Other artists who have recorded Yates' work include Ricochet, Ricky Van Shelton, and Kenny Chesney.

Yates' musical style is defined by neotraditional country and honky-tonk influences, and has been favorably compared to artists such as Gene Watson.

[6] Upon returning to Nashville in the early 1990s, he got his first songwriter publishing contract with Hori Pro Entertainment, which led to George Jones recording two of his songs for his 1992 album Walls Can Fall.

"I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair", one of the two songs recorded by Jones, was released as a single that year and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

[10] Yates also co-wrote the title track of Ricky Van Shelton's 1993 album A Bridge I Didn't Burn.

[15] Writing for Country Standard Time, Joel Bernstein praised Yates' voice and Fundis' production, but thought that the album's ballads were better written than the up-tempo songs.

[13] Bob Cannon of Entertainment Weekly rated the album "C+", describing the song "Flowers" as "maudlin" and overall finding Yates' style imitative of Merle Haggard.

[16] Yates would chart only one more single for Almo Sounds, "When the Walls Come Tumblin' Down", before the label closed its Nashville division later in 1997.

[19] Bobby Peacock of Roughstock reviewed the album favorably, with a focus on Yates' singing voice and lyrics in particular.

[3] Peacock reviewed Anwyhere but Nashville favorably for Roughstock, stating that "By releasing his music entirely on his own, Yates found ways to improve on the fine neotraditionalist sound he'd already built up on his underrated debut.

[3] One of the writers employed by his publishing company is Wil Nance, whose credits include the George Strait album cut "If Heartaches Were Horses".

Yates himself would have other songwriting credits through Smokin' Grapes, including album cuts by Joe Nichols and Sara Evans.

Todd Sterling of AllMusic wrote of this album that "Yates may be considered by some to be too country, but to his faithful fans, he's perfect just the way he is.

Ben Foster of Roughstock thought that the album had too many novelty songs, but otherwise praised Yates' lyricism and singing voice.

[11] Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time and Bobby Peacock of Roughstock both compared Yates' voice favorably to that of Gene Watson.

State senator Mike Cunningham attended the naming ceremony, which also included musical performances by Jimmy Fortune and Buddy Jewell.