Genre News

Dwight Yoakam has returned to Warner Music Nashville -- his first major-label home -- after a decade elsewhere. Yoakam debuted on the Top Country Albums chart in 1986 with "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc," which spent two weeks at No. 1. He has since charted 21 albums, 16 were on the Reprise/Warner label. His most recent albums, 2005's "Blame the Vain" and 2007's tribute to Buck Owens, "Dwight Sings Buck," were released on New West Records.

Yoakam, who rejoined the label in July, is currently working on a new studio album which he's co-producing with Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, the Shins).

"After my initial meeting with John Esposito and Scott Hendricks, Warner felt like the place to be again for my new album," says Yoakam. "I've just begun the initial tracking for my new album and I am looking forward to completing this project and releasing it next year. I remain excited about the enthusiasm that Warner has expressed in their desire to once again be the conduit for my songs and recordings."

Yoakam has placed 39 singles on the country chart, including 14 top 10 hits and the No. 1 hits "Streets of Bakersfield" and "I Sang Dixie." He's charted 21 titles on the Top Country Albums chart, among them three No. 1s.

The news arrives on the same day that Billboard.biz exclusively revealed that CMA's reigning Male Vocalist of the Year, Blake Shelton, re-upped his deal with Warner.

"Knowing that Blake Shelton, who is simply at the top of his class, and Dwight Yoakam, one of the most respected singer/songwriters in the history of country music, want to call Warner Music Nashville their home, validates that the team we have in place is on the right track," said Esposito, Warner Music Nashville's president. "Warner is dedicated to being a place where artists can be creative and can fearlessly try new things."