Editing Clint Black (section)

===1999–2013: Later career===
Black and Hartman welcomed their first child, Lily Pearl Black, in May 2001.<ref name="Lily Pearl Black">{{citation |title=Welcome Lily Pearl Black |newspaper=Country Weekly Magazine |date=May 13, 2001 |url=http://www.countryweekly.com/news/377 |access-date=April 9, 2009}}</ref> Black took a three-year break from the music industry to stay home with his daughter.  He explained that "it ended up not being a smart career move, but it was a real smart dad move. …  I wouldn't go back and try to do anything for my career in exchange for that."<ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Regina |title=CLINT BLACK Musician, actor, family man scheduled for Durant show |newspaper=KLBC BUZZ |location=Durant, OK |page=11 |publisher=KLBC |date=June 2012 |url=http://klbcfm.com/images/buzzitems/june12/clintblack.pdf |access-date=July 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6BSDIGsmM?url=http://klbcfm.com/images/buzzitems/june12/clintblack.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

During his sabbatical, Black spent time reassessing his career.  After deciding he was unwilling to work within the current recording industry system, he formed his own record label, [[Equity Music Group]].  Black admitted that it was difficult to leave RCA.  In his 14 years with the label, he had sold over 20&nbsp;million records.<ref name=clark />

The new label operated under very different rules than those Black had begun his own career under.  Artists were guaranteed ownership of their songs and were granted an equity stake in the label.<ref name=clark>{{citation |last=Clark |first=Michael D. |title=Clint Black's getting back to his (grass) roots |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=March 4, 2004 |page=Houston section, p. 10 |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2004_3740871 |access-date=April 9, 2009}}</ref> The first release from the new label was Black's next album, ''[[Spend My Time]]''; his eighth studio album was Black's first release in five years.  The ''Houston Chronicle'' called it "arguably the most adventurous of his career".<ref name=clark />

In 2005, Black released ''[[Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic]]''.  Black chose the title of the album to limit himself to simple topics in his past. He explained: "I went out and bought all the music I grew up on that I didn't already have and spent three months listening to only that. Only stuff from before I started making records, so it was pre-1989—[[Waylon Jennings|Waylon]], [[Willie Nelson|Willie]], [[Buck Owens]], [[Merle Haggard|Haggard]], [[Don Williams]], [[Jim Croce]]. And what I discovered was a simplicity in song that I had moved away from. It was quite an emotional journey because these were all the songs that moved me and inspired me to do what I've been doing ever since."<ref>{{cite web |title=Clint Black – Drinkin' Songs and Other Logic |url=http://magazine.angrycountry.com/article.php?story=20051011140923681 |publisher=AngryCountry.com |date=October 11, 2005 |access-date=July 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626220445/http://magazine.angrycountry.com/article.php?story=20051011140923681 |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

[[File:ClintBlackperforming.jpg|thumb|right|Black performing at a benefit concert]]
Black has continued to record new material, however.  In 2007, he released the single "The Strong One" the first original song he has recorded that he did not write.<ref name=guerra>{{citation |last=Guerra |first=Joey |title=Clint Black: soft but strong |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=September 28, 2007 |page=Star, p. 1 |url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4432364 |access-date=April 9, 2009}}</ref> The song was included on his first digital EP, released on March 11, 2008. Titled "The Long Cool EP," the collection features Black's single, "[[Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)|Long Cool Woman]]", "The Strong One" and a duet with his wife titled "You Still Get to Me".<ref>{{cite web |title=Long, cool Clint Black goes digital route |url=http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=1410 |publisher=COUNTRY Standard Time |date=February 19, 2008 |access-date=July 13, 2012}}</ref> Equity Music Group closed its doors in December 2008 due to economic difficulties.<ref name=paxman>{{citation |title=Clint Black's Label Closes |newspaper=Country Weekly Magazine |date=December 17, 2008 |last=Paxman |first=Bob |url=http://www.countryweekly.com/news/clint-black%E2%80%99s-label-closes |access-date=July 18, 2012}}</ref>

Black was also a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prlog.org/10244858-bostons-own-debbie-and-friends-among-the-8th-annual-independent-music-awards-vox-populi-winners.html |title=Boston's Own Debbie And Friends Among The 8th Annual Independent Music Awards Vox Populi Winners |author=Debbie and Friends |work=PRLog |date=May 27, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=8th Annual IMA Judges |url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/judges/8th-annual-ima-judges/ |publisher=IMA |access-date=July 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129195553/http://independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/imajudges2009.asp |archive-date=January 29, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref>