Born 70 Years Ago Today in the Bluegrass State, the Swaggering Honky-Tonker Who Built a Bridge Between Country and Rock Audiences

Dwight Yoakam turns 70 on 23 October, marking a career that helped bring traditional honky-tonk to both country and rock audiences. His sharp-edged, stripped-down sound stood apart from the polished pop-country popular when he began recording, yet he went on to become a major country-chart artist.

Born in Pikeville, Kentucky, and raised partly in Ohio, Yoakam drew on bluegrass, classic country and rock influences. After Nashville offered little space for his style, he moved to Los Angeles with guitarist Pete Anderson; his 1984 EP led to a Reprise deal and a 1986 debut album that topped Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. He has released 17 studio albums, earned 13 top-10 country singles, won two Grammys and also acted in films including “Sling Blade” and “Panic Room”.