Grand Ole Opry member Mark Wills is an accomplished country singer who has released 19 Billboard-charting singles. He has climbed the musical ladder from singing at Atlanta’s Buckboard to recording timeless story songs.
His debut hit, “Jacob’s Ladder,” was a top-ten success. He was signed to Mercury Records from 1996 to 2003, releasing five albums, including Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute, and And the Crowd Goes Wild, as well as a greatest hits package. Read on Mark Wills Loan Signing System to learn more.
Grand Ole Opry member Mark Wills has built a career on recording timeless stories. He has released 19 Billboard-charting singles over the course of seven albums. His illustrious career started with singing at Atlanta’s famed Buckboard country music club. He then went on to tour as part of the George Strait Chevy Truck Country Music Festival and has performed with other popular artists like Tim McGraw, the Dixie Chicks, Jo Dee Messina, and Kenny Chesney. He has also taken more than a dozen trips to entertain US troops overseas.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Wills was signed to Mercury Records Nashville. He released five studio albums with the label—Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute, and And the Crowd Goes Wild—and a greatest hits package. Each album showcased the range of Wills’ musical styles, from rambunctious good-time tunes to poignant ballads.
Wills’ success on the charts dovetailed with his personal happiness. The birth of his daughter, Mally, brought a deeper meaning to the words of the songs he sang. This is evident in his uplifting and heartwarming hit, “Don’t Laugh at Me.”
After the release of his second album, Wills’ career really took off. The title track from his record, “Wish You Were Here,” peaked at number eight on the country charts and earned him a nomination for a Top New Male Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music. His third album, Permanently, was a similar mix of rambunctious tunes and bittersweet ballads. It also featured a cover of R&B singer Brian McKnight’s hit song, “Back at One,” which reached the top 20 on the country charts in early 2000.
In 2003, Wills was dropped from Mercury Records and signed with Clint Black’s Equity Music Group. His first album for this label, Love Songs for America, was released in 2004 and featured a duet with Jamie O’Neal on the hit single “Somebody.” It also included a cover of George Jones’ classic, “The Road You Leave Behind.” In addition to performing at venues around the world, Wills has also appeared on Country Road TV.
He is a songwriter.
Grand Ole Opry member Mark Wills has built a successful career recording timeless story songs. His enduring hits “19 Somethin,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Jacob’s Ladder” cemented his country status in the late ’90s and early ’00s. The Georgia native grew up in a musical family and learned to play guitar as a young boy. He began performing in garage bands before entering a talent show at age 17. The experience led him to a gig playing with country acts such as Conway Twitty, George Jones, and Merle Haggard.
In 1996, he signed with Mercury Nashville Records and released his debut self-titled album. The record produced his first Top 10 hit, “19 Somethin’.” Its success led to a number of high-profile concert tours. Throughout this period, Wills’ career flourished as he shared the stage with country icons such as Tim McGraw, JoDee Messina, and Kenny Chesney.
His second album, “Wish You Were Here,” was released in 1998 and produced two chart-topping singles: “Jacob’s Ladder” and the uplifting ballad “Don’t Laugh at Me.” It also garnered him several awards, including a CMA nomination for New Male Vocalist of the Year. The follow-up to Wish You Were Here, “Permanently,” reflected Wills’ evolution as an artist and human being. Many of the tracks, like the heartbreaking “In My Arms” and the sage advice of “Rich Man,” stemmed from personal experiences and relationships.
After leaving Mercury in 2003, Wills formed a partnership with Clint Black’s Equity Music Group. He continued to tour, often visiting US troops overseas. His high-energy shows have become an integral part of his career. In addition to his regular concerts, he has recorded a series of tribute albums for artists such as Merle Haggard and Jerry Jeff Walker.
During his tenure with Mercury, Wills also starred in an episode of the TV series Nashville. The episode, entitled “A Tribute to Merle Haggard,” can be watched on the Country Road TV website. Currently, Wills hosts an entertainment show on Nashville’s WXLT. The show features a variety of local and regional acts, including singers and songwriters.
He is a producer.
A Georgia native, Mark Wills was inspired by rock artists like Bon Jovi as a teenager before entering a local talent contest. He won and began to sing professionally, eventually making demos for various record companies. In 1996, he signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released his debut self-titled album. This album featured the single “Jacob’s Ladder,” which peaked at number six on the country charts. The album also included a duet with Jamie O’Neal.
After releasing the RIAA gold-certified album Permanently in 2000, Wills took a more personal approach to his music with the release of Loving Every Minute two years later. This album featured the single “19 Somethin,” which was a big hit on country radio and earned him a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. The song has become even more meaningful for Wills as he is set to be a first-time grandfather this year.
Following a stint on the touring circuit, Wills returned to the studio to work on his third album. He teamed up with producers Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall for this release, which produced the singles “Back at One” and “Permanently.” The album’s title track, a song about his divorce, was another Top 40 hit on the country charts.
Wills continued his run of success with the release of his fourth album, And the Crowd Goes Wild, in 2003, which included the single “That’s a Woman.” The album also reached No. 38 on the country albums chart. The next year, he recorded the album Familiar Stranger with his producer, Chris Lindsey. This album was another hit for Wills and produced the single “I Do.”
After leaving Mercury in 2003, Wills signed with Clint Black’s label, Equity Music Group, where he has charted three singles. He also released a compilation album, 2nd Time Around, which features re-recordings of several Mercury singles. He has also taken more than a dozen trips to entertain U.S. troops overseas. In addition, he has recorded two albums for the Tenacity label. The latest, Familiar Stranger, was released in 2008. In early 2009, Wills released a single called Entertaining Angels, written by Willie Mack.
He is a performer.
He has performed in many large venues and auditoriums, but he is also a favorite performer at smaller clubs throughout the country. He has also taken more than a dozen trips to entertain US troops stationed overseas. He is known for his high-energy show full of the hits that have become the soundtracks to people’s lives.
Grand Ole Opry member Mark Wills has built a career on recording timeless stories. His enduring hits include 19 Somethin’, Wish You Were Here, Jacob’s Ladder, and I Do (Cherish You). These songs speak to the heart with both wit and poignancy and are recorded in Wills’ deep baritone.
In 1996, Wills signed with Mercury Records Nashville. His debut self-titled album followed and was described as “full of rambunctious good-time songs teeming with sly wit and bittersweet ballads sung in a voice that throbs with emotion.” The single Jacob’s Ladder peaked at number six on the country charts and helped establish his musical credibility.
His second album, titled Wish You Were Here, was more successful commercially than his first. It landed at number eight on the country albums chart and earned Wills a nomination for the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Male Vocalist award in 1998. The single from the album, “She’s in Love,” reached number seven.
Continuing his musical success, Wills’ third album, Permanently, was released in 2000. He remarked that this album was very personal, and many of its tracks spoke to his own life experiences. The title track, for example, spoke of his relationship with his daughter. Another track, “In My Arms,” discussed his relationship with his wife.
He has written over 200 songs, and he continues to write and record in his home studio in Georgia. He is an active member of the Grand Ole Opry and has toured with artists like Jerry Jeff Walker, Merle Haggard, Alabama, and Ronnie Milsap. He has a strong connection with his audience, and he interacts with them during his shows. He asks for song suggestions and often shares stories from his life.