Wynn Stewart (born Winford Lindsey Stewart June 7, 1934 - July 17, 1985) was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound. Although not a huge chart success, he was an inspiration to such greats as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Early Life & Rise to Fame Wynn Stewart was one of the most important figures in the Bakersfield Sound. He was born in Morrisville, Missouri in 1934, during the Depression. He spent most of his childhood moving around the country with his sharecropping family. After World War II, Stewart spent a year working at a radio station in Springfield, Missouri called "KWTO". In 1948, he moved to California with his family. Wynn originally wanted to become a professional baseball player, but Stewart suffered from a hand disease, and he was also too short to play professional baseball. When he was in high school, Stewart formed a band, that played at clubs aro