Yoakam, Dwight

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Dwight Yoakam

Singer, songwriter

Arguably the finest artist to emerge from country music's neo-traditionalist movement during the mid-1980s, Dwight Yoakam skillfully blended a collector's taste for traditional country and rockabilly into a series of now classic recordings. The swivel-kneed singer/songwriter has continued to prove himself as a recording artist, and has also made a name for himself in films as an actor. When not recording, he has earned positive reviews for his roles in such films as the 1996 Academy Award-winning Sling Blade and the 2005 hit comedy Wedding Crashers.

Started in Cowpunk

Yoakam was born on October 23, 1956, in Pikeville, Kentucky, but the family moved to Columbus, Ohio, when Dwight was very young. Yoakam first showed an interest in playing the guitar at the age of two, and quickly taught himself to play along with Hank Williams's records. He composed his first song at the age of eight. A devotee of vintage recordings by Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Elvis Presley, Hank Locklin, and particularly Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, the youngster started a rockabilly band while still in high school. He worked as a singer in nightclubs while attending Ohio State University, but after two years he left for Nashville in search of a career in country music. Unable to get his career started while living in Nashville, Yoakam decided to try his luck in Los Angeles, where he moved in 1978.

In Los Angeles, Yoakam worked as a truck driver and on a loading dock while struggling to find his musical niche. Latching onto a secure spot in the San Fernando Valley cowpunk scene, the singer eventually began sharing a bill with such emerging local acts as Los Lobos, the Blasters, and Lone Justice. He worked with lead guitarist and roots music visionary Pete Anderson, and the two produced A Town South of Bakersfield, a six-song EP for the independent Oak Records label. Hailed as a return to country's true roots, the smart-selling disc paved the way for Yoakam's major label deal with the Warner Brothers' subsidiary Reprise.

A Major Country Hitmaker

Yoakam's 1986 debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc., was well-received by critics and country music fans alike, and spawned a hit remake of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man" and the singer's own composition "Guitars, Cadillacs, and Hillbilly Music." This first album quickly went platinum, and the next four went gold; Dwight Yoakam had clearly become a major country music star.

Yoakam released four more albums in the next four years—1987's Hillbilly Deluxe, 1988's Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, 1989's Just Lookin' for a Hit, and 1990's If There Was a Way—and managed to keep his loyal traditional country music fans satisfied. During this early peak, he was able to briefly revitalize the careers of two of his country idols. He enticed Buck Owens out of semi-retirement to record one of the legendary singer-songwriter's early tunes, "Streets of Bakersfield." Not only did their recording hit number one on the country charts, but Yoakam and Owens toured together with great success. In 1992 Yoakam convinced Roger Miller, one of country and pop's cleverest tunesmiths, to write a song with him. The result was the number seven charting "It Only Hurts When I Cry," a final triumph for Miller, who died of cancer a short time later.

Despite this solidification of his country stardom, there were fans and critics who expressed a desire for the singer to expand his musical horizons, abandon his characteristic honky-tonk, rural sound, and adopt a more sophisticated rock-driven contemporary country music sound. Yoakam's response was the 1993 album This Time, and he succeeded, according to Entertainment Weekly's Alanna Nash, in "pull[ing] off a near miracle: Staying stone country for his core following, and turning progressive enough for radio, without alienating either audience." Songs such as "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" and "King of Fools" were especially lauded, and Yoakam himself, in an article by People contributor Tony Scherman, characterized the type of music he played as "country rock," but asserted: "I'll never quit playing country music, or at least acknowledging it, always, as the cornerstone of what I am." In a review in Maclean's, Nicholas Jennings declared that Yoakam's "songwriting … ranks among the best in country music."

Despite his busy schedule as an actor on stage and screen, in 1995 Yoakam managed to release Dwight Live, which consisted of versions of songs that were recorded live during concert performances, and Gone, which continued the trend Yoakam had started with This Time. Both albums were well regarded by critics and popular with fans. Tony Scherman, writing in Entertainment Weekly, called Dwight Live a "most satisfying country record." Guitar Player's Art Thompson also offered a glowing review of the live album, and advised his readers that this was "the music of dented pickup trucks and funky bars, not the silly tight-Wranglers scene that dominates today's 'young country.'" Reviews of Gone were largely positive, but some critics asserted, as did Alanna Nash in her Entertainment Weekly review, that "he's so busy getting the synthesis right that he forgot the soul."

For the Record …

Born October 23, 1956, in Pikeville, KY; son of David (a gas station owner) and Ruth (a keypunch operator) Yoakam. Education: Attended Ohio State University.

Singer and songwriter, 1974–; performer in West Coast night clubs and bars, c. 1970–78; worked as a truck driver, 1978; recording artist with Reprise, 1986–; has appeared as actor in films, including Red Rock West, 1992, Roswell, 1994, The Little Death, 1995, Painted Hero, 1996, Sling Blade, 1996, The Newton Boys, 1998 Don't Look Back, 1996, South of Heaven, West of Hell, 2000, Wedding Crashers, 2005, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 2005, and Crank, 2006; appeared as guest star on various television programs; appeared as actor on stage in Southern Rapture, MET Theatre, Los Angeles, 1993; wrote and directed independent feature films; toured with The Babylonian Cowboys (his backup band); appeared with singer and musician Buck Owens; recorded for Audium and New West labels, 2003–2006.

Awards: American Academy of Country Music Award, Best New Male Vocalist, 1987; Grammy Award, Best Country Vocal Performance, male, 1993, for "Ain't That Lonely Yet"; Premiere Performance Award (for outstanding breakthrough performances in film) for portrayal of Doyle Hargraves in Sling Blade, 1996; Screen Actors Guild Award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast for Sling Blade, 1996; Grammy Award, Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, for "Same Old Train," 1998; Voted Country Artist of the Year by Amazon.com, 2000; Western Heritage Awards, Bronze Wrangler, for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture, for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 2005.

Addresses: Record company—New West, 9125 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212, website: http://www.newwestrecords.com. Website—Official Dwight Yoakam website: http://www.dwightyoakam.com.

Branched Out into Films

Yoakam, a country heart-throb whose knee-swiveling on stage antics drew appreciative screams from female fans, had been dabbling in films since his first roles, in 1993's Red Rock West and 1994's Roswell, His first starring role came as a rodeo clown in the 1994 action feature Painted Hero. In 1996 Yoakam earned rave reviews for his portrayal of the abusive, alcoholic Doyle in the film Sling Blade. He received Premiere magazine's Premiere Performance Award in recognition of his "breakthrough performance" in the film.

Following his performance in Sling Blade, Yoakam received offers to appear in many more films, but shied away from mainstream features in favor of grittier independent films such as 2000's South of Heaven, West of Hell, which he directed and starred in, 2002's Waking Up in Reno, which he also produced, and 2005's critically acclaimed The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Further, Yoakam used his multimedia fame to branch out into the prepackaged food business by signing a deal with Modern Foods to manufacture such faux southern-flavored edibles as Dwight Yoakam's Chicken Lickin's and Boom Boom Shrimp.

On the musical front, Yoakam's 1997 release of his eighth album, Under the Covers, featured cover versions of songs originally recorded by such diverse artists as The Clash and Johnny Horton, and drew praise from critics who expressed appreciation for the singer's artistic inventiveness and mastery of a wide range of musical styles. Critical response to the album was mixed, with some critics praising Yoakam's creativity and range, while others characterized the work as overdone. People's Amy Linden, who while admitting that initially the new versions were interesting and enjoyable to listen to, remarked that "eventually the production razzle-dazzle and sudden leaps of genre get tiresome." Entertainment Weekly's Jeremy Helligar, however, was enthusiastic about Under the Covers and concluded that Yoakam's performance on the album was "inspired as hell and absolutely out of control."

Returned to Independent Labels

Yoakam's status as a hit recording artist slipped during the late 1990s, although he consistently drew large concert crowds. By 2001 he and Reprise/Warner Bros. had parted company, and the singer-songwriter signed with the hot independent Audium label. Right out of the box, Yoakam proved that his creative fires were undiminished. Aided by longtime producer/guitarist Pete Anderson, 2003's Population Me continued to revel in the Buck Owens-inspired Bakersfield sound and self-deprecating Johnny Horton honky-tonk, while embracing guest star Timothy B. Schmidt's connection to the folk-rock sounds of the Eagles.

The alliance with Audium was short-lived. The label folded and Yoakam leased his next efforts to the independent New West label. Blame the Vain (2005) was recorded without longtime partner Pete Anderson, who had left to concentrate on his own Lucky Dog label. Yoakam still enjoys a devoted fan base, even when modern radio playlists ignore his works. Robert Loy of Country Standard Time expressed it best in his review of Blame the Vain: "It's just that radio no longer bends enough to accommodate the always eclectic (sometimes too retro, sometimes too progressive) Mr. Yoakam. And there's probably not anything on his 18th album to make them alter that policy."

Selected Discography

Singles

"Honky Tonk Man," Reprise, 1986.
"Guitars, Cadillacs," Reprise, 1986.
"It Won't Hurt," Reprise, 1986.
"Little Sister," Reprise, 1987.
"Little Ways," Reprise, 1987.
"Please, Please Baby," Reprise, 1987.
"Always Late With Your Kisses," Reprise, 1988.
"Streets of Bakersfield," (With Buck Owens) Reprise, 1988.
"I Sang Dixie," Reprise, 1988.
"I Got You," Reprise, 1989.
"Long White Cadillac," Reprise, 1989.
"Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose," Reprise 1989.
"You're the One," Reprise, 1991.
"Nothing's Changed Here," Reprise, 1991.
"It Only Hurts When I Cry," Reprise, 1992.
"The Heart That You Own," Reprise, 1992.
"Suspicious Minds," Reprise, 1992.
"Ain't That Lonely Yet," Reprise, 1993.
"A Thousand Miles from Nowhere," Reprise, 1993.
"Fast As You," Reprise, 1993.
"Try Not to Look So Pretty," Reprise, 1994.
"Nothing," Reprise, 1995.
"Things Change," Reprise, 1998.
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Reprise, 1999.
"What Do You Know About Love," Warner Bros., 2000.

Albums

Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc., Reprise, 1986.
Hillbilly Deluxe, Reprise, 1987.
Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, Reprise, 1988.
Just Lookin' for a Hit, Reprise, 1989.
If There Was A Way, Reprise, 1990.
This Time, Reprise, 1993.
Dwight Live, Reprise, 1995.
Gone, Reprise, 1995.
Under the Covers, Reprise, 1997.
Come On Christmas, Reprise, 1997.
Long Way Home, Reprise, 1998. La Croix d'Amour, WEA International, 1999.
Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Greatest Hits from the 90's, Reprise, 1999.
Tomorrow's Sounds Today, Warner Bros., 2000.
South of Heaven, West of Hell, (Original soundtrack recording) Warner Bros., 2001.
Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years (4 CD boxed set), Rhino, 2002.
In Others' Words, Reprise, 2003.
Population Me, Audium, 2003.
Dwight's Used Records, Koch, 2004.
The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam, Rhino, 2004.
Blame the Vain, New West, 2005.
Live from Austin, New West, 2005.

The Essentials, WEA International, 2005.
Platinum Collection, Warner Bros., 2006.

Videos/DVDs

Just Lookin' for a Hit, Warner/Reprise, 1989.
Pieces of Time, Warner Bros., 1994.
Live from Austin, New West, 2005.
Dwight Yoakam, St. Clair Vision, 2006.