Grammy-Nominated Voice Behind Some of Music's Most Iconic Duets Turns 70
We pardon the interruption, but all hail the beauty that is Lisa Hartman Black -- spiky layers and all. A singer, actress, mom, and better half to Clint Black, she's celebrating the big 7-0 today. For decades, she's been a familiar face on television screens and country radio, and is still busy with projects to this day. It's entirely possible she's found the fountain of youth and is just not sharing.
A Houston native, Hartman Black rose to fame on the classic primetime soap Knots Landing, appearing from 1982 to 1986 as Ciji, a rock singer who (spoiler alert) was killed off in Season 4, only to be brought back as another character, Cathy, after her onscreen death sparked such fan outrage. Meanwhile, she was stoking a music career that kicked off with her self-titled debut album in 1976.
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In December 1990, Hartman Black met Clint Black backstage at his New Year's Eve concert in her hometown. According toThe Boot, the two hit it off immediately and were married 10 months later on Oct. 20, 1991. What followed was - and is - a beautiful love story and one of country music's most successful husband-and-wife partnerships.
Their signature duet, "When I Say I Do," for Clint's D'lectrified album topped Billboard's country chart in 1999, crossed over on the Hot 100 (where it peaked at No. 31), and earned the couple a Grammy nomination. It's crazy now to think that Hartman Black initially resisted the idea of singing with her husband.
"He says, ‘I want you to sing it with me,'" she recalled to Country Living. "And I went, ‘Oh, no. No.'" Clint eventually convinced her, saying, "Who else am I gonna sing this with? It's about us.'"
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The duet launched a string of collaborations, including "Easy for Me to Say" (2001), "You Still Get to Me" (2016), and "Til the End of Time" (2020). Along the way, Hartman Black continued her solo music career, releasing four albums and fan favorites like "If Love Must Go." Most recently, she and Clint executive-produced the new Lifetime movie When I Said I Do, inspired by their hit duet. The film premiered this month and is now available on demand.
Even at 70, Hartman Black is still finding new ways to connect with fans. Happy birthday, Lisa. Here's to love, music, and many more duets.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 4:41 AM.