Forgotten Artist: Wynn Stewart: Pioneer of the Bakersfield Sound: It’s Such a Pretty World Today

Wynn Stewart: Forgotten Artist: (6/1934 ~ 7/1985): Pioneer of the Bakersfield Sound Wynn Stewart was one of the leading country music artists who helped develop the Bakersfield sound. His music had a driving beat with a strong and energetic vocal performance. Wynn made superb music during his heyday and released a string of singles that performed respectably, however he failed to remain in the national spotlight. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were both influenced by Wynn’s music, but his success never paralleled theirs. Wynn was born on June 7, 1934 in Morrisville, Missouri. His father, Cleo was a sharecropper farmer, who took the family to Los Angeles California where he worked at the submarine base. A self-taught guitarist, Wynn by age thirteen, had already appeared on KWTO radio in Springfield, Missouri. While in high school, he formed a band and began playing clubs around California. Wynn graduated from Edison Park High School in Huntington Park, CA, in 1951. Except for a short stint working for a printing company, he never had much of a real job. His passion was singing and playing guitar. Wynn entered talent shows in Hunting Park often. At one of the shows Stewart met Ralph Mooney, would later become Wynn’s steel guitar player. In February 1954, Wynn signed a recording contract with Intro Records. During a recording session with the label he caught the attention of Skeets McDonald. Skeets, a godfather of the west coast country scene, arranged an audition for Wynn …