
Parody Artist Cledus T. Judd Talks Ottumwa Show, Return to Music
Throughout the 2000s, it wasn't uncommon to see CMT's daily rotation of music videos punctuated by one featuring Cledus T. Judd. "The 'Weird Al' Yankovic of country music" has he's become colloquially known, Judd was a reliable source of comedy for country fans throughout the decade. He played into the genre's warm embrace of humor by reworking popular hits of the time into silly, instantly memorable ditties.
His biggest hit was "I Love NASCAR," a parody of Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar," underscored by name-drops of famous racers and hallmarks of the sport. When a random woman thought Kenny Chesney's tractor was sexy, it was Cledus T. Judd's "cellmate" who thought he was sexy. When Trace Adkins left every light in the house on, Judd declared "Every Light in the House is Blown."
Cledus T. Judd's propensity for humor made him someone I admired, for there was really nobody else parodying mainstream country music at the time. Following an initial retirement from music in 2015, Judd returned in 2018 with a parody of Morgan Wallen's hit song "Up Down," that one called "(Weight's Goin') Up Down" that showed the singer with the trademark nasally drawl still had his funny bone firmly in tact.
Judd is in the middle of a tour, and will be performing at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, IA on Saturday, February 15th. I got my tickets months ago. I decided to reach out to the "parodyziac" ahead of his performance to catch up on where he's been, where he's going, and his overall career.
For one, you might be shocked to know that, to date, Cledus T. Judd has 12 studio albums, including a spoken word memoir-of-sorts released in 2016.
Judd spoke about his ongoing tour, known as "The G.O.A.T. Tour." The incredibly humble entertainer wanted to make clear the "G" does not stand for "Greatest," but "Goofiest." In speaking about the shows he's been doing as of late, Judd noted that they are comprised of long-time favorite songs, some new material, and stories and wisdom he hopes will inspire.
Judd initially retired from music in 2015 out of a desire to spend more time with his family and children. He already missed a lot by virtue of being on the road, so he wanted to make sure he was dad first to his children. Now, his kids are off at college, and since his comeback in 2018, Judd has been welcomed back with open arms.
Fans of Cledus T. Judd will also be excited to hear that new music is on the horizon. Judd noted that he's hopefully "three or four months" away from releasing new music, which would be his first new musical album since 2012. In addition to everything we chatted about, he had some very kind words of love and remembrance for his friend and collaborator Toby Keith.
Take a listen to my interview with Cledus T. Judd below, and learn more about him on his Facebook page!
Clint Black at Five Flags Center in Dubuque, IA
Gallery Credit: Steve Pulaski