Dwight Yoakam: A Country Music Pioneer

Dwight Yoakam, one of America’s most versatile singer-songwriters, musicians and actors, has been pleasing audiences for more than three decades. He has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner.

Yoakam has recorded 12 gold albums and nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, including five that topped Billboard’s country chart and another 14 that landed in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted on Billboard, with 14 peaking in the Top 10.

He is also the recipient of the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, the most prestigious award offered by the organization.

In addition to his musical career, Yoakam is a formidable film and TV actor who has appeared in more than 40 feature films, including memorable roles in Sling Blade and Panic Room.

Yoakam’s self-curated SiriusXM channel, titled Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat “Where Country Went Mod,” launched earlier this year. The channel celebrates the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired.

Last summer, Yoakam joined Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle on the so-called LSD Tour, which united three of music’s most celebrated and iconic voices for the first time.