b. Daryl Mark Williams, 8 August 1973, Cleveland, Tennessee, USA. Singer-songwriter Wills, who grew-up in Blue Ridge, Georgia, quietly established himself as a reliable new country star. Wills began performing as a country artist in the early 90s at the Buckboard Country Music Showcase in Marietta. His 1996 debut for Mercury Records, which included the Top 5 country singles "Jacob's Ladder" and "Places I've Never Been", sold well and indicated a potential star. The album also included a country version of the Who's "Squeeze Box'. 1998"s Wish You Were Here confirmed his potential and broke Wills into the country mainstream on the back of the chart-topping singles "I Do (Cherish You)", "Don't Laugh At Me', written by Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin, and the title track. The album broke into the Billboard Top 100 and achieved platinum sales. His third album, 2000"s Permanently, was premiered by a cover version of Brian McKnight's "Back To One" and also included the hit "Almost Doesn't Count'. Wills began to move towards country pop with the follow-up Loving Every Minute, but the change in approach did not generate the expected commercial success. A compilation set featuring two new tracks preceded the release of Wills' final Mercury recording, 2003"s And The Crowd Goes Wild.
DISCOGRAPHY: Mark Wills (Mercury 1996)**, Wish You Were Here (Mercury 1998)***, Permanently (Mercury 2000)***, Loving Every Minute (Mercury 2001)****, And The Crowd Goes Wild (Mercury 2003)**, Live At Billy Bob's (Smith Music 2005)***
COMPILATIONS: Greatest Hits (Universal 2002)***, The Best Of Mark Wills: The Millennium Collection (Mercury 2004)***.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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