Dwight Yoakam: A Thousand Miles from Nowhere (American Music (University of Texas))

From his formative years playing pure, hardcore honky-tonk for mid-'80s Los Angeles punk rockers through his subsequent surge to the top of the country charts, Dwight Yoakam has enjoyed a singular career. An electrifying live performer, superb writer, and virtuosic vocalist, he has successfully bridged two musical worlds that usually have little use for each other—commercial country and its alternative/Americana/roots-rocking counterpart. Defying the label "too country for rock, too rock for country," Yoakam has triumphed while many of his peers have had to settle for cult acceptance. Four decades into his career, he has sold more than 25 million records and continues to tour regularly, with an extremely loyal fan base. In __Dwight Yoakam__, award-winning music journalist Don McLeese offers the first musical biography of this acclaimed artist. Tracing the seemingly disparate influences in Yoakam's music, McLeese shows how he has combined rock and roll, rockabilly, country, blues, and gospel into a seamless whole. In particular, McLeese explores the essential issue of "authenticity" and how it applies to Yoakam, as well as to country music and popular culture in general. Drawing on wide-ranging interviews with Yoakam and his management, while also benefitting from the perspectives of others closely associated with his musical success (including producer-guitarist Pete Anderson, Yoakam's partner throughout his most popular and creative decades), __Dwight Yoakam__ pays tribute to the musician who has established himself as a visionary beyond time, an artist who could title an album __Tomorrow's Sounds Today__ and deliver it. From his formative years playing pure, hardcore honky-tonk for mid-'80s Los Angeles punk rockers through his subsequent surge to the top of the country charts, Dwight Yoakam has enjoyed a singular career. An electrifying live performer, superb writer, and virtuosic vocalist, he has successfully bridged two musical worlds that usually have little use for each other--commercial country and its alternative/Americana/roots-rocking counterpart. Defying the label "too country for rock, too rock for country," Yoakam has triumphed while many of his peers have had to settle for cult acceptance. Four decades into his career, he has sold more than 25 million records and continues to tour regularly, with an extremely loyal fan base.
In Dwight Yoakam, award-winning music journalist Don McLeese offers the first musical biography of this acclaimed artist. Tracing the seemingly disparate influences in Yoakam's music, McLeese shows how he has combined rock and roll, rockabilly, country, blues, and gospel into a seamless whole. In particular, McLeese explores the essential issue of "authenticity" and how it applies to Yoakam, as well as to country music and popular culture in general. Drawing on wide-ranging interviews with Yoakam and his management, while also benefitting from the perspectives of others closely associated with his musical success (including producer-guitarist Pete Anderson, Yoakam's partner throughout his most popular and creative decades), Dwight Yoakam pays tribute to the musician who has established himself as a visionary beyond time, an artist who could title an album Tomorrow's Sounds Today and deliver it. Introduction: A Thousand Miles from Nowhere 12 1. How Far Is Heaven? 22 2. Readin’, Rightin’, Rt. 23 32 3. South of Cincinnati, West of Columbus 42 4. Corvette Cowboy 52 5. From Kentucky Bourbon to Babylonian Cowboys 60 6. Who You Callin’ Cowpunk? 70 7. Honky-Tonk Man 78 8. “It’s Jes’ Ol’ Hillbilly Stuff" 90 9. Hillbilly Deluxe 102 10. Streets of Bakersfield 112 11. Bonus Cut 122 12. “Well, I’m Back Again . . ." 126 13. Wild Ride 136 14. Gone, Real Gone 150 15. Act Naturally 162 16. The Same Fool 168 17. Playing Out the String 176 18. South of Heaven, West of Hell (and Off the Charts) 182 19. Splitsville 192 20. Produced by Dwight Yoakam 200 21. The Buck Stops Here 208 22. “I Wanna Love Again, Feel Young Again" 216 Appendix. The Dwight Dozen: A Selected Discography 226 Acknowledgments 228 Award-winning music journalist Don McLeese offers the first musical biography of the electrifying artist who has most successfully bridged the disparate worlds of commercial country and alternative/Americana/roots music, Dwight Yoakam. Chronicles the musical life of the country star who has made a career of blending disparate influences, drawing on interviews to explore his authenticity and success as an artist