Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Meet Mason Ramsey: The 2018 Viral Yodel Boy At Walmart

Yodel Boy Mason Ramsey
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Mason Ramsey or also more popularly known as ‘Yodel Boy’ or ‘Lil’ Hank’ had taken social media by storm after a video of him yodeling in his hometown Walmart went viral in early 2018. Fitted with his white dress shirt tucked in tight-fitting blue jeans-wearing leather boots and finished off with a red bowtie, the then 11-year-old undeniably looked the part of a country musician as well. And he definitely had the talent and the star quality on top of that.

But after yodeling his way to television, the Coachella, the Opry, and a high-profile record deal, where is Mason Ramsey now? 

Boy Yodels to the Tune of Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues”

On March 24, 2018, a teacher’s assistant in Harrisburg, Illinois, and a longtime classic country fan named Dana Tanner was shopping in her hometown Walmart when she heard a familiar voice singing just a few aisles from her. 

Mason Ramsey is popular in his hometown as a performer at local festivals and also a participant in small-town talent competitions around the area. The kid definitely loves singing, and he is so passionate about it that he would routinely sing Hank Williams songs in public. So, it wasn’t surprising that people would recognize his voice. 

When Tanner finally found him, she asked Ramsey’s grandmother if she could record a video of him singing. And then she uploaded the video on her Facebook after. This wasn’t the first time she did this, so she was shocked when she received a phone call from a relative in Texas telling her that her video had gone viral. 

And one thing led to another. Mason became an overnight sensation, and before he could process all the fame, he was out there appearing on Ellen and getting invited to perform at Coachella. He also received a scholarship from Walmart. But the most memorable one was that he was given a chance to fulfill his dream since he was three – to perform on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry

The viral video also landed him a contract and his very own debut single titled “Famous.” 

Who is Mason Ramsey?

Mason Ramsey was born on November 16, 2006 and raised in Golconda, Illinois by his paternal grandparents. Ernest and Frances, when he was just three weeks old. Mason has an older sister, although there were hardly any details about his family. 

Mason could sing before he could even speak, and he loved listening to the music of the 1940s and the ‘50s alongside his grandparents. And even before he became viral, he already has an impressive resume to boast about.  

At age 4, he already performed for Josh Turner, then opened for Gene Watson when he was five. Then he took up the guitar when he turned 6, and at the age of 7, he already sang with Kenny Rogers. But that wasn’t just all of it.

In January 2015, he won the beginner division of the 27th Annual Kentucky Opry Talent Search with his rendition of Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Then two years later, he found himself as an internet star after a video of him singing Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” got picked up. He even performed the song in a radio station studio with his guitar. 

Where is Mason Ramsey now?

After his whirlwind journey to fame, he released his debut single “Famous.” After that, Mason Ramsey got to enjoy his life – meet and perform with other artists. And in 2019, he released another song titled Twang, which you can watch in the video below. 

Latest Stories

Jennifer Nettles sings emotionally as she honors the 9/11 victims with Vince Gill’s Go Rest High on That Mountain.

Jennifer Nettles Honored the 9/11 Victims With Vince Gill’s Go Rest High on That Mountain

Vince Gill wrote that song for his own dead. On Friday, Jennifer Nettles sang it for nearly three thousand of them. Nettles performed “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at ...

Garth Brooks is shown with a circular photo of Dolly Parton after declaring September 25 Dolly Day and giving bar sales to the Imagination Library.

Garth Brooks Declared September 25 ‘Dolly Day’ and Is Giving the Full Day’s Bar Sales to the Imagination Library

Two days after Dolly Parton died, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood picked a date and made a promise. On Thursday, August 27, the couple announced that their Nashville bar, Friends ...

Lainey Wilson stands in a black suit with a choir behind her as she honors the 9/11 victims with Amazing Grace at the 25th anniversary.

Lainey Wilson Honored the 9/11 Victims With “Amazing Grace” in a Black Suit and a Choir Behind Her

She left the bell-bottoms and the cowboy hat at home and walked out in a black suit with a choir behind her, singing a hymn that has carried this country ...

Budweiser Clydesdales bow toward the New York skyline in the 9/11 tribute ad that aired once during the 2002 Super Bowl.

Budweiser’s 9/11 Tribute Aired Once During the 2002 Super Bowl and People Still Remember It

Sixty seconds, no words, and a horse named Ringo doing the only thing the country needed to see. On Sunday, February 3, 2002, during Super Bowl XXXVI, Anheuser-Busch ran a ...

Dolly Parton appears with American Airlines Flight 925 after her passing, as the airline honors the country legend with the 9 to 5 number.

American Airlines Is Renumbering a Nashville Flight to 925 in Honor of Dolly Parton

You could fly it a hundred times and never notice. That is probably the point. Starting March 28, 2027, one of American Airlines’ daily flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to Nashville ...

Dolly Parton is shown at Dollywood after her passing, as her heartfelt wish was that the park keep going and the show must go on.

Dolly Parton’s Heartfelt Wish Was That Dollywood Keep Going and the Show Must Go On

The park was already dark the day she died. Dollywood had been scheduled to close Tuesday, August 25, long before anyone knew it would become the day Dolly Parton passed ...

Country music icon Dolly Parton, who passed away at 80, performing with her signature blonde hair and bright smile.

Dolly Parton Has Died at 80, and the Whole World Is Mourning the Queen of Country

Her nephew stood in front of a camera and did the hardest thing anyone in that family has ever had to do. Bryan Seaver, the son of Cassie Parton, spoke ...

Hayden Panettiere poses at an event in a black outfit as the coroner confirms her cause of death remains under investigation.

Coroner Says Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Remains Pending After Autopsy

Hayden Panettiere’s official cause of death has not been determined. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy was completed the day after she was found unresponsive. The examination showed ...

Ella Langley poses in a white embroidered dress at the doorway of her tour bus during the Choosin Texas chart run.

Choosin’ Texas Is Still No. 1 on Billboard After 18 Weeks as Ella Langley Closes In on History

The song that started with a kangaroo story is still sitting at the top of the biggest chart in music. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” held No. 1 on the Billboard ...

Hayden Panettiere, beloved actress who starred as Juliette Barnes on the hit country music drama “Nashville,” has died at 36.

Hayden Panettiere Has Died at 36 and Country Music Lost the Woman Behind Juliette Barnes

She played a country star for six seasons. What most people forget is that she actually became one. Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36. Her father, Skip ...