At four years old, it’s hard to believe anyone would be brave enough to climb up on stage and belt out a tune. But that’s just what this little guy does, and when he does it, it’s adorable.
As the youngest ever Johnny Cash impersonator, Valor Yost is known as “The Kid in Black.” And in this video, you can watch the first time he performed the famous singer’s songs in front of a audience.
The crowd goes wild and so will you.
The Kid In Black
Valor Yost hails from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and takes the moniker, “The Kid in Black,” for his exceptional and charming impersonation of the famed Man in Black, Johnny Cash. Valor began performing his favorite Johnny Cash songs at the age of four, as you’ll witness in this video.
According to his Youtube page, Valor has been featured on MSNBC, and in publications the USA Today and The Chicago Tribune as well as many other media outfits.
In a Milwaukee Journal Sentinal article about Valor, his mother Casey reveals how it all came about…
“He just loved to perform, and I thought it was such a great opportunity for a child to have that experience before getting to an age where he’s learning self-consciousness.”
Ring of Fire
June Carter Cash along with Merle Kilgore penned “Ring of Fire” and Johnny Cash made the song famous. The song is regarded as one of Johnny Cash’s greatest hits so it’s no wonder a little kid of four would want to sing it.
A Certified Hit
The tune is listed as number four on the CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music, number 87 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and number 27 on their list of the 100 greatest country songs of all time.
Since his days impersonating Johnny Cash, Valor has grown as much as his audience. And his interests have changed as well. Valor has put aside the black suit in exchange for face paint. Since the death of megastar David Bowie, Yost has joined a cover band and jumped onstage as Ziggy Stardust.
The Spiders From Milwaukee is a David Bowie tribute band that hails from Wisconsin. They are a big hit with fans, and when Yost is performing Space Oddity or Life on Mars, the crowd is transfixed.
The cover band performs David Bowies hits, and it’s always a crowd-pleasing moment when Valor strides out on stage in full makeup and costume as Ziggy Stardust. He captures the audience and takes them on a ride, just like Bowie himself has been known to do.
You can watch Yost in full Ziggy Stardust get up with the band on his Youtube Channel. The group can really jam and Yost has exceptional stage presence.
Yost earned notoriety as the youngest Johnny Cash impersonator, but his fortunes soared when performing as David Bowie. He won first runner-up prize at a Wisconsin State Fair children’s talent competition and took home a cash prize of $1,500. In the Journal Sentinel article, his mother said he used the prize money to purchase a brand new Fender Stratocaster.
Check out the video below to witness a four-year-old become Johnny Cash, singing “Ring of Fire.” This young man will amaze and enchant you!
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