On the Charts 32 Years Ago, Clint Black Reigned With This Extended Gambling Metaphor Featured in a Mel Gibson Western Comedy

Growing up in Katy, Texas, Clint Black taught himself to play harmonica before his 13th birthday. At 14, he wrote his first song. Initially drawn to a wide array of music, Black decided to focus on country music in the early 1980s. By then, artists like Reba McEntire and George Strait were reviving a more traditional sound. Released in 1989, his debut LP Killin’ Time topped the country albums chart and spawned his first No. 1 single, “A Better Man”.

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That was the first of many chart-toppers for Clint Black, who was back on top on this day (May 7) in 1994 with “A Good Run of Bad Luck”.

Co-written with songwriter Hayden Nicholas, Black released “A Good Run of Bad Luck” in February 1994 as the fourth single from his fourth studio album No Time to Kill.

Additionally, it also appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 Western comedy film Maverick, in which the four-time CMA Award winner made a cameo alongside stars Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson.

The up-tempo track compares entering a new romantic relationship to the high-stakes world of gambling: I’d bet it all on a good run of bad luck / Seven come 11 and she could be mine / Luck be a lady, and I’m gonna find love comin’ on the bottom line.

“A Good Run of Bad Luck” was one of five singles from No Time to Kill to reach the top 5 on the country singles chart. The others included the title track (No. 3), the Wynonna Judd duet “A Bad Goodbye” (No. 2), “State of Mind” (No. 2), and “Half the Man” (No. 4).

Clint Black is Releasing His Memoir Later This Month

After nearly 40 years in country music, Clint Black is opening up in his memoir Killin’ Time: My Life and Music, out May 19.

“This is the story of a dreamer with a persistent soul,” said the “Nobody’s Home” crooner, 64, in a statement. “After 10 years of playing clubs in Texas, I never knew if I’d get the chance to record my music in Nashville. And then, in one year, my life changed forever.”

[RELATED: On This Day in 1990, Clint Black Was at the Top of the Country Chart With a Song He Almost Sold To Make His Car Payment]

He continued, ““If my story — this crazy, 40-year rollercoaster ride — can inspire that young singer-songwriter rinsing and repeating every day, or reinforce the person struggling through a seemingly endless grind in the pursuit of a dream, well, then, I’ll know my life has made a difference.”

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