Dwight David Yoakam, the modern savior of the Bakersfield-style of electric country music, is actually a native of Kentucky and he's now been a staple of Hollywood productions for years.
Such a quizzical mélange makes sense, really. Give a listen to the way in which Yoakam has blended so many styles of country music into his deep and often-times under-appreciated catalog, and it's easy to hear. Hitting the scene in 1986, during what Steve Earle has famously described as the "Great Credibility Scare" of the mid 1980s, Yoakam, more than any other country star of his time, utilized the video medium to convey his message and image in inventive, humorous and artful ways. And it's something he's continued to do wonderfully, even though his chart-topping days are sadly behind him and his leather pants.
With Yoakam shaking his hips through the metroplex this weekend, we thought now would be a great time to look at the five music videos that anyone -- Yoakam fan or not -- should see in order to really appreciate what the guy has done to promote his music, style and, perhaps most important, his personality through the medium that killed the radio star.
Jump with us for a walk down memory lane.
"Close Up the Honky Tonks" (2007)