Dwight Yoakam Video Showcase

Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor.

Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, the son of Ruth Ann, a key-punch operator, and David Yoakam, a gas-station owner. He was raised in Columbus, Ohio, growing up with his mother and step-father, who had a white-collar job in the automotive industry. He graduated from Columbus' Northland High School on June 9, 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 the 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, Yoakam sang and played guitar with local garage bands, and frequently entertained his friends and classmates as an amateur comedian, impersonating politicians and other celebrities, such as Richard Nixon, who, at that time, was heavily embroiled in the Watergate controversy.

Yoakam briefly attended The Ohio State University, but dropped out and moved to Nashville in the late 1970s with the intent of becoming a recording artist.

Read the Wikipedia article about Dwight Yoakam...

Photo author: Larry Coor from flickr.com