Dwight YoakamDwight Yoakam at the unveiling of his Hollywood star.Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American musician, songwriter, and actor. BiographyYoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, and 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's 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. 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 '70s with the intent of becoming a recording artist. When he began his career, Nashville was oriented towards pop Urban Cowboy music, and Yoakam's brand of Bakersfield honky tonk was not considered marketable. He began playing live in the Los Angeles area, performing with punk bands like Dead Kennedys, Butthole Surfers and X; and roots-rock bands The Blasters and Los Lobos. Yoakam debuted with the college radio staple A Town South of Bakersfield in 1984 (1984 in music). His debut LP was 1986's Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and it instantly launched his career (1986 in music). "Honky Tonk Man" (Johnny Horton) and "Guitars, Cadillacs" were hit singles. The follow-up LP, Hillbilly Deluxe, was just as successful. His third LP, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, included his first #1, a duet with Buck Owens, "Streets of Bakersfield". 1990's (1990 in music) If There Was a Way was another best-seller. Yoakam's song Readin', Writin', and Route 23 pays tribute to his childhood move from Kentucky, and is titled after a local expression describing the route that rural Kentuckians need to take to find a job. (U.S. Highway 23 runs north from Kentucky through Columbus and Toledo, and through the automotive centers of Michigan.) Yoakam has also taken some acting roles, most notably as the abusive alcoholic Doyle in Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade (1996) and as a psychotic killer in 2002's Panic Room. He has also appeared in Southern California live theater, combining his acting talents with the talents of director Peter Fonda. Having diverged from pop-icon status in country-western faire, Yoakam is today more likely to be identified as having an older, or more traditional style, and mentioned with his contemporaries such as George Strait. But along with his bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, Yoakam has written or covered many Elvis Presley-style rockabilly songs, including his popular covers of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in 1999 and Presley's "Suspicious Minds." He even recorded a cover of the Clash's "Train In Vain" in 1997. DiscographyFull albums
Greatest hits albums
Filmography
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But along with his bluegrass and honky-tonk roots, Yoakam has written or covered many Elvis Presley-style rockabilly songs, including his popular covers of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" in 1999 and Presley's "Suspicious Minds." He even recorded a cover of the Clash's "Train In Vain" in 1997. Only Nashville Star still remains as a returning series and is the most popular. Having diverged from pop-icon status in country-western faire, Yoakam is today more likely to be identified as having an older, or more traditional style, and mentioned with his contemporaries such as George Strait. This series has been imitated by many other shows, among them Cupid, Superstar USA and Nashville Star (hosted by LeAnn Rimes). He has also appeared in Southern California live theater, combining his acting talents with the talents of director Peter Fonda. One or two more cities may also be added later as there are usually late additions to the list. Yoakam has also taken some acting roles, most notably as the abusive alcoholic Doyle in Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade (1996) and as a psychotic killer in 2002's Panic Room. As of now, the current list of cities (tentative) are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Memphis and San Diego. Highway 23 runs north from Kentucky through Columbus and Toledo, and through the automotive centers of Michigan.). The fifth season of American Idol will be held starting in January 2006 with auditions expected to be in the summer and early autumn of 2005. (U.S. The winner of the competition was Carrie Underwood. Yoakam's song Readin', Writin', and Route 23 pays tribute to his childhood move from Kentucky, and is titled after a local expression describing the route that rural Kentuckians need to take to find a job. It featured appearances by former auditioners of questionable talent, and celebrity cameos by Kenny G, Rascal Flatts, David Hasselhoff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Benson, Billy Preston, Babyface and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 1990's (1990 in music) If There Was a Way was another best-seller. The fourth season finale featuring Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood aired May 24-May 25. His third LP, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room, included his first #1, a duet with Buck Owens, "Streets of Bakersfield". Vonzell Solomon was the 10th contestant voted off the Top 12 on Wednesday May 18th. The follow-up LP, Hillbilly Deluxe, was just as successful. For the third and final song of the night, one of the standard judges (Jackson, Abdul or Cowell) chose each contestant's selection. "Honky Tonk Man" (Johnny Horton) and "Guitars, Cadillacs" were hit singles. In an unprecented move, Bo Bice performed his choice completely a cappella. His debut LP was 1986's Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and it instantly launched his career (1986 in music). The second song the performers chose any song from any era. Yoakam debuted with the college radio staple A Town South of Bakersfield in 1984 (1984 in music). He chose the first song each performer would sing, many of
which he produced in his career. When he began his career, Nashville was oriented towards pop Urban Cowboy music, and Yoakam's brand of Bakersfield honky tonk was not considered marketable.
He began playing live in the Los Angeles area,
performing with punk bands like Dead
Kennedys, Butthole Surfers and X; and roots-rock bands The Blasters and Los Lobos. 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. Instead of competing in semifinal heats in which the top vote-getters are promoted to the final round, 24 semifinalists were named -- 12 men and 12 women, who competed separately, with 2 of each gender being voted off each week until 12 finalists were left. He graduated from Columbus's Northland High School on June 9, 1974. This season also implemented new rules for the final portion of the contest. Yoakam was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, and raised in Columbus, Ohio, growing up with his mother and step-father, who had a white collar job in the automotive industry. He acquired mild fame by repeatedly yelling, "Can you dig it?" to the judges and for the inability of the judges to fully understand him. Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American musician, songwriter, and actor. Also noted was Leroy Wells from Grand Bay, Alabama who auditioned in New Orleans singing Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money". Hollywood Homicide (2003). The most notable contestant in the early episodes was Mary Roach, who auditioned in Washington D.C. Her rendition of Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move", as well as her comments to the judges that followed her audition, brought considerable negative attention (including false rumors of mental illness) and comparisons to William Hung. Panic Room (2002). Among the music featured in the program: on January 19, 2005, "Look At Me" written by Sara Hickman and performed by her 8-year-old daughter Lily (from the album Big Kid). The Newton Boys (1998). The music celebrities featured were:. Sling Blade (1996). While in the past seasons celebrity guest judges have been invited to participate during the competition, this was the first season where guest judges were invited to participate in the auditions. Roswell (1994). Auditions were held from August to October 2004. Last Chance For A Thousand Years (Reprise, 1999). Louis, Missouri, New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cleveland, Ohio, Orlando, Florida and San Francisco, California. L'Croix D'Amour (Warner-France, 1992). Auditions were held in Washington, DC, St. This Is... (Warner-Japan, 1990). The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005. Just Looking' For A Hit (Reprise, 1989). Paul Anka made an appearance in the Season Finale. Population Me (Warner, 2003). The third season was also shown in Australia on Network Ten about half a week after episodes were shown in the US. South Of Heaven, West Of Hell (Soundtrack) (Warner, 2001). During the season, controversy over the legitimacy of the contest increased as geeky rocker Jon Peter Lewis and young crooner John Stevens stayed afloat while others were unexpectedly eliminated. Tomorrow's Sounds Today (Reprise, 2000). After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes in total, Fantasia Barrino won the "American Idol" title and Diana DeGarmo was runner up. dwightyoakamacoustic.net (Reprise, 2000). The third season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2004. A Long Way Home (Reprise, 1998). Paul Anka made an appearance during the Season finale. Under The Covers (Reprise, 1997). Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show because of their alleged romance. Come On Christmas (Reprise, 1997). The rumor mills were buzzing once again in 2005 when Season Two contestant Corey Clark, who was himself kicked off the show because of a police record he had not disclosed to the show, alleged that he had had an affair with judge Paul Abdul. Gone (Reprise, 1995). Controversy arose when semi-finalist Frenchie Davis was booted from the show, after topless pictures she had taken four years before the show aired surfaced. Dwight Live (Reprise, 1995). Despite Studdard's win, Aiken has enjoyed more widespread popularity. This Time (Reprise, 1993). Out of 24 million votes cast, Studdard finished just 130,000 votes ahead of Aiken, although there remains controversy over the validity of the reported results. If There Was A Way (Reprise, 1990). In season two with Seacrest as the lone host, Ruben Studdard was the winner with Clay Aiken as runner up. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (Reprise, 1988). Guarini's self titled album was a flop, selling just 130,000 copies to date. Hillbilly Deluxe (Reprise, 1987). Since then it has sold nearly 2 million copies, and includes such hits as "Since U Been Gone" (#2 on Billboard) and "Breakaway" (#6 on Billboard). Etc. (Warner/Reprise, 1986). Her first album Thankful debuted at #1, went double-platinum, and spawned the grammy-nominated hit "Miss Independent." Her sophomore album Breakaway debuted in November 2004 at #3 on the Billboard Charts. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Since winning, Clarkson has gone on to a successful musical career. Etc. (Oak, 1984) - independent release. Numerous television specials starring the ten finalists followed, as well as the box office bomb entitled From Justin to Kelly. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Kelly Clarkson won, with Justin Guarini coming in second. In the first season the show was co-hosted by Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. The number next to a contestant's name denotes the number of times he or she was in the "Bottom Three". Kelly Clarkson came in second after Norway's Kurt Nilsen. In December 2003, winners of eleven different national Idol competitions were collected for a World Idol competition in London. A spin-off series called American Juniors premiered on June 3, 2003. This process is repeated each week until the one remaining contestant is declared the winner. Over the course of the episode, two are revealed as being "safe" for the week, and the loser is sent home after performing one final song to end the episode. The bottom three vote-getters are separated from the remaining contestants. In any case, each week on the following night's live "results" episode, the contestant with the fewest votes is sent home. However in Season Two, in the final three, one song was chosen randomly from a bowl, with one chosen by the performer and one by the judges. Instead, each contestant sings three songs: one of their own choice, one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by record executive Clive Davis. When there are three finalists remaining, themes are no longer used. Artists around whom themes have been based include Barry Manilow, Gloria Estefan, and Elton John. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist performs a song live in primetime from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds). They can however watch movies, since they have no known distracting effect on the contestants. The only time when a contestant can be free from this rule as if he or she gets voted out. This is to keep the contestants safe from terrorists, epidemics, paparazzi, and to distance contestants from distractions that might be detrimental to their singing ability. This stops contestants from using cell phones (unless between family members or during an emergency), the Internet (especially chatting and message boards), leaving the Hollywood jurisdiction, leaving their apartments without consent, watching TV (especially News and Sports), listening to radio stations, and reading newspapers during their duration in the competition. Also contestants are contracted to be "conclaved" from the outside world. Contestants who failed the test have not been allowed to proceed in the competion. Semifinalists are also subjected to drug tests, in order to avoid scandals involving drug usage. Several finalists have been disqualified for revelations that surfaced late in the competition. Semifinalists (and in some cases, other contestants as well) must submit to background checks and may be summarily disqualified for past behavior deemed undesirable, such as an arrest record. This was changed to the procedure (see above) in the 4th season due to the abundace of females (and no males left in the final 4) in the third season. In season 1, 5 contestants were chosen, and judges chose one to advance to the finals. Each judge chose one semifinalist to advance to the final round, and a studio audience vote determined the final wildcard spot, rounding out the field of twelve finalists. When all the semifinal shows had been completed, there was a wildcard phase. Each week for four (three for season one) weeks, one group would perform with the top two (three for season one) vote-getters from each group advancing to the finals. In the first season, they were 30 contestants, divided into three groups of ten. During the middle seasons, the semifinal round consisted of 32 semifinalists who were divided into four groups of eight. At the end of the semifinal rounds, the six men and six women who remain advance to the finals. On the following night's episode the results of the nationwide vote are announced, and the bottom two vote-getters are eliminated each week. Callers are allowed to vote as many times as they like for any number of contestants. Viewers have two hours following the broadcast of the show in their time zone to phone in votes for their favorite contestant by calling a toll-free number (viewers may also send text messages to vote). Each contestant performs live (in the eastern and central time zones), in primetime, a song of his or her choice, and receives critiques from the judges, who, from this point on, serve almost entirely in an advisory capacity, with little direct influence on the results. On three consecutive weeks, the male semifinalists perform only against the other men, and the women only against the other women. Once in Hollywood, the three judges narrow the initial field of several hundred down to a group of 24 semifinalists, divided equally between men and women, who are invited to perform in the live portions of the show. His case was not taken up by the EEOC. In early 2003, a 50-year-old college professor named Drew Cummings filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charging the show with age discrimination because producers denied him an audition due to his age. For the fourth season, the upper age limit was raised to 28 to attract more mature and diverse contestants. citizens and, for the first three seasons, had to be 16 to 24 years of age. Contestants must be U.S. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included season two's performance of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" by Keith Beukelaer and season three's rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" by William Hung. Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter. Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. These "contestants" have been selected by the preliminary panels in a negative sense, a typical combination is lack of singing ability combined with vanity regarding their "talent." Others are selected for human interest potential, the 2005 auditions featured a "cannibal" who had sampled human flesh in an anthropology class and an aspiring female prize fighter. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. One of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges. The contestants selected despite lack of singing talent for appearance before the panel provide a major attraction to the viewing audience as they simultaneously proclaim their talent while turning out gut-wrenching performances which are ridiculed by the judges. Those who impress a majority of the judges move on to the second round auditions which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on). Contestants are required to sing a cappella. In order to be eligible, the contestants are not permitted to have any current recording or talent management agreements (but may have had one at some point in the past). Based on turnout and availability, producers select a certain number from the crowd to audition before the three judges (this may take several rounds). These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. In the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, hopeful contestants, after being screened by preliminary panels which select for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest, audition before three judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) in cities across the United States (sometimes a celebrity fourth judge is added). Each contestant gets a contract by one Bertelsmann's many music labels because Bertelsmann owns a 50/50 stake in Sony BMG. American Idol is produced by Fremantle North America which is owned by German Bertelsmann AG. The show is a competition in which viewers can call in and vote on contestants to determine the best "undiscovered" young singer in the United States, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up have achieved enough fame to ink record deals of their own. American Idol is a television show featured on the Fox Network in the United States, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers (2005). American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics (2004). "What the World Needs Now" (single) (2003). "God Bless The U.S.A." (single) (2003). American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (2003). American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs (2003). American Idol Greatest Moments (2002). February 2, Brandy. February 1, LL Cool J. January 26, Kenny Loggins. January 25, Gene Simmons of KISS. January 18, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. |