las Vegas. The show aired 15 episodes, and although just a modest success, it introduced the band to a nationwide audience.

Curb Records signed The Clark Family Experience to a recording contract in 2000. The band also served as an opening act for several country musicians, including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. McGraw also co-produced The Clark Family Experience's self-titled debut album, which was released on February 27, 2001. [2] The album produced a total of four singles on the Billboard country music charts, including "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch", which soon became a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, as well as the thirteenth highest-selling single in the history of country music at the time. [1] The album's second single, "Standin' Still", peaked at No. 36, while the third and fourth singles both failed to reach Top 40.

Bankruptcy

A year after the release of their debut album, The Clark Family Experience filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. [3] The band owed more than $800,000 in debt to Curb, citing mismanagement and unfair contracts from the label as the reasons for their debt. [4]

Curb then attempted to dismiss the Clark brothers' bankruptcies, claiming that the band was trying to exit its contract. [4] In addition, the label tried to seek an injunction to keep the band from recording for any other label. By August 2003, the label had dropped the suit. [5] The Clark Family Experience disbanded soon afterward. Adam, Ashley, and Austin reunited in 2008 as The Clark Brothers and won the TV competition The Next Great American Band that year. In 2009, this trio changed its name to Sons of Sylvia.

The Clark Family Experience (2001)

The Clark Family Experience
Clarkfamilyexp.jpg
Studio album by
The Clark Family Experience
ReleasedFebruary 27, 2001 (2001-02-27)
Genre Country
Label Curb
Producer Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Going Away"Ashley Clark3:51
2."Because" Keith Follesé, Dennis Matkosky3:45
3."It'll Always Be You"Don Sampson, Randy VanWarmer 3:21
4."Standin' Still" Robin Lee Bruce, Christi Dannemiller, Camille Harrison3:23
5."When I Look at You"Alan Clark, Philip Douglas, Tony Marty3:19
6."Tell Me What You Wanna Do"Steve Bogard, Marv Green, Bill Luther3:21
7."Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy 2:59
8."Just Emily"Bruce, Bill Decker3:41
9."You Were Smilin'" Holly Lamar, Jess Leary4:11
10."To Quote Shakespeare"Greg Barnhill, Lamar3:57

Personnel

The Clark Family Experience

  • Aaron Clark - bass guitar, upright bass, vocals
  • Adam Clark - bass guitar, mandolin, electric guitar, vocals
  • Alan Clark - acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals
  • Andrew Clark - drums
  • Ashley Clark - fiddle, acoustic guitar
  • Austin Clark - Dobro, acoustic guitar, piano

Additional musicians

Chart performance

Chart (2002)Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [6] 68

Singles

YearSinglePeak positions
US Country
[7]
US
[8]
2000"Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" [A] 1880
2001"Standin' Still"34
"To Quote Shakespeare"51
2002"Going Away"44
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Notes
  • A ^ "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" reached number 39 on the RPM Country Tracks chart on November 6, 2000, when RPM ceased publication. [9]

Music videos

YearVideo
2000"Meanwhile Back at the Ranch"
2002"Going Away"

Related Research Articles

<i>Breathe</i> (Faith Hill album) 1999 studio album by Faith Hill

Breathe is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Faith Hill, released November 9, 1999, via Warner Bros. Nashville. The album is one of the most successful country pop albums of all time and Hill's best selling album to date, being certified certified 8× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>No Place That Far</i> 1998 studio album by Sara Evans

No Place That Far is the second studio album by American country music artist Sara Evans. It was released in October 1998 via RCA Records Nashville. The album's first single, "Cryin' Game", peaked at number 56 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart; this single also included a non-album track entitled "Wait a Minute". The second single, its title track, became Evans' first number one hit on the US country charts. The third and final single from the album, "Fool, I'm a Woman" reached number 32. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for US sales of 500,000 copies.

<i>Blue</i> (LeAnn Rimes album) 1996 studio album by LeeAnn Rimes

Blue is the debut studio album by American country music singer LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on July 9, 1996, by Curb Records. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the Top Country Albums chart.

<i>You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs</i> 1997 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, or simply You Light Up My Life, is the second studio album by the American country singer LeAnn Rimes. Released in the United States by Curb Records on September 9, 1997, when Rimes was 15 years old, it followed her debut album Blue. The album was hugely successful but many critics thought that much of the material did not do Rimes' talent justice. The album has been certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA. She was the first solo artist to chart on the Billboard 200 twice, and fourth overall under the age of 18.

<i>LeAnn Rimes</i> (album) 1999 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes is the eponymous fourth studio album by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes, released on October 26, 1999 on Curb Records. The album consists almost entirely of covers of old-time country hits; only one original song, "Big Deal", was recorded.

<i>Keith Urban</i> (1999 album) 1999 studio album by Keith Urban

Keith Urban is the second studio album by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 19 October 1999 via Capitol Nashville. It was nominated at the 2000 ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album, but lost to Troy Cassar-Daley for Big River.

<i>Blue Moon</i> (Steve Holy album) 2000 studio album by Steve Holy

Blue Moon is the debut studio album of country music artist Steve Holy. Released in 2000 on Curb Records, the album produced four hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. The first one, "Don't Make Me Beg", peaked at No. 29 on the charts, and its follow-ups both reached No. 24. Following "The Hunger," Holy charted with "Good Morning Beautiful," which he recorded for the soundtrack to the film Angel Eyes. After this song reached Number One, Curb re-issued the album with "Good Morning Beautiful" as a bonus track.

<i>Terri Clark</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Terri Clark

Terri Clark is the first album by Canadian country music artist Terri Clark. It was released on August 8, 1995, via Mercury Nashville. Clark signed with Mercury in 1994 after meeting with label executive Keith Stegall. Recording took place in studios across Nashville. Clark wrote or co-wrote all but one song on the album.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Pam Tillis album) Compilation album by Pam Tillis

Greatest Hits is a 1997 compilation album from American country music artist Pam Tillis. The album reached #6 on the Billboard country albums charts. It chronicles her greatest hits from her first four albums for Arista Nashville. The tracks "Land of the Living" and "All the Good Ones Are Gone" are new to this compilation. Both were released as singles, reaching Top Five on the Hot Country Songs charts in 1997. The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. This was the last of her albums to receive certification in sales. "Land of the Living" would also be Pam's last top 10 appearance in the Country Singles Charts.

<i>Honesty</i> (Rodney Atkins album) 2003 studio album by Rodney Atkins

Honesty is the debut studio album by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released on October 14, 2003 by Curb Records.

<i>Habits Old and New</i> 1980 album by Hank Williams Jr.

Habits Old and New is the thirty-first studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. and was released under Elektra Records/Curb Records in June 1980. Habits Old and New was Williams' third full-length album in a fourteen-month span, following Family Tradition and Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound that were released in April and November 1979. It was also his fifth album on the Elektra/Curb label.

<i>Delicious Surprise</i> 2005 studio album by Jo Dee Messina

Delicious Surprise is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Jo Dee Messina, released on April 26, 2005 via Curb Records. Her first non-Christmas album since Burn (2000), the album was recorded following the release of her first greatest hits collection in 2003. Delicious Surprise is Messina's first album in which she is credited as a producer. Messina also had a bigger hand in the writing of the album, co-writing three songs and solely writing another song.

Sons of Sylvia, originally known as The Clark Brothers, was an American country pop trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark: Adam, Ashley and Austin. All three, along with their three other brothers Aaron, Andrew, and Alan, originally comprised a sextet called The Clark Family Experience. Sons of Sylvia released its debut album in April 2010.

<i>Roll On</i> (Alabama album) 1984 album by the American band, Alabama

Roll On is the eighth studio album by American country music band Alabama, released in 1984.

<i>Southern Star</i> (album) 1989 album by the American band, Alabama

Southern Star is the twelfth studio album by American country music band Alabama, released in 1989. The album produced four singles, "Song of the South", "High Cotton", the title track and "If I Had You", all of which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles charts between 1989 and 1990. It also reached No. 68 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Im from the Country</i> 1998 studio album by Tracy Byrd

I'm from the Country is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Tracy Byrd. Released in May 1998 as his final studio album for MCA Records, it produced only two singles: the title track and "I Wanna Feel That Way Again", both of which reached Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts that year, peaking at #3 and #9, respectively. "I'm from the Country" was co-written by Richard Young, rhythm guitarist for the band The Kentucky Headhunters. The album was originally to be titled Walkin' the Line.

<i>Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy</i> 1992 studio album by Chris LeDoux

Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy is an album released by American country music artist Chris LeDoux. It is his 24th album and his second for Liberty Records. "Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy" and "Cadillac Ranch" were released as singles. The first single, a duet with Garth Brooks, became his most successful single, reaching No. 7 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the U.S. and No. 5 in Canada. The second single reached No. 18 and No. 16 in the U.S. and Canada, respectively. The album peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 5 on the Canadian RPM country albums chart. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>Shed Give Anything</i> 1994 EP by Boy Howdy

She'd Give Anything is the first EP by American country music band Boy Howdy. It was released in 1994 by Curb Records. It peaked at #19 on the Top Country Albums chart. The EP includes the singles "She'd Give Anything" and "They Don't Make 'em Like That Anymore", which respectively reached #4 and #2 on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. Also included is "A Cowboy's Born with a Broken Heart", previously a single from their 1992 debut album Welcome to Howdywood.

<i>High Notes</i> 1982 studio album by Hank Williams Jr.

High Notes is the thirty-fourth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/Curb Records in April 1982, making it Williams' eighth studio album for Elektra/Curb and his ninth overall for the label. While not as successful or acclaimed as some of Williams' more recent recordings, High Notes was still a commercial success. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA, becoming Williams' seventh album to do so. The album also generated two hit singles, "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" and "Honky Tonkin'". "If Heaven Ain't a Lot Like Dixie" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart while "Honky Tonkin'", a song that was originally a number 14 hit written and performed by his father, Hank, Sr., became Hank, Jr.'s sixth Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<i>Take a Back Road</i> 2011 studio album by Rodney Atkins

Take a Back Road is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Rodney Atkins. It was released on October 4, 2011, by Curb Records. The album's first single, its title track", is the fastest-rising and sixth number one hit of Atkins' career. The second single, "He's Mine," was previously recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 2009 album Back to Tennessee. "Just Wanna Rock N' Roll" was released as the album's third single in June 2012.

References

  1. 1 2 Wilson, MacKenzie. "The Clark Family Experience Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  2. "Popular Uprisings" (PDF). Billboard . January 27, 2001.
  3. "Clark Family Experiences Bankruptcy". CMT . 2002-06-05. Retrieved 2007-12-27.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 Naujeck, Jeanne A. (2003-08-22). "Clark Family Experience cuts ties with Curb Records". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  5. "Curb Drops Clark Family Suit". CMT . 2003-08-21. Retrieved 2007-12-27.[ dead link ]
  6. "The Clark Family Experience Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  7. "The Clark Family Experience - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  8. "The Clark Family Experience - Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  9. "Country 100". RPM . November 6, 2000.