Get "Up Close and Personal" with Country Artist Clint Black

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

October 26, 2007

Few stars in the country music universe shine brighter than Clint Black. Since the 1989 debut of the critically-acclaimed and triple platinum Killin’ Time, the profound and prolific songwriter has sold multi-platinum albums, had 13 #1 country chart hits, played a Super Bowl halftime show, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But such recognition just scratches the surface of Black's multi-layered talent and enduring success.

Clint Black’s current “Up Close and Personal” tour offers fans an intimate evening with the man who has written some of country music's biggest hits, along with opener Laura Bryna, a brand new artist on Black's Equity Music Group label. The tour makes a stop at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater on Saturday, November 10 at 8 pm

This performance is sponsored in part by Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia. Special Media Sponsor is 103.1 WJMA Today’s Country.

Clint Black evokes a deep sense of history and place in country music. His debut Killin’ Time -- which CMT lists as one of the 100 Greatest Albums in Country Music -- marked a subtle shift in the country music industry, and (thanks in part to Black), a return to the more traditional sounds of the genre. That album, from a then-unknown Texas-based artist and writer, boasted five #1 hits (unprecedented in any music format). It also won Black a collection of awards including two Country Music Association awards, four Academy of Country Music awards, and an American Music Award.

For Black, this was only the beginning, quickly followed in 1990 by the triple platinum Put Yourself in My Shoes. To date, Black has had nearly two dozen #1 hit singles, and almost as many Top 5 and Top 10 hits, all of them original compositions. To date, he has written, recorded, and released more than 100 songs, a benchmark in any artist’s career. An astounding one third of the songs eligible for single release have achieved hit song status on country radio.

But Black’s effect on the music industry goes beyond his own work and recordings. Desiring to start a record company that is artist-friendly, and home to recordings by like-minded artists as well as his own, Black co-founded Equity Music Group in 2003. Black’s first album for the label, Spend My Time, received great critical acclaim and gave his company the credibility it needed. In addition to Black, the label is home to Little Big Town, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Carolina Rain, Mark Wills, and Laura Bryna, who opens for Black at The Paramount.

Laura Bryna has emerged as one of the new young sensations coming out of Nashville, with a voice and personality that draws on her inspirations growing up but is distinctly her own. Ever since she first started listening to the sounds of Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Anne Murray, and Wynonna Judd, Bryna has been enamored with country music. “I’ve always loved what country music stands for; simple, beautiful melodies and strong lyrics about life -- it’s so relatable.”

While attending Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, family friend Ted Neeley -- star of Jesus Christ Superstar -- came to hear her senior recital and invited her to perform in the ensemble of the recording of Rasputin, a Broadway-bound musical by Michael Rapp. The experience further solidified Bryna’s desire and passion for music. Following graduation, she packed up her car and headed for Nashville. Personally signed by Black to his Equity Music Group label, Byrna’s debut CD will be released January 22, 2008.

Black says, “The added bonus for me on the ‘Up Close and Personal’ tour is that I get to introduce Laura to country music fans. One of the reasons I started Equity was to discover new acts and try to help make the road to success a little smoother for them.”

Another plus for Black is playing venues like The Paramount. “While it is definitely a thrill to play large venues in front of thousands of people, for me, it is an even bigger rush to perform in a setting as intimate as a theatre. There’s a special element added to a theatre performance that is unequaled -- being able to relate so closely with the audience.”

Tickets for Clint Black with special guest Laura Bryna are $65.50, $75.50, $85.50, and $99.50. Half-price student rush seats and group discounts are also available.

Tickets are currently on sale online and through The Paramount's Box Office at 434.979.1933.

For more about Clint Black and Laura Byrna, please visit www.clintblack.com and www.laurabryna.com.