Biography

A young country singer/songwriter from Illinois, 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" in a local Walmart store spread like wildfire. Ramsey soon appeared on country stages and TV shows, reprising his "Lovesick Blues" performance and eventually signing a major-label deal with Atlantic. His first single, "Famous," was considerably more polished and it anchored his 2018 debut EP of the same name. After featuring on the chart-topping remix of Lil Nas X's 2019 breakout "Old Town Road" and releasing another EP, Twang, Ramsey went on hiatus until 2023. His next song, "Reasons to Come Home," featured a more mature sound. 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 was soon dubbed the "Walmart yodeling kid." A television appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show followed and 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, further expanding his audience ahead of his sophomore EP, Twang, which was released a few weeks later. Ramsey also tried his hand at voice acting with a role in the animated film The Angry Birds Movie 2. Apart from yodeling in a 2020 Burger King commercial, the young singer kept a low profile over the next few years. In 2022, his previously released song "Before I Knew It" found some traction on TikTok, and he took to the platform himself to reveal some details about his personal life, including his employment at a local Subway restaurant. After turning 16, Ramsey ended his hiatus in mid-2023 with the poignant "Reasons to Come Home," a song he co-wrote with Nashville songwriters Jeff Middleton and Rob Pennington. Inspired by his grandparents and hometown, the single served as something of a relaunch for the teenaged artist, whose voice and tone had noticeably matured. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi