Mark Wills - 《美國流行鄉村音樂選》

1973年8月8日出生于田納西州克里夫蘭市的Mark Wills，年輕時對于搖滾音樂情有獨鐘，但步入成年之后，他對音樂的興趣開始逐步轉移到了流行鄉村的風格上。在他17歲時，他參加了一個小規模的歌唱比賽并一舉奪魁，很快開始了他一周五個晚上在酒吧駐唱的演繹生涯。這樣的日子持續了5年之后，在一次表演中，Mark Wills被經紀人Carson Chamberlain和Keith Stegall相中，很快的為他爭取到了Mercury Record Nashville的歌手合同，并于1996年底推出了他的同名處女專輯《Mark Wills》，取得了鄉村類專輯銷量排行榜的38名，從此開始了他的鄉村音樂之路。

Mark Wills飽含深情的嗓音為他贏取了無數的贊譽和美名，并締造出了"I Do (Cherish You),""Don't Laugh at Me,""Places I've Never Been", “Back at One”等經典曲目，值得聽者細細品味，一聽再聽。
Although he didn't quite achieve the fame or sales of new country contemporaries as Tim McGraw or Clay Walker, Mark Wills earned a respectable following and strong reviews following the release of his eponymous 1996 debut album. As a teenager in the small town of Blue Ridge, GA, Wills was fond of pop-metal bands like Poison and Bon Jovi, and throughout his teens he played in metal garage bands. But as he became an adult, his tastes shifted toward country-pop and new traditionalist country. Considering that he grew up around country music, singing it both at home and in church as a small boy, this wasn't surprising. At the age of 17, he entered a talent show at the Buckboard Country Music Showcase in nearby Marietta. He won the contest, which quickly led to weekly performances at the Buckboard. For five years, he played at the club five nights a week. In addition to his regular shows, he began singing on demo tapes in the Atlanta area, eventually working his way into the Nashville demos circuit. At one of his Buckboard shows, he was spotted by Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall, who helped him secure a contract with Mercury Nashville. Chamberlain and Stegall produced Wills' eponymous debut album, which was released in the fall of 1996. The record became a moderate hit, peaking at number 38 on the country charts. Wish You Were Here followed in 1998, and in early 2000 Wills returned with Permanently.