Country Icon Dwight Yoakam hits the road

The young whippersnappers of modern Country owe a lot to Dwight Yoakam. Once shunned by the Nashville elite, the pioneering singer-songwriter is credited with paving the way for Country music's acceptance in the mainstream. His 'hillbilly honkey tonk stylings' earned him a following of fans that called themselves 'Cow-Punks' in retaliation to the polite Country Pop of the late '70s.

It wasn't long before Hollywood came calling and along with international recognition came 5 Billboard number 1 albums, 12 Gold and 9 Platinum records as well as 2 Grammy Awards. With his cowboy hat tilted at a rakish angle, the 60+-year-old has still got the spark that has electrified his stellar four-decade career. The veteran's vocals are as smooth, earthy and soulful as ever, with a dose of that Country twang thrown in for good measure!