Fri, Jul 12 • 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel • 8315 Park Rd, Batavia 14020
“Being born and raised in the Houston area, I thought of myself in the line of George Strait and Clint Black, but my first producer had other ideas,” Walker says. “James Stroud pushed me more towards pop sounds I fought with. What he was saying, and I think he was right, was, ‘Clay, you’ve got some gears to you that will excite people if you let it.’ I was young – 23 – and didn’t really settle with that. But now I’m in a sweet spot in music, in life, and I definitely feel the audience has swung around to appreciating music that makes those connections.”
While Boyer is second only to Walker himself on writing credits, the duo of songs at the heart of the album finds Walker working with the formerly married songwriting powerhouse of Jennifer Hanson and Mark Nesler. “Cowboy Loves A Woman” embodies the “Texas” in the album title. It’s sequel, the title track, narrates Walker’s journey. Together, they are the most direct encapsulation of his core as an artist and as a man. “Catching Up With An Ol’ Memory” is perhaps the album’s singular moment. The exception that stands astride both worlds with its fresh sonic bed, echoes of heroes past and an airy, vocals-up mix.
“The studio can be intimidating for artists because we don’t do this all the time,” Walker says. “I’m sure this is part of producers doing their job in being cheerleaders, but when I was singing ‘Memory,’ Michael Knox got on the talk-back mic with the band and goes, ‘We got us a real singer, boys. I think this might be the album take.’ That was nice to hear. And then for him to show the respect for that vocal in how it was mixed with vocals at the forefront and all that space around it … Singing well is important to me. Having integrity in my vocal cords, continuing to take voice lessons and working on having what I’m going to call free tone – hey, if you’re not trying to get better you
Walker is quick to point fingers. “Throughout my career, there have been key people who helped me put albums together, find or write good songs and get them out to fans,” he says. “But I saw something with this album I’ve not experienced: what it takes to make a championship happen. The songs are your deep-threat wide receivers. The full support of your record label is the offensive line. Michael and Jaron – these guys ran through walls for me. Everyone has done their part and it’s impressive. You can have talent, be famous or have a few hits, but you can’t win the Super Bowl without champions around you. Man, I’ve got ’em.
Teamwork is also at the core of Walker’s battle against Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Diagnosed in 1996, he has become a passionate advocate and fundraiser for others with the disease through his Band Against MS. Among his efforts are the annual Clay Walker Charity Classic at Pebble Beach. The golf event highlights the highly active way Walker has approached MS, continuing to perform and raise a growing family while showing no signs of slowing.
“It’s very gratifying to be at a point in my life where I can offer something in its fullness,” he continues. “I’ve never quite had that before. I was pegged as a neo-traditionalist early on, but I don’t think I fit that mold. For a lot of reasons – maybe the pendulum of music is in the perfect spot – but today’s music and my style have hit center on this album.”
