Early life

Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, the son of Ruth Ann (née Tibbs), a key-punch operator, and David Yoakam, a gas-station owner. He was raised in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated from 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, he 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 Los Angeles in 1977 with the intent of becoming a recording artist. On May 7, 2005, Ohio Valley University in Parkersburg, West Virginia awarded and presented him with an honorary doctorate degree.

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 called it) forward into the 1980s. Writing all his own songs, and continuing to perform mostly outside traditional country music channels, he 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. 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 by Reprise Records, with several additional tracks, as his major-label debut LP, 1986's Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.. It launched his career. "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, was just as successful. His third LP, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, included his first No. 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 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 dubbed him "A Renaissance Man" and Vanity Fair declared that "Yoakam strides the divide between rock's lust and country's lament." Along with his bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, he has written or covered many Elvis Presley-style rockabilly songs, including his covers of 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". He 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.

2005 saw the release of Yoakam's well-reviewed album Blame the Vain, on New West Records. He 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 her official website in early 2011.

In July 2011, Yoakam resigned with Warner Bros. Nashville and announced plans to release a new album. 3 Pears was released on September 18, 2012 with twelve new tracks. Produced by him, it includes a collaboration with Beck. 3 Pears was released to resounding critical acclaim and earned him the highest-charting debut of his career on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Country Albums charts. 3 Pears reached #1 on the Americana Radio chart on October 29, 2012 and went on to break the 2012 record for most weeks at #1 on Americana Radio. By the end of 2012, it was named on annual best of lists by NPR, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, AOL's The Boot, Entertainment Weekly, The Village Voice, and Rhapsody, and has been included in more critics' "best of 2012" lists than any other artist in the country genre.

In June 2014, Rolling Stone ranked the song "Guitars, Cadillacs" #94 in their list of the 100 greatest country songs.

In February 2015, Yoakam announced a new studio album, titled Second Hand Heart and released on April 14.

Film and television 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 psychopathic killer in 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 and its sequel, Crank 2: High Voltage. In addition, he also guest starred in the King of the Hill episode "Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men" as Lane Pratley. He also had a cameo appearance in the 2005 comedy movie Wedding Crashers. In 2006, he starred alongside Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek in Bandidas; in 2008, he played Pastor Phil in Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon; and he appears in 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. He also played Brentwood Glasscock in The Newton Boys.

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).

Yoakam was featured in a recurring role as Bruce on the FX series Wilfred but was replaced by William Baldwin in the show's fourth and final season. He also appears in the second season of Under the Dome as Lyle Chumley, who runs the Chester's Mill's barbershop.

Food ventures

Yoakam's food brand, Bakersfield Biscuits, sells frozen foods at retailers such as Wal-Mart Superstores, Walgreens, Sam's Club, and Kroger.

Awards and recognition

Wins

• Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist - 1986
• CMT Europe Artist of the Year Award - 1993
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - 1994
• Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals - 1999
• Country Music Association Award for International Touring Artist (2007)
• Academy of Country Music Cliffe Stone Pioneer Award - 2011
• Americana Music Award for Artist of the Year - 2013

Nominations

• Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year - Guitars, Cadillacs (1986)
• Country Music Association Horizon Award - 1986
• Country Music Association Award for Video of the Year - "Honky Tonk Man" (1986)
• Grammy Award for Best Country Song - 1987
• Academy of Country Music Award for Video of the Year - "Little Sister" (1987)
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - 1987
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - 1988
• Academy of Country Music Award for Top Vocal Duet - "Streets of Bakersfield" (1988)
• Academy of Country Music Award for Top Male Vocalist - 1988
• Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year - "Streets of Bakersfield" (1988)
• Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year - Buenos Noches From A Lonely Room (1988)
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration - 1989
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - 1989
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration - 1990
• Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - 1991
• Academy of Country Music Award for Top Vocal Duet - "Send a Message to My Heart" (1992)
• Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year - "Buzzin' Cousins" (1992)
• Academy of Country Music Award for Single Record of the Year - "Ain't That Lonely Yet" (1993)
• Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year - "Ain't That Lonely Yet" (1993)
• Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year - This Time (1993)
• Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of the Year - 1994
• Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance - 1995
• Grammy Award for Best Country Album - 1996
• Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance - 1996
• Grammy Award for Best Country Album - 1997
• Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance - 1997
• Grammy Award for Best Country Album - 1998
• Academy of Country Music Award for Vocal Event of the Year - "Same Old Train" (1998)
• Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year - "Same Old Train" (1988)
• Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance - 2000
• Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance - 2001
• Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year - "Alright, I'm Wrong" (2001)

Discography

Main articles: Dwight Yoakam albums discography and Dwight Yoakam singles discography

Studio albums

• Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (1986)
• Hillbilly Deluxe (1987)
• Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (1988)
• If There Was a Way (1990)
• This Time (1993)
• Gone (1995)
• A Long Way Home (1998)
• dwightyoakamacoustic.net (2000)
• Tomorrow's Sounds Today (2000)
• South of Heaven, West of Hell (Soundtrack) (2001)
• Population Me (2003)
• Blame the Vain (2005)
• 3 Pears (2012)
• Second Hand Heart (2015)

Christmas albums

• Come On Christmas (1997)

Cover albums

• 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 (1999)
• Reprise, Please, Baby (2002)
• The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam (2004)
• 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-2012 (2013)

International releases

• This Is... (1990)
• La Croix D'Amour (1992)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Red Rock West	Truck Driver
1993	Rhythm & Jam	Himself	Television movie
1994	Roswell	Mac Brazel	Television movie
1995	The Little Death	Bobby Lomax
1996	Don't Look Back	Skipper	Television movie
1996	Sling Blade	Doyle Hargraves	Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1997	Painted Hero	Virgil Kidder
1998	The Newton Boys	Brentwood Glasscock
1998	When Trumpets Fade	George Rickman	Television 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	Sheriff Belmont
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
2015	90 Minutes in Heaven	Jon

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Hee Haw	Himself	Episode: "18.7"
1991	P.S. I Luv U	Harlan Justice	Episode: "I'd Kill to Direct"
1997	Ellen	The Bag Boy	Episode: "The Puppy Episode - Part 2"
1998	King of the Hill	Lane Pratley	Episode: "Nine Pretty Darn Angry Men"
2002	Dinner for Five	Himself	Episode: "1.8"
2011-2013	Wilfred	Bruce	3 episodes
2013	To Appomattox	George Meade	7 episodes
2014	Under the Dome	Lyle Chumley	7 episodes

[ Source: Wikipedia ]