FORT POLK, La. -- Everybody needs a holiday now and then -- even celebrities. This July Fourth, many people spent their holiday with Family and friends, but country super star Clint Black was with the Soldiers and Families of Fort Polk, exactly where he wanted to be.
"I can think of no one better to spend the Fourth with than the Soldiers and Families at Fort Polk," Black said in a phone interview with the Guardian June 30.
"I know (Fort Polk) is a great installation and training center, and I imagine this is a jubilant time with the troops returning home from Iraq. This is a good transition and victory for our troops, and I'm looking forward to being there."
Black's respect for those who serve reaches farther than the armed forces. He said he has the highest regard for anyone that wears a uniform in service of others -- police, firemen and service members.
"You have to look at anyone who puts on a uniform as a symbol of the American spirit. I have an undying respect and appreciation for them," said Black. "My oldest brother was in the Army and the next brother down was a deputy sheriff."
Black said he once had aspirations of joining the service, but there was a snag.
"I wanted to be an astronaut and considered joining the Air Force and working my way into the space program. Unfortunately, I had singer's grades instead of astronaut grades!"
His hopes for space travel may have been dashed, but those "singer's grades" turned into a rather lucrative career in music.
To date, he has written, recorded and released more than 100 songs, according to his web site biography.
As a musician, he is an accomplished guitarist, and humbly describes himself as proficient on drums, harmonica, bass guitar and any assortment of percussion instruments.
The 1989 debut of his critically-acclaimed triple-platinum "Killin' Time" is listed as one of the 100 greatest albums in country music by Country Music Television. That album produced five No.1 hits, a major feat for a musician in any genre.
The triple-platinum "Put Yourself in My Shoes" followed in 1990, and Black's success continued to soar.
To date, Black has had nearly two dozen No.1 hit singles, and almost as many Top 5 and Top 10 hits, all of them original compositions.
The number of awards crowding his trophy shelf surpasses the number of hit records.
Despite his fame and prestige, Black is still an every man's man.
He said he has a special place in his heart for service members, especially those serving overseas. Black and his band performed on military bases and aircraft carriers during the U.S. involvement in Somalia and even toured the Balkans after 9/11.
"We went to the Balkans and did five shows in four days at six bases in six countries. It was the most exhausting and most rewarding show experience the band, crew and I have ever had," said Black.
"We had a 24-hour flight to Las Vegas right after the last show, and being in Vegas after Kosovo was quite a culture shock for all of us."
Kosovo and other stations in the Balkans were bleak posts, according to Black.
"It wasn't really a base, it was more of a camp. There were tents set up inside a compound surrounded by chain-link fence. A lot of people talk about troops going into combat and what they face there, but there is another side to the story -- some guys were spending six months to year in this tiny compound and they were just bored out of their minds," said Black.
"I was happy to bring some entertainment to these guys and show them some support, too."
Black said he is glad to offer entertainment to Fort Polk's group of men and women who preserve the nation's freedom every day.
"We're bringing some appreciation to all those who are doing it, have done it, are about to do it or are just plain bored."
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