Performing on Saturday night of Norman Music Festival, Hösty, the one-man-band well known for his Sunday evening shows at the Deli, is loved by all ages of the Norman community.
A majority of Hösty's fans label his music as Americana, red dirt and blues. However, one audience member approached Hösty and described his music as a “genre of one,” which Hösty took and ran with.
“And it really turns out to be the best description because I play blues, jazz and country. I’ll play a reggae song. It’s really like a little bit of everything,” Hösty said.
To create this musically unique experience, Hösty uses a large array of instruments that play a vital role in each performance. His feet use a full set of drums consisting of a kick drum, snare and hi-hat. His fingers strum a split signal guitar, giving him access to two guitars at the same time. He uses his thumb to play bass as he fingerpicks the guitar with the remaining fingers. In his set, Hösty uses smaller instruments like the kazoo and harmonica to add to the fun. He also uses a sampler for both his music and comedic loops for improvisation.
Hösty has six albums released on all streaming platforms. The earliest, “Duo,” was released in 2004, and his most recent album, “Why Way to Tulsa,” was released in 2020. He grew a large fan base by playing local shows, however, the pandemic put a pause on them, and he is still rebuilding his career. Hösty's hits help grow his audience and “make the rebuild more exciting.”
Hösty's song “Oklahoma Breakdown” is well-known by many, not just Oklahomans, with Stoney LaRue and Toby Keith covering it. It is frequently used as Hösty's opening song due to its recognizable riff. It has also been played over the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium speakers during football games at the University of Oklahoma.
Hösty described his fans as “less of a number and look and more of an ideal.”
“People are my demographic,” Hösty said. “Just kind of people interested in listening to something different. People who don’t like listening to the same old DJ or karaoke songs. People who want to have some type of hometown pride.”
Hösty believes that live music is a crucial component of the music industry and it creates “happiness and hospitality.” Some artists may try to switch things up for the festival, but Hösty wants to keep it similar to his weekly shows so everyone can see his true self.
Throughout Hösty's ups and downs, his biggest supporters are his wife and son. His family motivates him to continue performing and doing what he loves. His son, Liam, is a freshman at the University of Oklahoma and is the lead singer of the band “Wet Muscles.” Both Hösty and his son will be performing at Norman Music Festival.
Hösty will perform his original music on Saturday at the Gray Street Stage at 11:10 p.m.
This story was edited by Emma Blakley and Silas Bales. Francisco Gutierrez and Alexandra Powell-Lorentzatos copy edited this story.
