The Truth About The Walmart Yodeling Kid

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. Clad in a bowtie, cowboy boots, and a belt buckle that could double as a shield, 11-year-old Mason Ramsey spun viral gold with his rhythmic toe-tapping and exaggerated falsetto version of the classic country tune.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind. He went on Ellen, of course. He's been memed into oblivion, and he's even inexplicably become a darling of the electronic dance music world. Go figure.

As of this writing, he's already landed his dream gig and secured a college scholarship, and he's even headlined his own concert at — where else? — Walmart, which the retail giant livestreamed on Twitter and Facebook on April 11, 2018. Though it seems like it's just the beginning for Ramsey, he's actually already accomplished a ton in the first decade of his life. This is the truth about the Walmart yodeling kid.

Though Ramsey's preferred genre is obviously country, he's somehow became the darling of the electronic dance music (EDM) community, according to Billboard. In addition to being the subject of a surreal video made my EDM megastar Steve Aoki, Ramsey's Walmart performance has now been sampled into many, many dance mixes.

Two of the most popular remixes so far have been the "Walmart yodeling kid (TRAP REMIX)" (above) by Timo, which, as of this writing, has over half a million views and counting. There's also "Yodeling Walmart Kid EDM Remix" by Galactic Fusion, which has a jaw-dropping nearly 7 million views. In other words, to say that folks are getting down to yodel boy in the clubs even more than they are in the housewares aisle is a huge understatement.

And while we're on the subject of meme collision, a literal internet supernova occurred thanks to this video of Millie Bobby Brown, the star of Stranger Things, dancing to a Walmart yodeling kid remix by using young meme star Backpack Kid's signature move, flossing. We will never understand how the web even survived what could easily be described as an 8.9 magnitude "memequake."

According to a 2017 profile of the Walmart yodeling kid by 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 at the Carson Center, where he blew the audience away with a performance of "I Saw The Light." Turner was so impressed, he called Ramsey "the real star of the show."

Ramsey got the Turner gig by competing in — and winning — a talent show at The Kentucky Opry, and, after nailing his professional debut, he went on to open for Kenny Rogers, Gene Watson, and the Bellamy Brothers, as well.

"We take Mason all over the country. He just loves to sing," said Earnest Ramsey, Mason's grandfather. It was Earnest, who, along with his wife, Frances, raised Mason since he was three weeks old. Earnest also unwittingly inspired Mason's singing career by exposing the youngster to the music of Hank Williams with a karaoke machine he kept in his garage.

Before his internet moniker, Mason adopted the stage name "Little Hank" as a nod to the legendary country star, and, over time, his fan club even took notice. In fact, they invited Ramsey to perform at the 38th Annual Hank Williams Festival in Georgiana, Ala., which he did in June of 2017. So, if you think Walmart invented this kid, that's nothing but a beautiful drEEeeEEeam for the retail giant.

DeGeneres has hosted so many meme stars that, by now, they are as much of a staple of her show as dancing, scaring people, and giving away free stuff. Thus, it was the Walmart yodeling kid's turn on April 10, 2011. One of the first things he told her was that he's not a fan of sparkling water, which he tried for the first time upon his arrival in Hollywood.

Mason went on to say that he is "a country boy" who enjoys "sitting under a tree and taking a nap with your hat down and a weed in your mouth," and that the reason he sings at Walmart — which he estimates he's done "like 50,000 times" — is because "that's the only store we've got." Seriously, there are born stars, and Mason Ramsey is one of them. But getting back to the point here, Ramsey also told Ellen his dream, which is "to sing at The Grand Ole Opry," as well as to "go to college," "move to Florida," and "work [his] way up in a motorhome."

We don't know what that means, but it sounds great, and Ellen, of course, got him on his way with a $15,000 college scholarship as well as a gig at The Grand Ole Opry just four days later where he'll perform with "Ricky Skaggs, David Ball, Lorrie Morgan, Natalie Stovall, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Point of Grace, and more." Now that's something to yodel about.

In between his performances for Beaver 100.3, the Walmart yodeling kid sat down for a brief but illuminating interview alongside his grandpa Earnest. During the chat, the elder Ramsey revealed that Mason acquired the guitar that he plays after it was left to him in the will of "an older feller" with whom Mason used to sing in "jam sessions."

Nope, we don't have a million more questions about that whole situation. Unfortunately, Grandpa Ramsey didn't elaborate. However, when asked whether he likes the axe, Mason agreed, but also acknowledged that the Alvarez acoustic is "heavy." It is a full size guitar after all, which when stood up straight is probably nearly as tall as the young superstar.

Though the six-string has certainly served him well thus far, something tells us that young Mason is going to be able to afford many, many more of them in the very near future.