Dwight Yoakam is no stranger to covers. He has successfully covered Cheap Trick, Queen, Elvis Presley and even The Clash. (To name a few.) But I have to be honest, I never thought I would ever post something like this here: “Man, I dig Dwight Yoakam covering Prince.
While in the studio recording his latest album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…, he learned of the death of Prince. In People magazine he explained, “We were all lamenting (his death), and I said, ‘It just feels like we should record ‘Purple Rain.’ I had always loved the simplistic beauty of that melody and refrain. I always loved the song.”
He goes on to explain, “The first time I heard it, it stopped me in my in car. It struck me as interesting and as unique an expression of love musically as anything ever in pop music. I thought it spoke volumes about the honest willingness of the person who wrote it to bare his heart to the world through his music. Prince, I never really knew you, but I’m sure going to miss you.”
And now Dwight’s “moment of catharsis” is available to the public. It’s a beautiful tribute to a wonderful musician.
More from Dwight Yoakam can be found on his website and on Facebook.
[…] of songs by these bands and more on his ’97 album Under the Covers. More recently, he has covered none other than Prince. And while more than a few artists have covered non-obvious songs to demonstrate their own […]