Classic Rewind: Jim Ed and Maxine Brown – ‘Looking Back To See’

Spotlight Artist: Dwight Yoakam

1986 saw the release of the debut albums of two new Warner Bros. signees — Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam — who are credited with jump-starting the New Traditionalist movement of the mid-80s. Though primarily regarded as a traditionalist, Yoakam was actually responsible for incorporating a variety of sounds including rockabilly, cowpunk, and pop, along with the more traditional honky-tonk and bluegrass, into his music. We’ll be giving Yoakam’s catalog a thorough going-over as we feature him as our spotlight artist for the month of January.

Born on October 23, 1956, in Pikeville, Kentucky, Dwight David Yoakam was raised in Columbus, Ohio where he graduated from high school and briefly attended college before dropping out to pursue a career in music. Nashville in the late 70s was not particularly interested in Dwight’s brand of “hillbilly music” as he referred to it, so he headed west to California where he continued to hone his craft playing in honky-tonks and punk clubs.

In 1981, he recorded and released an EP on the independent Oak Records label, which eventually garnered the attention of Warner Bros. Nashville. A re-recorded and expanded version was released in 1986 on Warner’s Reprise imprint. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. sold more than two million copies, beginning a string of gold and platinum-selling albums that would continue until the late 1990s. His debut single for Reprise, a cover of Johnny Horton’s “Honky Tonk Man” reached #3 on the Billboard country singles chart, and the follow-up single “Guitars, Cadillacs” reached #4. In 1988 he reached the top spot on the singles chart for the first time when he teamed up with his idol Buck Owens and released an updated version of “Streets of Bakersfield”. The success of that record brought Owens back into the spotlight and radio airwaves after a long absence, and resulted in a brief career revival. The following year, Yoakam racked up his only #1 hit as a solo artist with “I Sang Dixie”.

Beginning in 1996, Dwight began looking at creative outlets outside of music, and turned to acting, earning critical acclaim for his roles in a number of films including Sling Blade, Panic Room, and Hollywood Homicide. In 2000, he starred in and directed South of Heaven, West of Hell. The accompanying soundtrack album, which Dwight also wrote, marked the end of his association with Warner Bros. Records. Since then, he has recorded less frequently for a variety of independent labels. His most recent release is 2007′s Buck Owens tribute album, Dwight Sings Buck.

Dwight Yoakam is one of those rare artists whose appeal reaches beyond the confines of country music. He managed to bring a hipness factor to the genre, which appealed to those who didn’t normally listen to country, without alienating his more traditional fanbase. We hope that you’ll enjoy our look back at the career of this unique and fascinating artist.