Clint Black says making music 'more fun' ahead of Schaumburg show

More than 25 years after bursting onto the country-music scene with a massively successful debut album, Clint Black feels like he's finally reaching his prime.

Part of that is because he has worked hard to hone his skills as a singer, songwriter, musician and performer since that debut album, "Killin' Time," came out in 1989.

But just as important, he said, is that his attitude has changed over the years.

"I think I've gotten wiser," Black said in his warm, Texas-baked drawl. "I realize the value in having a great audience, which I always did to a certain extent, but I see it more clearly now. And I'm grateful now for every little thing that gives me pleasure, and even those things that don't, because I know how precious it all is."

Black is in the midst of a national tour that brings him to Schaumburg on Friday, Aug. 19, for a performance at Boomers Stadium. He's sure to play songs from his most recent record, "On Purpose," which came out last fall and was the first full-length record from him in a decade.

As has been the case for a while, Black produced "On Purpose" himself. The songs deliver an eclectic array of moods and sounds that reflect Black's interest in classic country artists such as Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

The album also exhibits Black's ongoing desire to push himself in new ways. Like when he plays slide guitar on the song titled "Beer."

"I just started messing around a bit with the slide, which I'd never done before," Black said. "And then when it was time to record, I decided to just go for it. It probably took me eight hours to do what a pro slide player could have done in one, but I think the result sounds more real and unique than it would otherwise."

Black was one of the driving forces behind country music's explosion in the mainstream back in the 1990s, a time when he and peers like Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson become full-blown pop superstars.

Today's landscape is different, Black says. He feels like much of current country music is managed by label executives, rather than artists, resulting in a sound that's too slick and overly concerned with girls and parties.

"Country has always had songs about having a good time," Black said. "But there were also those songs that told real stories. You won't find a song like (George Jones') 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' anymore. It seems like wisdom is being left on the cutting-room floor.

"But that's part of what motivates me," he added. "I'm trying to find the wisdom. And the great thing is that doing what I do is more fun than it ever was."