Portraits of Country Music's Top Stars

Dwight Yoakam
Describe your ultimate musical performance.
Any that reminds me of the thrill and excitement of playing music in front of a live audience at 16 ... or feels as exciting as it was to watch a performance of many of my musical heroes on television when I was a kid.

What makes country music the heart and soul of America?
When it's done with instinctive purity, as with the other uniquely American musical forms — blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz — it can express universal emotional truths.

Favorite songs:
As soon as I think of five, I realize there are 25, and at that moment there are 50 more. On any given day there are just too many places to start that list.

• My Country
• Melanie Dunea's website