Mason Ramsey became a viral sensation in the early months of 2018 when video footage of the 11-year-old singing
Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" spread like wildfire. Dubbed the "Walmart yodeling kid" due to how the video captured him performing in the store,
Ramsey soon appeared on country stages and TV shows, reprising his "Lovesick Blues" performance. He quickly went pro, signing with Atlantic and releasing "Famous" -- a song considerably more polished and contemporary than his
Hank cover -- in April 2018, just weeks after his original video.
A native of Golcanda, Illinois,
Ramsey was raised by his grandparents, who helped steer the youngster toward contemporary country. By the age of five, he had performed on-stage on bills that featured
Josh Turner and
Gene Watson.
Ramsey continued to cultivate country connections, appearing in local concerts and shows in both Illinois and Kentucky, including cast membership in the Stars of Tomorrow show at the Kentucky Opry Theatre.
When he wasn't showing up at country shows,
Ramsey was being filmed at Walmart by his grandparents, always singing classic country songs, usually
Hank Williams. Eventually, one of those clips caught hold. A video of
Ramsey yodeling "Lovesick Blues" at a Harrisburg, Illinois Walmart began circulating around the Internet after a few viral Tweets in April 2018, and he quickly made the leap to television, appearing on
Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.
Ramsey also made an appearance during
Whethan's set at Coachella in mid-April, right around the time he signed to Atlantic. His first single, "Famous" -- which found
Ramsey abandoning old-timey country for the new -- appeared later in the month. That track landed on his debut EP,
Famous, which was issued that July. He closed the year with the holiday single "White Christmas."
In summer 2019,
Ramsey hopped onto a remix of
Lil Nas X's record-breaking number one single, "Old Town Road," with
Lil Nas,
Billy Ray Cyrus, and
Young Thug. His sophomore EP,
Twang, was released weeks later. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine