I don’t know much about yodeling. I have this mish-mash image in my mind of an American cowboy wearing clogs, lost with his horse and cow somewhere in the green hills of Switzerland, yelling at the mountains – and I know that can’t be right. I think I also tried to do it once – change my voice pitch rapidly between high and low tones and throw in a little falsetto (or what I believe sounds likes falsetto) for good measure.
Thank goodness this video came out and showed me what real American yodeling is, and how difficult it can be to master!
Mason Ramsey is 11-years-old, and he’s taken on the nickname “Little Hank” in his hometown, because, well, he’s pretty darn good, almost like Hank Williams himself! Mason lives with his grandparents in Harrisburg, Illinois, and learned to yodel from his grandpa, who Mason says isn’t very good!
In his video, the boy is standing in the middle of a Walmart in Golconda, Illinois, yodeling his heart out to Hank Williams Senior’s “Love Sick Blues.” He says he’s performed there fifty-thousand times (thanks to his grandparents who drive him around to stores and radio stations), but it was this particular mini-concert that caught the attention of Ellen Degeneres.
On “The Ellen Show,” Ellen sits down with Mason, and they chat about where he comes from, what life is like as a country boy and if he likes LA. This kid is adorable and hilarious and talented! So much so, Ellen sets him up with some seriously impressive surprises – one of them including a slot to perform on stage at the legendary Grand Ole Opry, following the footsteps of his country singing icons.
Click below to catch Mason on “The Ellen Show.” This kid is great!
