On April 30, 1997, Dwight Yoakam made a memorable guest appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ eponymous ABC sitcom Ellen, and became a part of television history in the process.

It’s worth noting since this particular episode would go down as a watershed moment in prime-time TV. It was the now legendary “coming out” episode, where Ellen’s character revealed her sexuality.

The taboo-at-the-time topic changed the landscape for TV, that’s for sure. So Yoakam, who would play the role in two episodes that season, was a small part of a very big deal in television, one that caused national controversy when it initially aired.

Yoakam portrayed a grocery store bag boy in the episode, and he was not the only high-profile guest to appear on the television landmark. Actress Demi Moore also starred, as did daytime talk show queen Oprah Winfrey and singer k.d lang.

Yoakam has pursued a number of acting roles over the years, most notably in films including Sling Blade, Panic Room, Hollywood Homicide and more. He’s also graced the small screen in guest and recurring roles on shows including Wilfred, Under the Dome and Goliath.