The "Walmart yodeling kid" — or "yodel boy," as he's being called — became an internet
phenomenon after a video of him belting out a spirited version of Hank Williams' "Lovesick
Blues" in an Illinois Walmart went viral.
Since then it's been a whirlwind, with an appearance on Ellen, a college scholarship,
and an invitation to appear on the biggest stage in country music - the Grand Ole Opry.
So just how has 11-year-old Mason Ramsey done it?
Here's everything you didn't know you wanted to know about the Walmart yodeling kid.
Not his first rodeo
Though the world is just now learning about the Yodeling Kid, it's not for a lack of effort
on Ramsey's part.
According to The Southern Illinoisan, he's actually been a fixture of the local music
scene since he was 3 years old.
At an age when most kids have barely mastered the potty, Ramsey opened for country star
Josh Turner, who called Ramsey "the real star of the show."
The country music community took notice, and Ramsey went on to open for Kenny Rogers, Gene
Watson, and the Bellamy Brothers, as well.
Still, the internet didn't catch on despite Ramsey's best efforts.
After an earlier upload of Ramsey singing "Lovesick Blues" didn't make an impression,
Ramsey got some traction after local Kentucky radio station Beaver 100.3 saw a different
clip of the kid singing in a local Walmart.
Even that didn't go viral, though.
It turned out that, like a true country boy, Yodel Kid needed help from more than just
a beaver - he needed a hog.
Like a pig in mud
Ramsey might be the biggest YouTube star in the universe right now, but it was actually
the viral video hub ViralHog that first discovered Ramsey and turned him into a superstar, boosting
his signal nearly a week before the smash clip hit YouTube.
According to ViralHog, Ramsey's cart-stopping performance happened at the Harrisburg, Illinois
Walmart on March 24, 2018, where
"He was very excited to stop and sing for a group of customers that had gathered."
Just how popular has Ramsey become?
The original Hank Williams version of "Lovesick Blues," which was released way back in 1950,
reached #4 on the Spotify Viral 50 Chart.
Nice.
Ellen's DeGenerosity
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has featured so many viral stars that, by now, they're
as much of a staple of her show as dancing, scaring people, and giving away free stuff.
It was the Walmart yodeling kid's turn on April 10th, 2018.
And he did not disappoint his fans, offering vast insight into the daily life of a budding
musical superstar.
"Do you like LA?"
"Yeah, but I'm a country boy."
And what does that mean, exactly?
"And out in the old country, all we do is bale straws of hay and next thing you know,
you sittin' under a tree takin' a nap with your hat down and a weed in your mouth."
Ellen, of course, made all his dreams come true, presenting him with a $15,000 college
scholarship and an invitation to play at the Grand Ole Opry.
"I called my friends at the Grand Ole Opry.
And they want you to perform there Saturday."
"Oh my God!"
[Cheering]
Now that's something to yodel about.
Walmart is rolling in it
Knowing there will probably never be a golden marketing opportunity like this ever again,
Walmart jumped on the Mason Ramsey train with the excitement of a possum eatin' a sweet
potato.
Not only did they make a Yodel Kid snapchat filter, the mega-retailer announced it was
"putting on a concert at his local Walmart to let him shine!"
"Join me for a special concert at Harrisburg Walmart store."
And it proved to be a hit, with tens of thousands of fans watching the concert live on Facebook
and Twitter.
Awesome!
That giant guitar
So what's the deal with Ramsey's adult size guitar, which looks like a gigantic movie
prop next to the tiny Yodeling Kid?
According to Ramsey's granddad, it's a very special guitar that was bequeathed to Ramsey
by a deceased mentor.
"He inherited his guitar from this older fella.
He left it in his will for him."
Ramsey noted that the guitar is, indeed, just as heavy as it looks, but we're sure the Yodeling
Kid will eventually grow into it.
Yodeling into your DMs
Though it took a while for Ramsey to catch his big break, he's certainly making the hay
while the sun shines.
After going viral, Ramsey immediately launched official Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
pages, racking up over a million combined followers.
And that’s just the beginning.
Though he's still so young, and he shot to fame in the quirkiest way possible, the truth
about the Walmart yodeling kid is that he's been putting in his dues for almost his entire
life.
Now that he's gained the national spotlight and set up shop on social media, we don't
see this little superstar fading from fame anytime soon.
We're rooting for you, Mason — keep on yodeling!
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