Yoakam has been wearing the same cowboy hat since 1979. He spent less than $50 on it. In 1998, Yoakam wrote the songs for his A Long Way Home album while simultaneously filming The Newton Boys. The album has been lauded as one of Yoakam’s best, and in the years since, blogs and media outlets have commented on Yoakam’s ability to pursue both acting and singing at the same time.