He’s no longer Baby Hank Williams. Mason Ramsey, the 13-year-old yodeling sensation known for his viral performance at a local Walmart, made it to the big time. The country crooner got to guest verse on a new version of Lil Nas X‘s inescapable hit “Old Town Road”, and performed the catchy number at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Decked out in a bedazzled denim jacket, white jeans, and an oversized cowboy hat, Mason held his own up there with Lil Nas X and BTS, in front of the biggest names in the music industry. Learn a little more about Mason, whose star power is only going to rise after this performance:
1. He became famous in 2018 after a video of him yodeling at Walmart went viral. Mason was just 11 years old when a passerby at their local Walmart caught him singing his little heart out to Hank Williams while with his proud grandma. The kid yodeled like a champ, and he was so cute, too, wearing tiny boots and a bowtie — the whole getup. He went instantly viral and gained tons of celebrity fans, like Justin Bieber, Millie Bobby Brown, The Chainsmokers, and Justin Bieber. Mason performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and even had a small stage to himself at Coachella 2018! You can watch the OG yodeling video HERE.
2. Mason is from Golconda, Illinois where he was already a hometown hero. In fact, when big country acts like Kenny Rogers, the Bellamy Brothers and Gene Watson come to town, Mason opens for them. Yes, really! Back when he was just three years old, he delivered a stunning performance of “I Saw The Light” at the Carson Center in Kentucky. The night’s headliner, Josh Turner, was just as shocked as everyone else, proclaiming Mason, “the real star of the show.”
3. He loves Lil Nas X, but his favorite artist will always be Hank Williams. Apparently, it all began with Mason singing along to a karaoke machine. But in no time he was mastering Hank Williams’ hits, including the difficult yodeling on “Lovesick Blues.” “Grandaddy always had Hank playing out in the garage,” Mason told The Southern Illinoisan in 2017. “I heard it so much I just started singing. It was sorta like jumping in a pool. You just start swimming.”
4. That famous Walmart video wasn’t actually the first time he went viral. In January of 2017, when he was just 10 years old, Mason was recorded singing the classic “Hey Good Lookin'” while sitting in a shopping cart in Walmart. It was a hit! The original video reached over 3.4 million views.
5. His 2018 Walmart performance sparked a ton of remixes. Fans turned Mason’s adorable singing into trap, EDM, and dubstep tracks after hearing him tear up that Walmart. For real? These are all kind of jams!