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Biography
one source|date=December 2009Infobox musical artist|name = Dwight Yoakam ||image = Dwight Yoakam 01 06-19-08.jpg|At the San Diego County Fair in 2008|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Dwight David Yoakam ||Born = birth date and age|mf=yes|1956|10|23 Pikeville, Kentucky , United States ||origin = Columbus, Ohio , United States ||instrument = Guitar, vocals ||genre = Country music|Country Rock ||occupation = Singer-songwriter , actor , Film director|director ||years_active = 1984–present ||label = Reprise Records|Reprise , E1 Music|Audium , New West Records|New West Warner Brothers Nashville ||associated_acts = Buck Owens ||website = http://www.dwightyoakam.com/ | Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an United States|American singer-songwriter , actor and film director , most famous for his pioneering country music . Popular since the early 1980s, he has recorded more than twenty-one albums and compilations, has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and sold more than 25 million records.
Early life
Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky|Pikeville , Kentucky , the son of Ruth Ann, a key-punch operator, and David Yoakam, a gas-station owner. Country Music Magazine , May/June 1986 He was raised in Columbus, Ohio . He graduated from Columbus's Northland High School in 1974. During his high school years, he excelled in both music and drama, regularly securing the lead role in school plays, such as "Charlie" in a stage version of Flowers for Algernon , honing his skills under the guidance of teacher-mentors Jerry McAfee (music) and Charles Lewis (drama). Outside of school, Yoakam sang and played guitar with local garage bands, and entertained his friends and classmates with his impersonations, such as Richard Nixon , who, at the time, was heavily embroiled in the Watergate controversy.
Yoakam briefly attended Ohio State University , but dropped out and moved to Nashville in the late 1970s with the intent of becoming a recording artist.
Music career
When he began his career, Nashville was oriented toward pop " Urban Cowboy " music, and Yoakam's brand of hip Honky Tonk music was not considered marketable.
Not making much headway in Nashville, Yoakam moved to Los Angeles and worked towards bringing his particular brand of new Honky Tonk or "Hillbilly" music (as he himself called it) forward into the 1980s. Writing all his own songs, and continuing to perform mostly outside traditional country music channels, Yoakam did many shows in rock and punk rock clubs around Los Angeles, playing with roots rock or punk rock acts like The Blasters (Yoakam scored a small video hit with his version of their song "Long White Cadillac"), Los Lobos , and X (American band)|X . This helped him diversify his audience beyond the typical country music fans, and his authentic, groundbreaking music is often credited with rock audiences accepting country music.
Yoakam's recording debut was the self-financed EP Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. on independent label Oak Records produced by lead-guitarist Pete Anderson ; this was later re-released, with several additional tracks, as his major-label debut LP, 1986's Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. . It launched his career. " Honky Tonk Man (song)|Honky Tonk Man ", a remake of the Johnny Horton song, and "Guitars, Cadillacs" were hit singles. His stylish video "Honky Tonk Man" was the first country music video ever played on MTV. The follow-up LP, Hillbilly Deluxe (Dwight Yoakam album)|Hillbilly Deluxe , was just as successful. His third LP, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room , included his first #1, a duet with his musical idol, Buck Owens , on " Streets of Bakersfield ". 1990's If There Was a Way was another best-seller.
Yoakam's song "Readin', Rightin', Route 23" pays tribute to his childhood move from Kentucky, and is named after a local expression describing the route that rural Kentuckians took to take to find a job outside of the coal mines. ( U.S. Route 23 runs north from Kentucky through Columbus and Toledo, Ohio and through the automotive centers of Michigan.) Rather than the standard line that their elementary schools taught "the three Rs" of "Readin', 'Ritin', and 'Rithmetic", Kentuckians used to say that the three Rs they learned were "Readin', 'Ritin, and Route 23 North".
Johnny Cash once cited Yoakam as his favorite country singer. Chris Isaak called him as good a songwriter that ever put a pen to paper. Time Magazine dubbed Yoakam "A Renaissance Man" and Vanity Fair magazine|Vanity Fair declared "Yoakam strides the divide between rock's lust and country's lament." Along with his bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, Yoakam has written or covered many Elvis Presley -style rockabilly songs, including his covers of Queen (band)|Queen 's " Crazy Little Thing Called Love " in 1999 and Presley's " Suspicious Minds " in 1992. He recorded a cover of The Clash 's " Train in Vain " in 1997, a cover of the Grateful Dead song "Truckin'", as well as Cheap Trick's " I Want You to Want Me ". Yoakam has never been associated only with Country music; on many early tours, he played with Hardcore Punk bands like Hüsker Dü , and played many shows around Los Angeles with Roots/Punk/Rock & Roll acts. His middle-period-to-later records saw him branching out to different styles, covering Rock & Roll, Punk, 1960's, Blues-based "Boogie" like ZZ Top , and writing more adventurous songs like "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere". In 2003, he provided background vocals on Warren Zevon 's last album The Wind.
In the 21st century, Yoakam released dwightyoakamacoustic.net , an album featuring solo acoustic versions of many of his hits; left his major label and started his own label.citation needed|date=January 2011 His latest album of new material is 2005's well-reviewed Blame the Vain , on New West Records. Yoakam also released an album dedicated to Buck Owens , Dwight Sings Buck , on October 23, 2007. His duet with Michelle Branch , a song titled "Long Goodbye", was released as a free download on Branch's official website in early 2011.
In July 2011, Yoakam re-signed with Warner Bros. Nashville and announced plans to release a new album in summer/fall of 2012. http://www.theboot.com/2011/07/05/dwight-yoakam-new-album-2012/ Dwight Yoakam Preps New Album on Old Label Home This album, produced by Yoakam, will include collaborations with Kid Rock and Beck.
Film career
Yoakam has also starred in many films, most notably in critically acclaimed performances as an ill-tempered, abusive, live-in boyfriend in Sling Blade (1996), as a psychopathy|psychopathic killer in Panic Room (film)|Panic Room (2002), as a police detective in Hollywood Homicide (2003) and as the sheriff in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005). He appeared in a supporting role as Doc Miles, the doctor for Chev Chelios , in Crank (film)|Crank and its sequel, Crank 2: High Voltage . In addition, he also guest starred in the King of the Hill episode Nine Very Angry Men as Lane Pratley. Yoakam also had a cameo appearance in the 2005 comedy movie Wedding Crashers . In 2008, Yoakam played Pastor Phil in Four Christmases , starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon , and he appears in the upcoming film Dirty Girl (2010 film)|Dirty Girl . He also appeared in The Last Rites of Ransom Pride , an independent 2010 Western that also stars fellow country singer Kris Kristofferson . In 1993, he played a truck driver in the Wyoming crime thriller, Red Rock West .
Yoakam also starred alongside Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek in the movie Bandidas (2006).
In 2000, Yoakam co-wrote, starred in, produced and wrote the soundtrack for South of Heaven, West of Hell , also starring Vince Vaughn and Bridget Fonda .
Some of his songs are included in the film Big Eden (2000).
Dwight will be co-starring in Lone Ranger along with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter . Lone Ranger is set to be released in 2013.
Food ventures
Yoakam's food brand, Bakersfield Biscuits, http://www.bakersfieldbiscuits.com/ Dwight Yoakam's Bakersfield Biscuits website sells frozen foods at retailers such as Wal-Mart Superstores, Walgreens , Sam's Club , and Kroger .
Awards and recognition
Yoakam won the Grammy Award for "Best Male Country Vocal Performance" in 1993 for the song " Ain't That Lonely Yet ". He was also named "Artist of the Year" by CMT Europe in 1993. http://www.dwightyoakam.com/news_hall_fact.html Dwight Yoakam Fact Sheet, Dwight Yoakam official website
Discography
main|Dwight Yoakam albums discography|Dwight Yoakam singles discography
Under the Covers (Dwight Yoakam album)|Under the Covers (1997)
'' In Others' Words (2003)
'' Dwight's Used Records (2004)
Dwight Sings Buck (2007)
Compilation albums
'' Just Lookin' for a Hit (1989)
Dwight Live (1995)
'' Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's|Last Chance for a Thousand Years (1999)
dwightyoakamacoustic.net (2000)
Reprise, Please, Baby (2002)
The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam (2004)
International releases
This Is... (1990)
''La Croix D'Amour (1992)
Filmography
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1991
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Performer
1992
Red Rock West
Truck Driver
1994
Roswell
Mac Brazel
TV Movie
1995
The Little Death
Bobby Lomax
1996
''Don't Look Back
Skipper
TV movie
1996
Sling Blade
Doyle Hargraves
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance
1997
Painted Hero
Virgil Kidder
1998
The Newton Boys
Brentwood Glasscock
1998
When Trumpets Fade
Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman
TV movie
1999
The Minus Man
Blair
2001
South of Heaven, West of Hell
Valentine Casey
Also director and writer
2002
Panic Room
Raoul
2003
Hollywood Homicide
Leroy Wasley
2004
Three Way
Herbert Claremont/ Clarkson
2005
Wedding Crashers
Mr. Kroeger
2005
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Belmont
Western Heritage Award for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture
2006
Bandidas
Tyler Jackson
2006
Crank
Doc Miles
2008
Two:Thirteen
Sandy
2008
Four Christmases
Pastor Phil
2009
Crank: High Voltage
Doc Miles
2010
Dirty Girl
Joseph
2010
The Last Rites of Ransom Pride
Reverend Early Pride
2010
Bloodworth
Boyd Bloodworth
2013
Lone Ranger
Butch Cavendish
2013
''Jayne Mansfield's Car
TBA
pre-production
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1986
Hee Haw
Himself
1 episode; performer
1991
P.S. I Luv U
Harlan Justice
1 episode
1993
America Comes to Graceland
Himself
TV documentary
1993
Rhythm & Jam
Himself
TV mini-series
1997
Ellen
The Bag Boy
2 episodes
1998
King of the Hill
Lane Pratley
1 episode
2002
Dinner for Five
Himself
1 episode
2002
Peter Fonda: Fortunate Son
Narrator
TV documentary
2011
Wilfred (U.S. TV series)
Bruce
1 episode
References
Specific references : reflist General references : refbegin
Himes, Geoffery. (1998). "Dwight Yoakam". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music . Paul Kingsbuey, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press . pp.& nbsp;605–6.
refend
External links
Commons|Dwight Yoakam
Official website| http://www.dwightyoakam.com/
IMDb name|id=0948267|name=Dwight Yoakam
Charlie Rose view|4303
Worldcat id|lccn-n92-18129
Nndb|484/000025409
Dwight Yoakam Persondata | NAME =Yoakam, Dwight | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American singer | DATE OF BIRTH =October 23, 1956 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Yoakam, Dwight Category:1956 births Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American libertarians Category:American members of the Churches of Christ Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Kentucky Category:Living people Category:Ohio State University alumni Category:People from Columbus, Ohio Category:People from Pikeville, Kentucky Category:Reprise Records artists Category:New West Records artists
