Clay was born in Houston but raised in Almeda, a small
town about thirty miles south of the Texas oil capital. He began writing songs in his
early teens as a way of expressing himself and taught himself how to play the guitar.
George Strait recorded one of Clay's songs, "The
Only Thing I Have Left," on his second album in 1982 and Clay's songwriting career
really took off. Over the years, Strait recorded six more of Clay's songs, and others were
picked up and recorded by Mark Chesnutt, Tim McGraw, Clay Walker, LeAnn Rimes, Ram
Herrera, Roger Brown, Perfect Stranger and, most recently, Deryl Dodd. Since 1995 he has
been a staff writer with Island Bound Music, Inc., of Nashville.
Over the years, Clay has had many of his songs recorded by regional, national, and
international country stars. His works can be found on popular artists' CDs and cassettes
and can also be heard in major motion pictures, including Pure Country, starring George
Strait, and The Thing Called Love, the last movie River Phoenix appeared in before his
untimely death.
With such an impressive list of credits, one is bound
to be impressed with Clay Blaker. Of course all the credits in the world aren't enough to
sway me. The deepest impression Clay made on me is the heart and soul that envokes such
talent. You can't listen to Clay's music and walk away having NOT learned something about
what makes him tick, seeing into the depths of the man himself. It's easy to realize
how he has come to make so many friends and why so many of the greats record his songs.
I'm also proud to have the originals recorded by Clay Blaker himself.
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