Whatever Happened To Wynn Stewart?

If you've ever heard a Country Music fan talk about the 'Bakersfield Sound', they may have been referring to people like Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam or Merle Haggard.

They should also be talking about a gentleman by the name of Wynn Stewart.

In fact, those three artist's and many more cite Wynn Stewart as an inspiration and influence in their careers.

While Wynn was born and raised in Missouri, he is most closely associated with that 'West Coast' sound in country music that he helped to create.

His first Top 10 hit came in 1960 with 'Wishful Thinking'.

He continued his chart success into the 1970's, but at least for me, his signature song is his #1 smash hit from 1967, 'It's Such A Pretty World Today'.

So whatever happened to Wynn Stewart?

Well, in the mid 1980's Wynn was launching a kind of 'comeback' tour when he died suddenly of a heart attack on July 17, 1985.  He was just 51 years old.

But he left us with a great country music legacy, from his own great Country Classics and through his influence in so many other country music legends.