Clint Black Claims His First Manager Left Him Broke and He 'Didn’t Have Any Money to Eat'
Clint Black Claims His First Manager Left Him Broke and He 'Didn’t Have Any Money to Eat'
Staff AuthorMon, May 25, 2026 at 7:29 PM UTC
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Clint Black claimed he "didn't have any money to eat" when his first manager allegedly left him broke
“I didn't even know there was a million-dollar advance," he claimed in a Wednesday, May 20 interview with Fox News
Black's memoir Killin' Time: My Life and Music is out now
Clint Black opened up about one of the toughest times in his life.
During a Wednesday, May 20 interview with Fox News, the country star claimed he was left broke after his first manager stole his money early in his career.
Black, now 64, was signed to RCA in 1987 and released his debut album Killin' Time two years later.
Clint Black in May 2026
Credit: Fox News Clips/YouTube
While discussing his first album, he claimed he faced some financial difficulties because of his manager at the time.
“I met this guy, Hayden Nicholas, who is still my lead guitar player. He was filling in for a band I hired for this one gig. He was amazing. We gravitated towards each other," said Black.
He added: "He had a demo recording machine in his garage. The first demo we made was ‘Nobody's Home,' which would become a hit for me. I took that to this record promoter I had met years earlier and asked him to help me find a manager.”
However, the manager allegedly signed Black to three contracts where he took 100% of publishing and 50% of everything he earned.
“I didn't even know there was a million-dollar advance," Black claimed. "I was in Nashville recording parts for the album and ran out of money. Didn't have any money to eat. The producer came over and bought me a pizza, and then called the manager the next day and said, ‘Give him per diem.'"
Per the Los Angeles Times, the "A Better Man" singer sued that manager, Bill Ham, in 1992 for "fraud, deceit, undue influence and breach of contract." Eventually, both parties reached a settlement, according to Pollstar.
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Black later found himself in a similar situation in 2008 when he sued his manager and accountant Charles Sussman, as well as his Nashville firm, per Pollstar via the Nashville Post.
In the complaint, Black claimed Sussman and his firm, Gudvi, Sussman & Oppenheim, convinced him to give more than $500,000 in royalties to Equity Records, according to the outlets.
The "When I Said I Do" performer claimed that he was “providing equity an interest-free, unsecured loan” and received nothing in return, per the publications.
Black was seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Clint Black in March 2025 in Nashville
Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty for the Grand Ole Opry
Sussman did not provide a comment at the time, but that lawsuit eventually reached a settlement.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Black opened up about the ups and downs of his career.
"It's not all champagne and roses, folks," he said. "It's a regular life, sometimes lived in the spotlight."
Black's memoir Killin' Time: My Life and Music is out now.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
