Ashley Clark

Ashley Clark seemed like a promising newcomer when his song "Greyhound" began making its way up the country charts in 2015, but the truth is Clark was a seasoned veteran with plenty of experience under his belt. Hailing from Rocky Mount, Virginia, he was born on December 8, 1980, and grew up in a musical household, with most of his ten siblings playing instruments. In 1993, Ashley and his brothers Aaron, <a href="spotify:artist:7gAKBKAuAM2Nsl99IQFfBB">Adam</a>, Alan, Andrew, and Austin formed a band, and soon began performing professionally, with Ashley on fiddle, guitar, and vocals. In 1998, the group, now known as <a href="spotify:artist:4v0y12yBFdD5V31vo95Dco">the Clark Family Experience</a>, were hired as regulars on a TV variety show starring <a href="spotify:artist:3XnO697XIus1M0cMuxZjos">the Oak Ridge Boys</a> for the Nashville Network; the show only lasted 15 episodes, but it gave the group nationwide exposure, and they were soon signed to a contract with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Curb+Records%22">Curb Records</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:4v0y12yBFdD5V31vo95Dco">The Clark Family Experience</a> scored a hit single in 2000 with the song "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch," and the group toured as an opening act for <a href="spotify:artist:25NQNriVT2YbSW80ILRWJa">Faith Hill</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6roFdX1y5BYSbp60OTJWMd">Tim McGraw</a>, but follow-up singles didn't fare as well, and by the time their self-titled album (co-produced by <a href="spotify:artist:6roFdX1y5BYSbp60OTJWMd">McGraw</a>) was released in 2002, the group had filed for bankruptcy, and in 2003 they split up. In 2005, Ashley took a road gig with <a href="spotify:artist:4xFUf1FHVy696Q1JQZMTRj">Carrie Underwood</a>, playing fiddle in her touring band. In 2008, Ashley and his brothers <a href="spotify:artist:7gAKBKAuAM2Nsl99IQFfBB">Adam</a> and Austin returned as a trio who competed on the FOX-TV music competition series The Next Great American Band; the group, known as the Clark Brothers, won the grand prize, and in 2009 changed their name to <a href="spotify:artist:3fNfzmI5XfHHVHtS76dvMj">Sons of Sylvia</a> (the handle was in tribute to their mother, Sylvia Clark). <a href="spotify:artist:3fNfzmI5XfHHVHtS76dvMj">Sons of Sylvia</a> won a record deal with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%2219+Records%22">19 Records</a>, and the group backed <a href="spotify:artist:4xFUf1FHVy696Q1JQZMTRj">Carrie Underwood</a> on one track on her 2009 album Play On. In April 2010, <a href="spotify:artist:3fNfzmI5XfHHVHtS76dvMj">Sons of Sylvia</a> released their debut album, Revelations, but while the album rose to 33 on the Billboard album charts and the group toured in support as <a href="spotify:artist:4xFUf1FHVy696Q1JQZMTRj">Underwood</a>'s opening act, they were released from their record contract in 2012. Ashley struck out on his own, and as a solo act, he made some valuable allies. <a href="spotify:artist:52nLyltGxLUNmtyL5cY707">Robert John "Mutt" Lange</a>, the producer who had helped make classic hard rock albums with <a href="spotify:artist:711MCceyCBcFnzjGY4Q7Un">AC/DC</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6H1RjVyNruCmrBEWRbD0VZ">Def Leppard</a> and went on to groom <a href="spotify:artist:5e4Dhzv426EvQe3aDb64jL">Shania Twain</a> into one of country's biggest stars, liked Clark's voice and his style, and agreed to produce his solo debut. In 2015, Clark signed a new record deal with I.R.S. Nashville, and the Greyhound EP was released in June 2015. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi