On the new episode of I Miss…90s Country Radio with Nick Hoffman, Terri Clark looks back at her career, life and biggest hits. Tune in and listen to the episode and full interview with Terri Clark on-demand on Apple Music Country here.
Terri Clark on growing up in a musical family
Honest to God, I grew up in a musical family. My grandparents were always playing guitar. They supported five kids playing in bars in Montreal, Canada, playing country music. So I was around it a lot, and I would just sit and watch my grandfather play guitar and be mesmerized by that. I would sit on the floor while he sat in a chair and played guitar, and just watch him for hours.
Terri Clark on how she knew she wanted to move to Nashville
I knew I was moving to Nashville when I was about 14. Anything to do with country music, I read, ate, breathed, slept, drank, was just this sponge about all of it. And I was not a very good student because all I wanted to do is get through doing my homework so I could sit and play guitar. My parents and I both accepted the fact that I probably wasn’t going to university or college during that time because I wanted to go to the School of Hard Knocks is what I wanted to do. So, that’s what I did.
Terri Clark on getting her record deal
From the day I set foot in town, it was eight years before I got a record deal and I played for every major label in town. Got turned down once and sometimes, twice by the same ones and finally, it all came together with Keith Stegall at Mercury Records. As you can imagine, a lot of tears. It was finally happening.
Terri Clark on “When Boy Meets Girl”
I was so nervous because it was my first record, my first real record. I was so nervous I didn’t sleep a wink the night before, and I was so worried that my voice wouldn’t sound good on “When Boy Meets Girl” because I was just so nervous about it that, I walked in tired and fatigued, but I guess it turned out alright.
Terri Clark on “Better Things To Do”
We knew “Better Things To Do” was going to be the single the second we cut it. It was just one of those songs that everybody was like, the no-brainer. Everyone loved “When Boy Meets Girl,” but “Better Things To Do” definitely emerged as the front runner. The video really solidified my brand, if you want to call it, or image.
It probably sounds super country to people now, but at the time, when you’re looking at Shania Twain is on the other side of the coin blowing up everywhere. It was country, but it was turbo traditional. It had a bit of an edge to it. It’s exactly what I wanted to do, and it took off and it was wild when it took off because it was crazy.
Terri Clark on “If I Were You”
Boys like to chase girls and girls like to chase boys to fun party songs, and it wasn’t an exception in the 90s either. And putting a ballad out as the third single after two up-tempos with the rocking hat thing and the attitude… I was really excited to have a single out there that I penned myself, and it was based on very much a true story too.
Terri Clark on cutting her second album
I was a little nervous, because you have your whole life to write your first record, and I realized the label wanted to cash in on the momentum. They wanted… They asked for another record right away. The minute the sales on the first one started to drop off, they wanted to put another one out into the market. So, it’s hard. It was hard to turn another record around in a year.
Terri Clark on “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”
I have run into where people don’t think that’s a cover. They thought that I was the first one to record it. And I think that’s really sweet, but they really do need to go listen to Linda Ronstadt’s version, because it’s hard to compete with that. She’s such an amazing singer and such a legend. I just put my little country twist on it, but there are a lot of people that, yeah, that’s the first time they ever heard the song was because they’re country fans.
Terri Clark on “Emotional Girl”
A lot of my songs have done that. And that’s something I’m pretty proud of is just empowering, not just women, but people just to be unapologetically who they are. And that’s what that song is about. And if you’re going to want to be with me, you’re going to get the whole nine yards. All of it. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I do both and I don’t know why. And you know what, the hell with you if you don’t understand. So there, deal with it.
Terri Clark on her hat
I walk out in that head every single time I do a show to this day and I’ll never forget saying to somebody back then, “Well, I love it, but I can’t see walking out in this thing. When I’m 50 I’ll look ridiculous.” Well guess what…
