Dennis Cockerham - Tailgating's Troubadour

When the campfires are lit, the grills are smoking, and the crowd is gathering as gametime approaches, Dennis Cockerham steps forward with guitar in hand, ready to give voice to the joy, grit, and camaraderie of tailgate life. A songwriter, performer, and true ambassador of gameday culture, Dennis has earned his place among tailgating legends—not just because he wrote Tailgate Crazy, but because he uses music to amplify the stories, the laughter, and the heart behind every parking-lot gathering.

But like every great song, this story is built on collaboration. Beside Dennis stands Jason Rabbass, his musical counterpart and co-creator in Trailerpark Country. Jason’s lead guitar and backup vocals give depth and dimension to the music, shaping raw lyrics into soundscapes that capture the spirit of gameday. “He helps take my three chords and turns them into music,” Dennis says. “I write the lyrics—he makes it sound. Together, we are Trailerpark Country.” It’s a partnership grounded in mutual respect, creativity, and a shared love for the community that tailgating inspires.

Dennis’s journey into the NFL tailgate world might have started as a musician, but it quickly became something more: a bridge between fans and moments. Onstage at the 2025 Summer Bash, he didn’t just perform a song, he and Jason became part of the ritual. Their presence underscored that tailgating is not just about food and football, but about shared culture, memories, and the pulse of fandom itself. With each lyric and riff, Trailerpark Country helps to narrate what tailgaters feel but can’t always put into words.

Their music blends country, rock, and Americana, all while staying rooted in authenticity. In interviews, Dennis has said that Tailgate Crazy emerged from the soil of lived experience—seeing tailgates as their own little universes, ripe for song. Jason’s musicianship brought that vision to life, adding layers of energy and rhythm that resonate with the roar of stadium crowds and the laughter between old friends. Together, they believe that the moments around the grill, under tents, with fans of every color and creed, deserve celebration—and they’ve built a sound that honors exactly that.

When Dennis and Jason walk into a lot, people notice. Their guitars may announce their arrival, but it’s their openness that makes them fixtures of the community. They move from group to group, greeting old friends, meeting first-timers, swapping stories and songs. They don’t just play at a tailgate—they become part of it, blending in with the rhythm of the lot. In many ways, Dennis and Jason are the traveling historians of the blacktop—collecting memories in chords and returning them tenfold in song.

What sets Trailerpark Country apart is how they extend the spirit—not just the spectacle—of tailgating. Their music helps fans see their gatherings as culture with character, not just parties with a scoreboard at the end. They encourage crews to tell their own legends, to write their own verses, and to celebrate their shared passion in whatever way it speaks to them. Their message is simple but powerful: tailgating isn’t just something you do; it’s something you live.

For tailgaters across the league—especially those in the Hall of Fame, Dennis Cockerham and Jason Rabbass offer a call to celebration: let your lot sing. Invite the music in. Because in every anthem, chord progression, and chorus, tailgating’s spirit finds its voice—a heartbeat, a melody, and a memory to carry forward.