Click Here For Clay News From 1997 Click Here For Clay News From the First Half Of 1998 Click Here For Clay News From the Second Half of 1998. Click Here For Clay News From 1999 CLAY NEWS 2000-2003 08-07-03: I'm back. After being away and having a baby, I've finally gotten back on the band wagon and updated my site. Hope all is well with you all in Clay Country. Here's the latest. Clay's first RCA Released album A Few Questions, is set to be released on September 9th! This is sure to be another album we can't wait to get our hands on! Be sure to visit Clay's website at claywalker.com to hear snipits of the new album and what Clay thinks about each single! The 2003 Summer tour is just heating up. More dates are being added here and there so be sure to check out the tourdates section for the latest. Clay has a website all about Multiple Sclerosis and his fight against it. Be sure to visit his site at bandagainstms.com. The new single, A Few Questions has been rising up the charts and had already attained top 20 status. Keep requestin' it y'all and it will only continue to rise. 05-13-02: Horsing Around - Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Clay Walker and Tommy Shane Steiner are among the 18 artists profiled in Lisa Wysocky's The Power of Horses: True Stories From Country Music Stars. The book, due next month, explains how the equine species changed the lives of these musicians, and details the lessons learned from these experiences. (Countrynow.com) 05-01-02: RCA is the new home of Clay Walker. RCA Records and multi-platinum selling singer Clay Walker will join together and release an album in late �02 or early 2003. Clay�s impressive resume includes 11 number one singles, scores of Top 10 hits and more than eight million albums sold. The Beaumont, Texas native exploded on the country music scene in 1993 with his number one debut single, "What�s It To You." He was named the Best Male Artist by the trade publication R&R that same year. "All of us at RCA and RLG are thrilled to have Clay as part of our company.� He is a great singer and entertainer and his best days are in front of him.�� He has put together a great team of people around him and we are having a ball working together," says RLG Chairman Joe Galante. On joining the RCA Label Group Clay remembers, "The first time I ever dreamed of making a record was when I held the RCA 45 of Elvis� "Hound Dog," and the image of Nipper etched in my memory." He continues, "I am thrilled to be working with Joe Galante and a team that has proven itself time and again. 04-19-02: Clay is set to be at the telecast of the City Of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on Thursday, June 13th. CMT will telecast the 12th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge. The show airs June 15 at 3 p.m. ET as a part of the network's special Fan Fair Week coverage. Here's more information on how to get tickets: Greer Stadium Nashville, TN Thursday, June 13, 2002 1:00PM $15.00 - $17.00 Charge by Phone: 615-255-9600 www.ticketmaster.com 04-08-02: Did you know?..Clay has been appearing at the HLS&R since 1994.� For eight years now, Clay has been in the round and selling out performances.Clay has 3 of the top 15 shows in record attendance: #10 - March 7, 1999 - 60, 400 in attendance at Sunday Twilight show #13 - March 6, 1998 - 59, 886 in attendance at Friday Evening show #14 - March 5, 2000 - 59, 548 in attendance at Sunday Twilight show We've recently gotten word that Clay's mangagement has been taken over by his friend and former band member/tour manager Kyle Frederick.� We understand that Clay has left the Erv Woolsey Agency where he has been managed since the beginning of his career, with the expection of a short (very short) time at Titley Spaulding Agency.� We wish Kyle the best of luck and are hoping this means some BIG things in the near future for Clay Walker's career. We'll let you know if we get any further official word on this move.� The McAllen TX paper is reporting that Clay is currently a free agent. This means he is without a record label.� He was previously with Warner Brothers after Giant Records closed its doors.� Right now he is looking to sign with Lyric Records or Warner Brothers again.� Hopefully more soon. Clay has said that he will have a old Freddy Fender classic on his upcoming album.� The title of the song is "Until the next tear drop falls".� Be sure to look for it when the album releases! Clay�s love affair with Latin culture will soon come to fruition when he joins Tony Plana, Emilio Navaira, Grammy Award winners Jimmy Gonzalez and La Mafia, and other Tejano music stars during the 22nd Annual Tejano Music Awards at San Antonio�s Alamodome on Saturday, April 13, 2002. The awards show will be videotaped and is scheduled for a nationally televised broadcast later this summer. Clay is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring his music and talents to a broad new audience. The Tejano Music Awards is produced by the non-profit, state-chartered Texas Talent Musicians Association. In addition to performing on the awards show, Clay also plans to attend the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair at Sunset Station in San Antonio on Friday, April 13. Admission to the Fan Fair is free and is open to all ages. Clay has spent several years learning to speak Spanish and has become quite fluent. He is very eager to try out his bilingual skills on an international audience. Clay Walker fans already know that he included Ritchie Valens� 1950s hit "La Bamba" on his most recent CD, Say No More, and trilled impeccably in Spanish. Clay also regularly performs Freddy Fender�s "Before The Next Teardrop Falls," during his live shows. Chely Wright and Clay Walker are among the stars confirmed to perform at this year's Country Night Gstaad, set for Sept. 20-21 in Gstaad, Switzerland. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and folk musician David Holt also are set to play the festival. Clay Walker will be performing in an exclusive KILT benefit concert for Multiple Sclerosis. The show is scheduled for Thursday, May 16th at the Houston Arena Theatre.� Steve Holy, known for his hit songs "Good Morning, Beautiful" and "Blue Moon," will open the acoustic show for Clay.�� A limited number of tickets for this show will be on sale beginning� tomorrow (Saturday, April 6th) at 10am. Tickets may be purchased at the Houston Arena Theatre's Box Office, at any Ticketmaste outlet by calling (713) 629-3700, or online in the Concerts section of KILT.com Tickets are $30 each, plus applicable service charges. Of course, you can still listen to KILT � for your chance to win tickets to this exciting show. Clay Walker was all about the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (April 6) when he performed on the 8:00 p.m. ET show, which was televised live on CMT.�� Earlier in the day, Walker was also slated to participate in the Tennessean newspaper's In Education Book Fair. Walker read Pardon Me...Is That The Grand Ole Opry? by local children's author Ellen Eady to a group of children during the 12:00 p.m. ET story hour at Barnes & Noble bookstore near Nashville. NOTE: During the performance, Clay mentioned to stay tuned for a big announcement (this week). We're hoping it has to do with his new label! More as we hear it! 01-16-02: Clay is headed to Pebble Beach. Clay will play in the invitation-only AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament, Jan. 28-Feb. 3 in Pebble Beach, Calif. Other celebs scheduled to take part include Carson Daly, Joe Pesci, Bill Murray, Ray Romano and Kevin Costner. Walker performed at the event in 1998 and 1999, and this is his fifth year to play the tournament. 12-13-01: Clay Walker came in first place on Dec. 7 in Fort Worth�s Will Rogers Coliseum in the Celebrity Cutting 2001 Star Spangled Round-Up. Now in its seventh year, the Round-Up raises funds for needy cancer patients in North Texas. It also coincides with Fort Worth� s National Cutting Horse Association Futurity. Clay took first-place honors at the event last Friday night. Walker's team consisted of fellow singers Brad Paisley and Kix Brooks, as well as rodeo legend Larry Mahan and radio personality Bob Kingsley. The annual Celebrity Cutting, which tests the cattle-moving skills of both horses and riders, raises money for cancer care. His standout performance earned the platinum-selling artist a championship belt buckle and trophy. Clay's Publicity company, Network Ink, is closing it's doors. Liz Thiels, who operates Network Ink, will be closing shop and heading over to work as Senior VP of public affairs for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. News from Houston: The Olympic flame finally landed stateside and will be coming to Houston Monday. The 162 torchbearers will carry the flame through more than 31 miles of Houston streets on its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Olympic games. Torchbearers will include local residents, local community and business leaders, as well as past Olympians, such as gold medalist Laura Wilkinson and gymnast Mary Lou Retton. An Olympic Torch Relay Celebration will celebrate the flames arrival in the Bayou City from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The event is free and open to the public, and local bands will plan in its honor, including Jessica Firth, Celeste, Eccentric, Lauren Allen and Mason, Whitney & Mellisa, with a special appearance by country crooner Clay Walker. There will also be a game area, which includes a BMX inline, bungee jump, rock climbing wall, face painting and mascots from the Houston Texans, Houston Rockets, Houston Astros and Houston Aeros will make an appearance. The Torch Relay began Tuesday in Atlanta, host city of the most recent U.S. Olympic games. More than 11,500 people will carry the flame for approximately 13,500 miles. The Olympic flame will travel through 46 states, completing its trek in Salt Lake City on Feb. 8, 2002. 11-02-01: Clay has a new label-mate: Chalee Tennison is in the studio with producer James Stroud (Clay's former producer).�� They're working on her first album for Warner Bros. Nashville. Congratulations to Steve "Elk" Elkington, one of Clay's really good friends who finished well at the Texas Open Golf Tournament.� If you'll note in your "Live, Laugh, Love" and "Say No More" liner notes, Clay thanks Steve personally for his friendship :) Also, Clay and Steve just recently participated in the Alfred Dunhill Classic over in Scotland (Clay's first international golf outing). Here's how they fared: Team Results-Finished 11th� with scores per day of� 59,� 67,� 65,� and 67 for a total of 258. Steve Elkington tied for 129 in the Pro side of the Tournament. Clay has added some new tourdates to the end of his 2001 touring. Be sure to check out my tourdates page! 08-21-01: Clay celebrated his 32nd birthday over the weekend. We surely hope he and his family had an awesome day! Congratulations to long time friend and booking agent of Clay's, Joey Lee of Buddy Lee Attractions in Nashville on becoming Vice President of The Academy of Country Music. For those of you that attended the show in April 2001 in Elizabeth, IN you will remember Joey being one of Clay's pals and golfing buddys that had to eat pickled pigs feet on stage as Clay had won a bet with him. There is an awesome 7-page feature story in the magazine Country Music Live out now. It's the July 2001 issue on display until August 31, 2001. (with Lorrie and Sammy on cover). There is also an ad in there for Clay's current album! 06-28-01: Here's some quotes from around the industry and the like on Clay's new album.... Music Row Magazine hails Clay as "a worthy graduate of the Merle Haggard academy of honky tonk cool." Billboard says that Say No More "is a diverse package that effectively demonstrates Walker's versatility and maturity." Barnes&noble.com calls Say No More "another winner in the classic Clay Walker mold." Country Weekly proclaims that Say No More is a "solid bunch of songs by a guy who knows how to wring every ounce of honest emotion out of a country melody." Clay recently met up with Joe Montana and rode cutting horses at Joe's ranch. Later on Clay ran hook patterns as the former superstar QB threw passes. Be sure to check out all this and more at www.claywalker.com! Clay did a live interview on KILT in Houston this month. They played the new single - Clay even did a little of it live. It was a great show. Clay donated the guitar he used to play and sing in the studio. It sold for $5000 to go to flood relief. (Marji Z.) Walker Makes Warner Bros. Records Debut - "If You Ever Feel Like Loving Me Again," the second single from Clay Walker's Say No More album, will be released June 25, marking the singer's official debut as a Warner Bros. Records artist. From 1993 until the company closed this April, Walker recorded for Giant Records, where he reigned as that label's best-selling act. "There's a cool little charm about this song," Walker said of the single. "It seems real simple and laidback, but the melody is just so infectious. People who hear it-whether they like traditional country or pop country-can't seem to get it out of their heads. Maybe that's why it's my favorite song on the record." Walker currently has 11 No. 1 singles to his credit, as well as four platinum and two gold albums. (AllAboutCountry.com) 06-12-01: It's official. Clay's next single will be "If You Ever Feel Like Lovin' Me Again." This will be the second single from Clay's album entitled "Say No More". The 2nd single was written by Jeff Stevens, Steve Bogard and Jerry Kilgore. Start requesting it today! The official release date is June 25th. Check out the latest on Clay's Official Web-site...news is that Warner Brothers is going to have a re-launch of the "Say No More" CD and give it the promo it deserves. Also reported is the recent Walker Family vacation to Orlando Florida with a stop at Panama City for seafood and white sandy beaches. The band got some R & R when Clay and crew went aboard a 32 ft speedboat on Lake Tahoe in Reno Nevada recently. The web-site is also reporting a Radio tour...stay tuned and listen for Clay on your local Station! 05-24-01: Clay's song "Texas Swing" is making an appearance over Houston TX airwaves. Especially at station KILT in Houston. 'Man they love to hear that Texas Swing'!! 05-03-01: Giant Records has now disolved into the sunset as of April 13th. Founder Irving Azoff sold his interests to partner Warner Brothers and now 14 staffers are out of work. Clay and his label mates have also been on the slide. They are currently listed under Warner Brothers' label for now. The current release "Say No More" is expected to continue to be worked on the charts, but may be a casualty of the doors closing on Giant. More info as it comes... 03-29-01: Clay's new album hit stores on March 27th!! It is called Say No More and the title track is the first single. Request it today!! And go out and get this great album! It is full of country rooted singles, eleven in all. The new album is now available for preview at countrytune.com. Sample each cut from the album... and register to win a free copy. Reggie Barron is the new road manager for Clay. Long-time crew member and former road manager Gene Johnson is no longer in that position. We hear he's working behind the scenes; more information as it becomes available. We look forward to seeing Reggie with Clay on the concert circuit down the road!! Not only did Clay and Byron Gallimore produce this new album (as previously reported); but Blake Mevis and Brent Mason also had their hand in the mix. No wonder with all that producing star-power that this album is so hot! "The Chain of Love" video didn't make the short list for Video of the Year for the ACM Awards show. 03-07-01: Looks like Clay will be a no-show at Fan Fair 2001 for the third straight year. No news as to reasons why. There are confirmed reports that he will not have a fan fair booth or be having an official Fan Club Party. No word yet if he will still perform during the label show. Don't forget to mark your calendars for Clay's upcoming April debut appearance on CMT's Hit Trip. You will be able to catch Clay on Friday, April 13th, Saturday, April 14th and Wednesday, April 18th on CMT. Hosts Alecia Davis and Jeff Ross caught up with Clay in Nevada at such hot spots as the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, The Venetian Hotel & Casino, Mandelay Bay and Ruth & Chris' Steak House. They both also had an extensive interview with Clay at the House of Blues Foundation Room. Set your VCRs! Clay's site is still reporting a March 27th release for the new album despite conficting reports for a delayed April 10th release. I vote for the earlier release, so let's hope it's 100% right on! 03-01-01: There's a lot of Clay news to report on; as always at this time of year...here goes... Clay has been nominated (can you finally believe it!) for Video of the Year for the ACM Awards this year for his video "Chain of Love." The show will be held on May 9th at 8:00. Thank you ACMs for finally recognizing the talent that the fans already knew of; now if we can only get Clay on the Male Vocalist category! Clay will be making an appearance at WUBE 105 fm in Cincinnati OH on March 9th for a fund-raiser for the Ronald McDonald House. Clay has recently been in Nashville (through this week) to promote his upcoming album Say No More. Still no word on Clay performing or making a booth appearance at the 2001 Fan Fair in Nashville. More information as it becomes available. Right now you can get your Fan Fair info at their official site: fanfair.com Clay returned to Pebble Beach along with celebrities Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner, Bill Murray, Joe Pesci, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alice Cooper, Ken Griffey, Jr. and some of the world's top golf pros for the four-day AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, January 29 - February 4, 2001. This marked his fourth consecutive year to participate in what has come to be known as "the most prestigious golf tournament in the world." In 1999 at Pebble Beach, Clay performed an acoustic set for 300 tournament volunteers, and in 1998 he performed with Huey Lewis and the News at the infamous PGA players banquet behind the 18th green at Pebble Beach.� Clay's interest in golf began during the tour in support of his first album and has become a passion. He now plays to a very respectable eight handicap. While on the road he golfs daily with band members at pre-arranged courses across the country and frequently is joined by PGA pros Steve Elkington and Glen Day. 02-21-01: Rumor has it that Clay's "Say No More" album is being pushed back. It was set to be released on March 27th and now the word for a release date is April 10th. Stay tuned for moe Clay fans! 02-16-01: Clay's next single, "Say No More" is already making it's mark on the Billboard Charts. It debuted at #59 on the Billboard Top 60 for the week of 02-24-01. This is the first single off the seventh album from Clay, also entitled Say No More. The new album was co-produced by Clay Walker and Byron Gallimore. The single was written by Tom Shapiro (who also wrote "No Place That Far" among many) and George Teren (writer of "Busy Man" among others). Let's hope this single continues to rise right on up to #1. 02-12-01: SAY NO MORE! Clay's new single from the album by the same name is set to be added to radio playlists one week from today (February 19th). So start calling yoru local country stations now to request this newest single! I've heard part of it and it's awesome. It's about a guy who knows a gal is breaking up and it's typical Clay A-1 class material! A definite hit; especially with the fans. The album, "Say No More", is set to be released on March 27th tentatively. The TNN/Country Weekly Awards semi-final round can be voted on in the latest Country Weekly Magazine (with Jo Dee Messina on cover, February 20, 2001 issue). Clay is up for Male Vocalist and Fast Track awards. Or you can go online at Country.com and vote there! Let's get Clay onto the final ballot for this Awards show by clicking HERE. 01-25-01: Clay's 2001 concert schedule is kicking it up beginning in February at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on the 13th. This will mark the eighth time Clay has played the 69th Annual HLS&R. Clay has kept the records coming by selling out the Astrodome (59,000) since 1997. Clay will be the first of 28 stars to grace the Texas stage from February 13 through March 4. From there Clay will do two shows in San Antonio. See my tourdates for more. Grand Ole Opry star Jeanie Sealy has come out with a story of how much Clay's most recent single "The Chain of Love" has touched more and more people; maybe more than we realize. Over the holidays, Ms. Sealy was driving with her retired hairdresser, Penny Lane, through Kentucky at night when they experienced a flat tire. After hours of sitting on the side of the road waiting for someone to help, a young man from Bowling Green KY pulled over and offered assistance. After the tire was changed, Ms. Sealy offered to pay for his help but he refused. Instead he just mentioned Clay's lyrics, "don't let the chain of love end with you." The chain just keeps going on! 01-02-01: Clay on Christmas: Would you ever like to release a holiday album? Would you include country or traditional Christmas songs? Yes, I relish the opportunity to do a Christmas album. I would like to include a combination of different musical influences. '50s Big Band, swing, blues and sing-a-longs. In addition to traditional country music I would like to include some of my favorite Christmas songs like "I'll be Home for Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman". Clay on Christmas: " I've fallen in love with playing Santa for my daughters, MaClay and Skylor. I have a new appreciation for the meaning of family and it never fails to put me in touch with the seasons true spirit". How have you and the girls been preparing for Christmas? We've done lots of coloring and reading. This time of year is really special to us because it's Christ's birthday. Throughout the year things move so fast. At Christmas we slow down and focus on why we are Christians and what Christmas is really supposed to be all about. Do you plan to decorate the ranch in any special way? This year we will decorate the house with colored icicle lights. Next year we will decorate the entrance to the ranch and the year after that the covered bridge. It's a big undertaking so we plan to work a year at a time. Knowing your great culinary skills, will you participate in preparing Christmas dinner? I thought about the possibility of preparing a beef tenderloin, but since we will be traveling, we won't have time. Besides, I've been informed that all of the ovens will be in use. Maybe I'll just bring my gingersnaps. 11-29-00: December is a month when you will almost surely find Clay Walker in Las Vegas, NV. Clay will be spending several days in Vegas this Holiday season. He will have three consecutive nights there starting with a show at Sam's Town Hotel & Casino on Thursday, December 7th. But Clay won't be sticking to straight concerts in Vegas, he will also be singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo. Giddyup! That will be one awesome performance I'm sure. And not only that, Clay will also be spending a few days with CMT's Hit Trip crew while in Vegas. They will be taping some of Clay's activities while in Vegas as well as some of his performances. All of this will be used for a segment on CMT's Hit Trip that will air sometime around the release of Clay's new album. And when is that you might ask? Right now, the word is March 2001. Songwriters Steve Bogart and Jeff Stevens joined Clay on his bus during some tourdates through Missouri and Wisconsin. They met up with Clay to collaborate on some song ideas. While in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Clay invited Bogart, Stevens and his band to see the movie, "The Legend of Bagger Vance". This is a perfect movie for Clay since it's theme is centered around golf. 11-10-00: The USA Today newspaper announced in today's paper the lineup for the George Strait Festival for 2001. Clay is not among those listed. The list is comprised of Lee Ann Womack, Alan Jackson, Lonestar, Brad Paisley and Asleep at the Wheel. However on George's website it states, "Additional performers for the all-day festival will be announced at a later date" so there's still a possibility that Clay could be added. You can now buy the Giant Records Christmas CD called "Believe: A Christmas Collection" at Amazon.com. To go directly to the correct page, click HERE. The album includes two Clay Walker Christmas tunes, "Blue Christmas" and "Cowboy Christmas". There is an article about Clay in the newest Country Weekly (with Garth on the cover). Check it out! Clay talks about where he writes songs (in the doghouse) and that he has 6 songs cut for his new album and that the remaining songs may surprise some people. Get yours today. 11-01-00: According to countrystars.com, Clay is on the list of entertainers for the George Strait Festival in 2001. Per a "question" and "answer", it lists Clay as part of the lineup....Here's what is listed: Q: It is so refreshing to see the list of Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Lonestar, Toby Keith, Clay Walker and Lee Ann Womack for the George Strait 2001 Tour. Does George choose these acts himself? -- Mary from Roanoke, VA. A:George's manager Erv Woolsey and his staff do the work of bringing possible tour mate suggestions to George. They combine that list with any people George suggests. Then George always has the final say regarding any aspect of his career. More word when I hear a definite "yes" on this. But, it's shaping up to be a great tour! You'll also notice that Clay's site is back up and running. And you'll also notice that the scroll up news has been updated. Read about where Clay's bus broke down and his production manager Davis Calmers called for backup transportation and some other great tidbits! 10-23-00: Best wishes go out to Lori and Clay Walker tomorrow as they celebrate their 8th wedding anniversary. They were married 10-24-92. Clay proposed to Lori at the Parthenon in Nashville TN and it's been a whirlwind ever since! Congratulations! The new Giant Country Christmas Album now has a name. It will be called "I Believe, A Christmas Collection". Clay should have a song included on the album called "Cowboy Christmas". It will feature songs from other Giant recording artists and non-Giant artists such as Neal McCoy, Don Williams, Kenny Rogers, The Johnny Staats Project, Keith Harling and George Middleman. For a pic of the album cover click HERE. You can view this pic at www.giantnashville.com. More on the album as info becomes available. 10-22-00: CLAY'S BEEN NOMINATED! Clay's video "The Chain Of Love" is up for Christian Country Video of the Year! John Berry and Linda Davis will host the Christian Country Music Association's annual award show Nov. 2 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Competing videos against Clay will be Sawyer Brown's "800 Pound Jesus", LeAnn Rimes' "I Need You", Brad Paisley's "He Didn't Have To Be" and "Angel Band" by Vestal Goodman. Good Luck Clay!!! Here's the latest I have on Clay possibly being on George Strait's tour next year per Country.com: The duo that won the CMA's vocal event trophy this year for "Murder on Music Row" is taking its act on the road. Alan Jackson will be on the bill for the next George Strait Country Music Festival, a spokeswoman in Strait's Nashville management office confirmed Wednesday (Oct. 18). The annual tour will kick off in spring 2001, but no definite dates have been set. Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack, Clay Walker, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Asleep at the Wheel have been mentioned as possible support acts, but none have been confirmed, the spokeswoman said. Strait's previous festival outings have included acts like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks. Jackson made a guest appearance with Strait at the Nashville stop of this year's 10-city tour, which pulled in nearly $21 million. I have received a lot of emails telling me that Clay's website (www.claywalker.com) is down and they can't get in. I do not know the specific reason, but note that everyone is having the same problem. It may be because the webmaster is updating or doing revisions (major revisions it seems). Or there may be a server problem on their end. All I can suggest is to keep checking back. Let's hope it's up soon. I know how popular the discussion board is LOL : ) Thanks to everyone who's emailed me wondering about this! 10-13-00: There are sources that say that Clay will be part of the George Strait Festival in 2001. I will definitely keep you posted as specific information becomes available. 09-26-00: The Perfect Popcorn Fight? While Clay was out in Sacramento California for his September 3rd show, he got a few jabs in; with popcorn that is. Before the show, he treated his band to a movie at The Century Theater where they saw "The Perfect Storm." The bunch got a little rambunctious and a popcorn fight ensued. Video games were also played. So, in addition to the concert stage and the golf course, Clay really knows how to let loose, in the movie theater. His band is a great bunch of guys, so I'm sure they had a blast! 09-11-00: Be sure to check out ClayWalker.com and their 3 CLAY CAMS on September 15, 2000 starting at 9am CST. You will be able to see the building of the stage, the rehearsals, the soundchecks and the performance that night! This will all be brought to you LIVE from the Cynthia Woods Pavillion in Houston Texas! Shots will be changed every 30 seconds! This is an extraordinary event for all you Clay fans out there! Don't miss it!! On the annual CMT Labor Day Top 100 video countdown, Clay made a couple of appearances. He scored at #84 with his lively, spanish flavored video for "Live Laugh Love" and at #40 with new sentimental favorite, "The Chain of Love". Both videos were released in 2000. 08-03-00: Clay's current album, "Live Laugh Love" is GOLD with over 500,000 copies sold! Clay will turn 31 on August 19th! You can sample Clay's newest song "Once In A Lifetime Love" on Clay's website at www.claywalker.com. You can click the link below if you have windows and have the windows media player to view some Clay footage. If you go to this link you can watch video clips of Clay's video and a ten minute set called "Behind the Scenes" with fan interviews and an interview with Clay. Just click HERE. 07-10-00: CLINT TO USE 'CHAIN': "The Chain of Love" will be a song that will be used in an upcoming Clint Eastwood directed film called "SPACE COWBOYS". Nearly a minute of Clay's most recent hit will be used during a bar fight; a not-so-chain-like scene, kind of ironic. Other stars that will be in the August 4th release will be James Garner, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland. No news yet if the single will be featured on a soundtrack. Be on the lookout for trailers and commercials of this summer movie that has a little bit of Clay on the side. Clay Walker will sing the national anthem at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton, OH on July 29th. 06-27-00: Clay to rock the fans...Clay has been invited to perform on an upcoming Billy Bob Thornton Rock Album. The Tennessean reports that actor-director (and recently married to Anglina Jolie) Billy Bob Thornton is recording a rock album in Nashville. Others that were asked to appear on the record are Earl Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt, Connie Smith and Rodney Crowell. 06-21-00: Lots of info I'm behind on reporting, so here ya go: Clay's next single is going to be "Once in a Lifetime Love". The fourth single off of Live, Laugh, Love will be released sometime in July; but start requesting it today! Clay has recorded "Cowboy Christmas" which will be included on a Giant Records Christmas compilation album due out later. More later... Along with Alecia Elliott, Dwight Yoakum and Sawyer Brown, Clay will be participating in a Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony event at the Don Scott Field/Fawsett Stadium in Canton OH on Saturday, July 29th, the day after the official induction ceremony. The ceremony will honor Joe Montana (whom Clay considers a sports icon), Ronnie Lott and Howie Long. There will be a special treat with Clay singing and playing acoustically for the inductees at a dinner on that Friday. The Chain of Love short film was recently chosen from among 800 entries for competition in the 31st Annual Nashville Independent Film Festival presented by Regal Cinemas. I'll report if Clay wins any awards! Giant Records Nashville has released an acoustic version of "The Chain of Love" which includes backup vocals by Patty Loveless. It has also been includedon a compilation CD for nationwide release. Request this updated version today! After 21 weeks, "The Chain of Love" hit #1 on the Gavin charts making it Clay's 11th number one song starting back in 1993. On Clay's most recent trip to Los Angeles CA for the 35th annual ACMs, he had to hold the plane for his manager and publicist who had a late flight from Nashville. While in LA, Clay went to the Warner Bros lot for the Sizzlin' Country Benefit for Cystic Fibrosis that was hosted by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman-Black. Clay performed "La Bamba" in Spanish, that's right, in Spanish! He also sang some other songs like "The Chain of Love" and "Cold Hearted". He did, however, get some extra help on "Cold Hearted" when Clint Black joined in by playing the drums! Later that night Clay headed over to the Palm Restaurant where he ran into George Strait, so they both caught up over coffee. Before Clay had to do an ACM rehearsal as a presenter, he spent the next morning in interviews with radio stations and websites that were setup conveniently inside the venue. After the ACMs, Clay met up with the Wilkinsons and Neal McCoy along with Giant Records staff members at Elton John's "La Dome" restaurant for an after-show dinner party. The pay-per-view special of Clay's performance at the 2000 HLS&R is to be released later this year. The performance was recorded for Direct TV and will probably run around September for Direct TV subscribers free of charge and run throughout the month. For a great article called "Walker's Gotta Love Being On 'Chain' Gang", goto the link below from the Tennessean.com website: Clay Article Still no word why Clay didn't show up for Fan Fair; let's hope next year will be different. 05-05-00: I hope you caught Clay on the ACMs this past Wednesday. If you did, you saw him help present the Single Record of the Year award along side of legend Janie Frickie and the comedic Bill Engvall. Clay dubbed a black coat with a light blue tie and his black cowboy hat. Clay rolled his tongue to pronounce "Single RRRe-Cord of the Year" and also had a few laughs over Bill improvising his lines. We missed his non-performance unlike last year, but was happy to see his appearance during the three hour broadcast! (By the way, Lonestar won the award for their single, "Amazed"). Still nothing firm on Clay appearing at Fan Fair. Rumors have circulated about Clay performing during the label show on Monday, June 12th, but nothing is yet to be set in stone. And to date, Clay has not registered for an exhibitor's booth. Giant Records, however, has registered for a booth but it is not clear if Clay will sign autographs and meet fans there. More details later. 04-12-00: Clay will be a presenter on the 35th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards Show (ACMs). The show, which will be held at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, will be televised on CBS Wednesday, May 3, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. 04-11-00: Rumor has it that Clay will be performing at the concert side of Fan Fair on Monday, June 12 between 2:30pm and 5pm. More later... You can now view the entire 13 minute film of Chain of Love on Clay's website, www.claywalker.com! You can view if you download the G2 Player from real.com or have a later version. Clay will be offering some new tshirt designs as a part of his 2000 tour so be sure to pick you up one next time Clay's in town! 93Q Country in TX gave out Clay's phone number as part of an April Fool's joke. Over a 1000 calls tried the eroneous number which only led them to a recording. I'm sure Lori and Clay are thankful for that! 03-30-00: Clay was recently in Nashville for a couple of weeks working on six different tracks to his upcoming project yet to have a release date. Clay is working with producer Blake Mevis, who has worked with George Strait and other notables in the past. This will be Clay's first album released under Blake. More info on Clay's 7th upcoming project soon. Clay wow-ed over 59,000 fans at the Houston Livestock Show performance back on March 6th. His one-hour show that rocked the Dome was recorded for Pay-Per-View release later this year after Labor Day. The finishing touches has been completed for the production of the short film "The Chain Of Love" inspired by the song and shorter video. Details of how you can view Clay's debut in the film will be released soon from claywalker.com. 03-21-00: The Country Weekly Presents: The TNN Country Awards will not have Clay's name on the ballot again this year. Clay did not make the final ballot cut even though there was an outpouring of voting from his fans. Clay was previously on the Semi-Final ballot for three nods including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Fast Track Awards. No confirmation yet if Clay will be present at the awards in June or for that matter Fan Fair. No confirmation either if Clay will make an appearance at the upcoming ACM Awards show. More as details arise. Vote for Clay at the current poll at CountryCool.com. It's a poll to see which current single is most likely to do well on the charts and be a hit. Vote for "The Chain Of Love" today! Be sure to checkout the current issue of Country Music Magazine, Winter 2000. It has a three page article on Clay call "Hat Trick". Clay tells it like it is with the critics and how the fans are all that matters. A couple of my favorite quotes from the article is when Clay defends the size of his belt buckle saying, "I don't think there's anybody out there with a belt buckle as pretty as mine", and when Clay responds to being a "hat act" he comments, "it doesn't bother me to be called a hat act, because I wear a hat, but this hat ain't no act, it's the real thing." Get it while it's still on the stands. 03-10-00: Clay's new single, "The Chain Of Love" was released on February 14th. Country radio has had numerous requests and great response from this record. The video debuted in hot shot rotation on CMT and GAC. Clay says, "It's just a great story song, where the ending takes you by surprise. It still gives me chills."An instant hit!! (giantnashville) Did you catch the review of Clay's show in Nashville (02-25) by Countrycool.com? Well, in their own words, "Clay stole the show!" It's a sad sad world...By now you know Clay did not receive any nominations for the upcoming ACM Awards show. We all know he truly deserves some recognition. However, I will report if Clay will instead perform or present an award once that has been officially released. Speaking of awards shows, the semi-final balloting is now over for the TNN/Country Weekly awards show. Clay was nominated for three awards, Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist and Fast Track. The field will now be narrowed down to 5 final nominees in each category. Fans will be able to vote two different ways, on an upcoming TNN 900# call in and in upcoming Country Weekly Magazines. Be on the lookout for these Country Weekly issues. The ballots will be in issues dated April 18th, May 2nd, May 16th and May 30th. Winnes will be announced on the awards show which will be televised nationally on TNN in June. Some Clay Walker memorabilia is being auctioned off as part of the 11th Annual Fantasy Auction by the Nashville Chapter of Recording Artists. This event started in 1989 and Clay has some hot items up for grabs. Check them out at: Music Lover Auction - where you can bid on a promo CD, an autographed press kit, a video, a poster and more. Super Fantasy Auction - where you can bid on an autographed acoustic guitar and autographed press kit! Thanks to the Clay Walker Fan Club for putting my 1997 photo of when I met Clay in Fort Bragg NC in the latest Walker Notes : ) 02-16-00: Clay's newest video "The Chain Of Love" is now playing on his website and on CMT. It's made it's CMT debut as a Hot Shot today. You will find Clay and his wife Lori featured in this newest video hit. Lorrie Morgan will not be a new label mate for Clay on Giant records. Talks were happening but due to a conflict of interest her new manager has...she will end up somewhere else. We wish her the best with the label she chooses. 02-13-00: Here's the most recent news from ClayWalker.com, Clay's newly updated website. Please go there for more awesome Clay stuff!! Clay recently returned home after a week in scenic Pebble Beach, CA, at the star-studded AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am golf tournament. This year marked Clay's 3rd consecutive year to participate int he historic match. Since its origins in 1937, the event has come to be known as the most prestigious golf tournament inthe world. This year, at a banquet hosted by Clint Eastwood for tournament volunteers, Clay performed several songs during a concert that also featured Michael Bolten, Glen Frey and Huey Lewis. Clay will make his film debut in The Chain of Love, a 15 minute short film inspired by the title and lyrics of his new single, which is due at country radio on Valentine's Day. You will be able to access the film on Clay's website, www.claywalker.com, and through events coordinated by local country stations. Stay tuned to claywalker.com for more information once production is completed. Clay begins several days of rehearsals in mid-February for his 2000 concert tour that will kick off in Clemson SC, with special guest Sammy Kershaw on Thursday, February 24. The new show will include enhanced production and several new songs. Following his first full scale Nashville concert appearance at the 20,000 seat Gaylord Entertainment Center on February 25, Clay will return to Music City in early March for the prestigious annual Country Radio Semininar where he will meet and talk with your favorite radio personalities and complete an extensive interview schedule. With 7.5 million albums sold, Clay has already begun recording his seventh album for Giant Nasvhille. He will be inthe studio again in Mid-May with co-Producer Blake Mevis. No release date yet, stay tune to claywalker.com for more. 02-09-00: Goto CountryTune.com and enter to win an autographed Clay Walker guitar and Tour Jacket. Just send a Chain Of Love Valentine Email to get entered! It's free Clay fans! 02-04-00: GIANT FAMILY GROWING? Rumor has it that Country star Lorrie Morgan is on her way to signing with Giant Records; making her a label-mate with Clay. I had reported a few months ago that Neal McCoy had just signed with Giant, now it seems they will be opening their arms up for more talent. More information as I get it... 02-02-2000: Clay is on the initial ballot for the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs) for 2000. Also called the "Hat Trophy", this award will be given to the Best Male Country Artist for the year. The starting field that will be narrowed down over the month begins with Clay Walker, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Collin Raye and Mark Wills. For most of February, the country music industry will vote for final nominees for the Academy of Country Music's 35th annual "Hat" Awards, to be presented May 3 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. The ACM announced its first-round slate of candidates Monday. Voting members will receive their ballots after the ACM mails them Feb. 7. Early contenders for trophies are submitted by the Academy's awards selection committee and approved by its board of directors. First-round voting ends Feb. 25. ACM officials will name final nominees March 1 at the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, immediately prior to a concert performance by Alan Jackson. Final ballots will be mailed to voting members on March 17. Winners of the 35th annual "Hat" Awards will be announced during a three-hour, prime-time special on CBS TV, produced by dick clark productions. Other than male vocalist, Clay had part in an album that is up for Album of the Year. Asleep at the Wheel's "Ride With Bob" project has gotten that nod for the initial ballot! Clay sings with the group on the song called "Take Me Back To Tulsa". (country.com) Popular Texas singer/songwriter Clay Walker will make his film debut in The Chain Of Love, a 15 minute short inspired by the title and lyrics of his new single, which is due at country radio on Valentine's Day. Commissioned by Walker's record label Giant Records Nashville, as part of the company's plan to create "aggressive linkage with country radio," fans will be able to access the film through screenings coordinated by country radio stations nationwide. Written and directed by Michael Cargile, best known for his award wining short film In The Light Of Darkness, and produced by Kevin Downes and Gunther Tarampi for Signal Hill Pictures, the film will also be distributed to film festivals, made for television programming, and Walker plans to use it as streaming video on his newly redesigned website, www.claywalker.com. "The Chain Of Love," composed by Jonnie Barnett and Rory Lee, is from Walker's current Live, Laugh, Love CD. Filmed over a four-day period on location in East Texas, the film is expected to be complete in mid-February. Since his label debut in 1993, Walker has scored ten number one country hits, sold more than seven million albums and is consistently rated as one of country's top touring acts. Among his concert stops this year are a headline appearance at the 55,000-seat Houston Livestock Show and rodeo, which has been an SRO gig for Walker for seven consecutive years, and several dates with Alan Jackson, including Nashville's 20,000-seat Gaylord Entertainment Center on February 25.(giantnashville.com) Clay's next single incidently, "The Chain Of Love", officially hits airplay on February 14th, but lucky fans have already reported hearing the song on radio! Call your local country stations and ask them to "Play More Clay". Clay has already sold out his performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for March 5, 2000. Like every year, Clay sells out in record time. More later on the exact details of the sellout. Clay's website, claywalker.com, is currently undergoing reconstruction. A brand new updated site is on the way, so keep checking Clay's site so you won't miss a thing! 01-25-2000: GO AND VOTE FOR CLAY! Clay is a semi-finalist in the TNN/Country Weekly Awards Show that will air during Fan Fair week in June in Nashville. Clay is nominated for three awards, "Fast Track", "Entertainer of the Year" and "Male Vocalist of the year". Your vote would help Clay make it to the final ballot for the awards show. Go today to TNN @ Country.com and VOTE FOR CLAY! WALKER'S NEW SONG AND SURPRISE ENDING�After cracking the Top 10 in Radio & Records with his latest hit "Live, Laugh, Love," Clay Walker is now busy with the video and possible short film slated to accompany his new release, "The Chain Of Love." "It's just a great story song, where the ending takes you by surprise," Walker says of the song. "It still gives me chills." "The Chain Of Love" single/video should be out by mid-February. (countrycool.com) 01-17-2000: Looks like Clay's next single will be "The Chain of Love". Reports are that he has been filming his video for "The Chain of Love" somewhere in Magnolia TX and in a diner in downtown Houston; can't wait to see it! New tour dates have been added to the tour section; be sure to check it out! Be sure to catch Asleep At The Wheel's Video for "Cherokee Maiden". You'll be able to catch Clay in it! 01-11-2000: Clay Walker will be joining celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Jack Lemmon, Michael Bolton, Samuel L. Jackson, James Woods, Kevin Costner, Michael Douglas and John Elway on the greens and fairways in Pebble Beach, Calif. They will team up with some of the world's greatest golfers at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Feb. 3-6. The event takes place on three different golf courses and benefits more than 80 local and national charities. This will be the third consecutive year for Walker, who has a very respectable nine handicap, to participate in the golf tournament. (CountryCool) 01-05-2000: Well, it's gearing up to be tour time again for Clay. He will be hitting the road soon (and in his new tourbus I might add). You will notice that there are new tourdates listed for 2000 under my "tourdates" section. I will be updating this will more dates as they are released. I know that Clay will be performing at the HLS&R, but the official dates will be released later this month. Remember, all dates listed are subject to change.