Adventures With Dwight

The pages that follow are my homage to a very talented artist -- Dwight Yoakam.  There are a number of outstanding sites dedicated to him and I will not attempt to duplicate their efforts.  Rather, I hope to convey my admiration for him via the chronicling of my experiences as a Dwight "groupie"

Groupie (groo'pe) n. Slang.  1.  A young woman who is a fan, esp. of a rock group, and who follows the group around on tours.  While the terminology is not something that I personally resonate to, I have to acknowledge that it is a descriptor that many of the "uninitiated" :) gravitate to in an attempt to understand what I do. Certainly, I like the "young woman" part :), however I don't feel the definition comes close to describing the emotional and creative impact Dwight's music has had on me.  To try to define that impact would be overwhelming, and I think the attempt would yield, at best, a pale reflection of the actuality.

This journey began in June 1993 for me.  At the outset I thought the ultimate would be to meet Dwight.  I have been extremely fortunate to have had several opportunities to meet him -- a fact that I still find unbelievable.  I've also met a lot of wonderful people and been to a lot of new places.  Throughout it all my level of enthusiasm and excitement has only increased, quite likely  to the bafflement of some ..... doing a happy dance at work while chanting "I'm going to Bakersfield" is something probably only another Dwight fan can appreciate.

I am aware that many of my non-Dwight-fan friends don't "get" the fan thing.  I'd have to admit that prior to discovering Dwight I didn't understand the fan thing either.  Years ago I worked with a woman who followed her idol across the country and I didn't "get it".  (Perhaps the fact that it was Englebert Humperdink played a part in my lack of understanding)  I think you probably have to experience the phenomenon to really understand it.  Still, I have received a great deal of support and encouragement from these friends for my adventures.

For myself I would say that there is a degree of duality in what I do.  While my admiration for and dedication to Dwight are absolute, I freely admit that I often laugh at the extremity (inherent in any type of fanaticism) of what I am doing.  And still ... I find myself irresistably drawn to follow the musical pathways and theatrical odysseys of this man called Dwight.

The stories included here were written to sustain my memories as well as for the entertainment and perhaps amusement of others.  Any implied interaction with Mr. Yoakam is likely the product of wishful thinking on my part. In other words, if I say Dwight smiled at me, well -- maybe he did and maybe he didn't.  Maybe he was smiling at the person to the left or right or me, in front of or behind me.  If he did look at me and smile, I'm well aware that he did the same to any number of others.  Additionally, since I tend to suffer from brainfade when actually face to face with Dwight, any conversational interludes are to the best of my recollection and should not be considered attributable to him.  That said, I hope you enjoy my Adventures With Dwight
 
 
 

Copyright 1999-present, all inclusive
All stories are the property of Linda Lampkin
and may not be used, reproduced or excerpted
in any way without  express permission.

Photo copyrights as noted
Photos may not be used or removed
without owner's permission.

Return to "Contents"
The Next Chapter