Wylie Gustafson
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2010) |
| Wylie Gustafson | |
|---|---|
 Wylie Gustafson, world-famous "Yahoo!" yodeler, gets wild on his ranch. |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | June 7, 1961 |
| Origin | Conrad, Montana |
| Genres | Country, folk, rockabilly |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1992-present |
| Website | [1] |
Wylie Gustafson (born Wylie Galt Gustafson, June 7, 1961, Conrad, Montana) is an American singer-songwriter who has toured nationally and internationally with his band, 'Wylie & The Wild West' (formerly 'Wylie & The Wild West Show'). The band is known for its blend of Western swing, classic country, cowboy, rockabilly, folk and yodeling.[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Life and career
He learned to sing and yodel from his father, R.W. "Rib" Gustafson, who is a traditional singer, retired large-animal veterinarian, and author. The elder Gustafson learned to yodel from Austrians on the ski team at Montana State College (now Montana State University), Bozeman, Montana. Among Rib's credits are two books about his life as a pioneering Montana veterinarian.
Wylie Gustafson founded his band, The Wild West, in 1988 in Los Angeles at the world famous Palomino Club where they were regulars on Ronnie Mack's Barn Dance. It was there that Wylie met fellow band member, guitarist and harmony singer Ray Doyle. Since then, Gustafson and his good-time cowboy band have released 16 albums and appeared in concert around the world.
Gustafson is particularly noted as a virtuoso yodeler, having created and voiced the signature "Yahoo-oo-oo!" for Yahoo, Inc..
On April 25,2007 "Montana Lullaby" was declared the official lullaby of Montana. A yodel by Gustafson was used together with lyrics by Ken Overcast to write the lullaby. Montana was the first state to have an official lullaby.[3][4]
[edit] Notable appearances
- Push the Button, hosted by Ant and Dec (2010 season debut)
- Gold Coast Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (2008, 2009)
- Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee (more than 50 times)
- The National Folk Festival (most recently in 2009)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2008)
- National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, Nevada (2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '10, 11)
- A Prairie Home Companion (2006, 2010)
- Lincoln Center
- The Kennedy Center
- Tom Russell's Vancouver-to-Toronto Canadian Cow Train
- Merlefest, Wilkesboro, North Carolina (2002, 2010)
- Bumbershoot International Music & Arts Festival, Seattle, Washington
- Equiblues Festival, St. Agreve, France
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1996 episode: "Freak Show")
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Wylie & the Wild West Show |
| 1994 | Get Wild |
| 1996 | Glory Trail |
| Cattle Call | |
| 1997 | Way out West |
| 1998 | Total Yodel! |
| 2000 | Ridin' the Hi-line |
| 2001 | Paradise |
| 2004 | Hooves of the Horses |
| Cowboy Ballads and Dance Songs | |
| 2005 | Live! at the Tractor |
| 2007 | Bucking Horse Moon |
| Christmas for Cowboys | |
| 2008 | Yodel Boogie! |
| 2009 | Hang -n- Rattle! |
| 2009 | Unwired |
| 2011 | Raven on the Wind |
| 2011 | Rocketbuster |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN AC[5] | |||
| 1994 | "Ugly Girl Blues" | 38 | Get Wild |
| 1995 | "Hey Maria" | — | |
| "Cattle Call" | — | Cattle Call | |
| 1998 | "Girl on the Billboard" | — | Way out West |
| 2001 | "Saddle Burn" | — | Paradise |
[edit] Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "Doctor My Heart"[6] | Brooks Dailey |
| 1994 | "Ugly Girl Blues" | |
| 1995 | "Hey Maria" | |
| "Cattle Call" | ||
| 1998 | "Girl on the Billboard" |
[edit] References
- ^ Nickell, Joe (October 15, 2010). "Wylie Gustafson Sings More Than Yodels, Really is a Cowboy". Missoulian. http://missoulian.com/entertainment/music/article_4ecdabf0-d86a-11df-b100-001cc4c03286.html. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ "Wylie and the Wild West". Montana Living. August 21, 2010. http://www.montanaliving.com/?t=mtliving_inside_video&nid=501&curl=Video-In-the-Arts%2FWylie-and-the-Wild-West-501&nfr19526=10&nfc19526=10. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ^ "Montana's Lullaby". Billings Gazette. April 25, 2007. http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_e299c7cb-c2de-5703-9df3-8d3c89656e0d.html. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ^ "Montana Designates Nation's First Official Lullaby". PRWeb. April 27, 2007. http://www.prweb.com/releases/montana_lullaby/song_cowboy/prweb522356.htm. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
- ^ RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
- ^ "CMT : Videos : Wylie & the Wild West Show : Doctor My Heart". Country Music Television. http://www.cmt.com/videos/wylie-the-wild-west-show/384207/doctor-my-heart.jhtml. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
