DWIGHT YOAKAM plays Grove of Anaheim Jan. 24 photo: Emily Joyce
As you peruse through Dwight Yoakam’s endless list of accomplishments, you are bound to ask yourself “what hasn’t he done?”
In addition to recording more than twenty-one albums and compilations, Yoakam has charted dozens of singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and sold over 25 million records. He has two Grammy Awards on his resume as well as 15 nominations.
If you aren’t a fan of his music, you’ll at least recognize him from his numerous film and television roles, most notably as the quick-tempered, abusive Doyle Hargraves in “Sling Blade.” He even has his own brand of frozen foods called Bakersfield Biscuits.
But in the meantime, Yoakam has a few gigs to play.
Beginning Jan. 20, Yoakam will kick-off on a nearly six-month long cross-country tour that will bring him to the Grove in Anaheim just a few days later on Sunday, Jan. 24.
Yoakam’s most recent album, Second Hand Heart, became his highest-charting album since Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room in 1988. Featuring his trademark vocal twang and brilliant guitar playing, Second Hand Heart provides fans with a concoction of different musical elements, including the use of electric guitar and even a bit of rockabilly sound.
However, the distinctive sound appreciated by fans across America today was initially met with a bit of skepticism.
After his brand of honky-tonk music was deemed non-marketable in Nashville, Yoakam made the move to Los Angeles where he went the alternative route to promoting his music by playing rock and punk rock clubs throughout the city. Performing with both roots rock and punk rock acts, such as Los Lobos and The Blasters, Yoakam’s music was exposed to a diverse audience not typically prone to tapping their foot along to nasally vocals sung by a singer-songwriter from middle America.
When Yoakam’s first single “Honky Tonk Man” was released in 1986 off his debut LP Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. he achieved national recognition and he soon became a household name. His next two albums achieved equal success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Country Album chart.
In addition to writing a number of original hits, Yoakam has also released covers of dozens of songs from legendary artists such as The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, The Beatles and The Clash.
If Yoakam’s schedule over the next six months is any indication, the country music pioneer certainly shows no signs of slowing down.