Tom Wopat rose to fame as Luke Duke in the classic series The Dukes of Hazzard. So, it’s not surprising that many people remember him for that role. He spent six of the show’s seven seasons flattening the hills and straightening the curves around Hazzard County. He and his on-screen cousins were some of the finest moonshine runners that television audiences had ever seen at the time.
However, Tom Wopat has had a long and interesting career since The Dukes of Hazzard ended in 1985. He has been in nearly fifty movies and TV shows since then. His credits include big shows like Blue Bloods and Smallville. His film credits include hit films like Django Unchained and a couple of Dukes of Hazzard made-for-TV movies to name just a few. However, his talent doesn’t stop at the screen.
Tom Wopat is also an accomplished musician. He has released eleven albums and was featured on the Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack album. His latest release was Wopat in 2017.
Digging Through Tom Wopat’s Muscial Career
Tom Wopat rose to fame as a good ol’ boy. So, you might think that he released a string of country albums. That isn’t the case, though. He has dabbled in all manner of musical genres. He has stepped up to the microphone to sing jazz and swing. He did release some country music in the early days, though. He even cut a Christmas album with his fellow Duke boy John Schneider.
In an interview with Dukes Collector back in 2014, Tom Wopat talked about why he does so many different kinds of music. He said that he likes to “fill the blanks.” For instance, when he was working on a production of Annie Get Your Gun, he was asked to do a Frank Sinatra-ish record. So, he made Still of the Night. Then, he recorded an album of Harold Arlen’s tunes. After that, he transitioned into big band swing music. At the end of the day, Wopat makes music that he enjoys.
If you’re into big band or Rat Pack style music, Tom Wopat has you covered. However, my favorite album from him is Learning to Love. It’s a solid country album that he dropped back in 1992. Check out the track “Too Many Honky Tonks (on My Way Home),” below. It’s full of steel guitar and good old-fashioned honky-tonk piano. It’s really hard to beat.
If you want more Tom Wopat, you can check out a few of his records, including Learning to Love on Spotify.
