Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dwight Yoakam

How Dwight Yoakam built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Dwight Yoakam is an influential American singer-songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He gained widespread recognition in 1986 with his debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., which blended honky-tonk, rockabilly, and a punk sensibility. Yoakam enjoyed significant success from the late 1980s onward, releasing ten studio albums under Reprise Records. He has since worked with labels like Audium, New West, Warner, Sugar Hill Records, and Thirty Tigers. Yoakam's contributions have had a lasting impact on country music and popular culture.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1978: Writing "You're the One"

In 1978, Dwight Yoakam wrote the song "You're the One" about a past relationship.

1982: Meeting Pete Anderson

In 1982, Dwight Yoakam met guitarist and record producer Pete Anderson at a Los Angeles bar, marking the beginning of their friendship and professional collaboration.

1984: Recording of Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. EP

In 1984, Dwight Yoakam, encouraged by Pete Anderson, recorded an extended play (EP) titled Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. through the Oak Records label, featuring original compositions and a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire".

1986: Release of Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.

In 1986, Dwight Yoakam achieved mainstream attention with the release of his debut album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc..

1986: Signing with Reprise Records and Re-issuing Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.

In 1986, Dwight Yoakam signed with Reprise Records after being discovered by executive Paige Levy. Reprise re-issued Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. as his debut album and released "Honky Tonk Man" as a single.

1987: Release of Hillbilly Deluxe

In 1987, Dwight Yoakam released his second Reprise album, Hillbilly Deluxe, which included the cover song "Little Sister" and original compositions.

1988: Hillbilly Deluxe Chart Success

Between 1987 and early 1988, four cuts from Dwight Yoakam's album Hillbilly Deluxe made the top ten on the country music charts, including "Little Ways", "Please, Please Baby", and "Always Late with Your Kisses".

1988: Highest Peak on Top Country Albums Chart Since 1988

Dwight Yoakam's "Second Hand Heart" reached the number two position on the Top Country Albums chart in 2015, marking his highest peak since his album "Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room" in 1988.

1988: Success of Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room

In 1988, Dwight Yoakam's album Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room was released, becoming his third album to top the Billboard country albums chart. His singles "Streets of Bakersfield" (with Buck Owens) and "I Sang Dixie" both reached number one on Hot Country Songs.

1990: Chart Entry with "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose"

In 1990, Dwight Yoakam entered the Billboard country charts for the thirteenth time with "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose", which peaked at number eleven.

1991: Truckin' Cover

In 1991, Dwight Yoakam recorded a cover of The Grateful Dead's "Truckin'", which later appeared on the compilation album "In Others' Words" in 2003.

1991: Recurring Role in "P.S. I Luv U"

In 1991, Dwight Yoakam secured a recurring role in the CBS crime drama "P.S. I Luv U", marking one of his earliest acting roles.

1992: Singles from If There Was a Way

Between 1990 and 1992, Dwight Yoakam's album If There Was a Way produced five more singles: "You're the One", "Nothing's Changed Here", "It Only Hurts When I Cry", "The Heart That You Own", and the Patty Loveless duet "Send a Message to My Heart".

1992: Movie Soundtrack Contributions

In 1992, Dwight Yoakam contributed to two movie soundtracks, including Falling from Grace and Honeymoon in Vegas, and released an album titled La Croix d'Amour for the European market.

1993: Role in "Red Rock West"

In 1993, Dwight Yoakam had a role in the movie "Red Rock West", expanding his acting career.

1993: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

In 1993, Dwight Yoakam won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Ain't That Lonely Yet".

1993: This Time Certified Triple-Platinum

In 1993, Dwight Yoakam's album This Time was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making it his most commercially successful album.

July 1994: This Time Tour Begins

In July 1994, Dwight Yoakam embarked on the 'This Time Tour,' a 75-city tour with Alison Krauss and Union Station as the opening act.

July 1994: Dwight Live Recorded

In July 1994, Dwight Yoakam's live album, Dwight Live, was recorded in San Francisco.

1994: Portrayal of Mac Brazel in "Roswell"

In 1994, Dwight Yoakam portrayed the character Mac Brazel in the made-for-TV movie "Roswell".

1995: Grammy Nominations for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

In 1995, Dwight Yoakam received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Pocket of a Clown".

1995: Release of Dwight Live and Gone

In 1995, Dwight Yoakam released two albums: the live album "Dwight Live," recorded in San Francisco, and the studio album "Gone."

1996: Role as Doyle Hargraves in "Sling Blade"

In 1996, Billy Bob Thornton cast Dwight Yoakam as Doyle Hargraves in the film "Sling Blade", a role Yoakam considered impactful for his acting career.

1996: Grammy Nominations for Best Country Album

In 1996, Dwight Yoakam received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album for "Dwight Live".

1996: Dwight Live Certified Gold

In 1996, the album "Dwight Live" by Dwight Yoakam was certified gold.

1996: "This Time" achieves Triple-Platinum

In 1996, the album "This Time" by Dwight Yoakam was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.

1997: SAG Award Nomination for "Sling Blade" Cast

In 1997, Dwight Yoakam and the cast of "Sling Blade" were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

1997: Grammy Nominations for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

In 1997, Dwight Yoakam received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere".

1997: Release of Under the Covers and Come On Christmas

In 1997, Dwight Yoakam released "Under the Covers", an album of cover songs, followed later in the year by a Christmas music album titled "Come On Christmas".

1998: Appearance in "The Newton Boys"

In 1998, Dwight Yoakam appeared in Richard Linklater's film "The Newton Boys", and he wrote most of the songs for his album "A Long Way Home" at the film's shooting locations.

1998: Release of A Long Way Home and charity album

In 1998, Dwight Yoakam released "A Long Way Home", his first album without co-writers or cover songs, and funded a charity album titled "Will Sing for Food" on Little Dog Records.

1998: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals

In 1998, Dwight Yoakam won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "Same Old Train", a song featuring multiple country artists. The song was featured on "A Tribute to Tradition".

1999: Reunion with Buck Owens

In 1999, Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens met at a concert, leading to a collaboration on "Tomorrow's Sounds Today" after Owens had previously declined collaborations.

1999: Appearance in "The Minus Man"

In 1999, Dwight Yoakam and Sheryl Crow appeared in the thriller "The Minus Man".

2000: Release of dwightyoakamacoustic.net

In 2000, Dwight Yoakam released "dwightyoakamacoustic.net", an album composed entirely of acoustic recordings.

2000: Release of Tomorrow's Sounds Today

In 2000, Dwight Yoakam released the album "Tomorrow's Sounds Today", featuring collaborations with Buck Owens and a cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me".

2000: Grammy Nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance

In 2000, Dwight Yoakam's cover of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

2001: CMA Nomination for Vocal Event of the Year

In 2001, Dwight Yoakam received his final CMA nomination for Vocal Event of the Year for "Alright, I'm Wrong".

2001: Touring with Brooks & Dunn

In 2001, Dwight Yoakam spent much of the year touring with Brooks & Dunn.

2002: Role in "Panic Room"

In 2002, Dwight Yoakam appeared in David Fincher's film "Panic Room". He discussed his view that acting and recording music are similar due to their fragmented nature and required repetition.

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2002: Touring with Brooks & Dunn and founding Electrodisc

In 2002, Dwight Yoakam continued touring with Brooks & Dunn and founded a new record label called Electrodisc.

2002: Financial Failure of "South of Heaven, West of Hell" and Subsequent Actions

In 2002, Dwight Yoakam faced financial difficulties due to the failure of the film "South of Heaven, West of Hell", which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in. This led to lawsuits from crew members and the firing of Pete Anderson from his touring band.

2003: Release of In Others' Words

In 2003, Dwight Yoakam released "In Others' Words" on Reprise, a compilation of cover songs, including some from movie soundtracks and tribute albums to which he contributed.

2003: Release of Population Me

In 2003, Dwight Yoakam released "Population Me", his first album on Audium Records.

2004: End of Partnership with Pete Anderson

In 2004, Dwight Yoakam ended his professional relationship with Pete Anderson. This decision led Yoakam to produce his own album, "Blame the Vain", released in 2005.

2004: Release of The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam and Dwight's Used Records

In 2004, Dwight Yoakam released two compilation albums: "The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam" on Rhino Records and "Dwight's Used Records" on Audium.

2005: Appearances in Bandidas and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

In 2005, Dwight Yoakam appeared in the movies "Bandidas" and "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada", continuing his acting career.

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2005: Signing with New West Records and Release of "Blame the Vain"

In 2005, Dwight Yoakam signed with New West Records, an Americana label, and released the album "Blame the Vain". This album marked Yoakam's debut as a producer after ending his relationship with Pete Anderson in 2004. New West partnered with Columbia Records to release the singles "Intentional Heartache" and "Blame the Vain" to radio, both of which charted in the lower regions of the country charts in 2005.

2006: Appearance in Wedding Crashers

In 2006, Dwight Yoakam appeared in the movie "Wedding Crashers", adding to his filmography.

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2008: Role in "Four Christmases"

In 2008, Dwight Yoakam appeared in the movie "Four Christmases" as Pastor Phil.

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2009: Reduced Concert Performances

In 2009, Dwight Yoakam performed very few concerts, citing the Great Recession and the rise of digital music distribution as factors.

2010: Continued Reduced Concert Performances

Dwight Yoakam continued his trend of performing very few concerts into 2010, attributing the slower pace to the Great Recession and the impact of digital music distribution. Despite this, he affirmed his plans to continue releasing albums.

July 2011: Re-Signing with Warner

In July 2011, Dwight Yoakam re-signed with Warner for his next album.

2012: Release of "3 Pears"

In 2012, Dwight Yoakam released the album "3 Pears", which included production from rock musician Beck on two tracks. The album achieved Yoakam's highest entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart, reaching number 18.

2014: Recurring Role in "Under the Dome" and Reunion with Billy Bob Thornton in "Goliath"

In 2014, Dwight Yoakam had a recurring role in season two of the CBS science fiction series "Under the Dome". He also reunited with Billy Bob Thornton for season one of the Amazon Prime Video original series "Goliath".

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2015: Release of "Second Hand Heart"

In 2015, Dwight Yoakam released the album "Second Hand Heart", which reached the number two position on Top Country Albums after its release. The album consisted almost entirely of original songs written by Yoakam, except for a cover of "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "V's of Birds".

2016: Yoakam's Reflections on "Sling Blade"

In 2016, Dwight Yoakam reflected on his role in "Sling Blade", stating it was the first acting role he believed would have a lasting impact on his career.

2018: Launch of "Bakersfield Beat" on SiriusXM

In 2018, Dwight Yoakam curated his own show, "Bakersfield Beat", on SiriusXM satellite radio's Prime Country channel. Its success led to Yoakam receiving his own dedicated channel also named "Bakersfield Beat".

February 2022: Resolution of Lawsuit Against Warner Music

In February 2022, Dwight Yoakam's dispute with Warner Music was resolved, leading to the re-appearance of his songs on streaming services.

2022: LSD Tour and Hillbilly Deluxe Anniversary Concert

In 2022, Dwight Yoakam embarked on the LSD Tour with Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle. He also performed a concert with Old Crow Medicine Show in 2022 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Hillbilly Deluxe".

November 2024: Announcement of New Album "Brighter Days"

In November 2024, Dwight Yoakam announced the release of "Brighter Days", his first studio album in nine years, set to be released through Via Records/Thirty Tigers. The album features the single "I'll Pay the Price" and a duet with Post Malone titled "I Don't Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)". The project includes covers of Cake's "Bound Away" and the Byrds's "Time Between".