Buck Owens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buck Owens
|
|
|---|---|
Warner Brothers Records publicity photo, July 1977
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. |
| Born | August 12, 1929 Sherman, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 25, 2006 (aged 76) Bakersfield, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) | Singer, bandleader, TV host |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1945–2006 |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts |
|
Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr. (born August 12, 1929 – died March 25, 2006) was a famous American musician. He was a singer, songwriter, and band leader. Buck Owens was best known as the lead singer for his band, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos.
His band had 21 songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard country music chart. Buck Owens helped create a special kind of country music called the Bakersfield sound. This sound was named after Bakersfield, California, where he lived and found inspiration.
The Buckaroos' music was simple and catchy. It featured a strong electric guitar sound and clear drum beats. Buck Owens and his guitarist, Don Rich, often sang high, two-part harmonies together.
From 1969 to 1986, Buck Owens was a co-host of the popular TV show Hee Haw. He hosted it with Roy Clark. Buck Owens was very sad after his close friend Don Rich died in 1974. This event affected his music for many years.
Buck Owens is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He is also in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Contents
Buck Owens' Early Life and Music Journey
Buck Owens was born on a farm in Sherman, Texas, USA. His parents were Alvis Edgar Owens Sr. and Maicie Azel Owens.
When he was three or four years old, he decided his name was "Buck." This was the name of a donkey on his family's farm. His family liked the name, and he was called Buck from then on.
In 1937, his family moved to Mesa, Arizona. This was during a tough time called the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. Buck found that he could sing or perform in school plays instead of doing regular schoolwork. This made him want to perform more.
Learning Music and Starting Out
Buck Owens taught himself to play many instruments. He learned guitar, mandolin, horns, and drums. When he got his first electric steel guitar, he taught himself to play it. His father even turned an old radio into an amplifier for him.
Buck left school in ninth grade to help on his family's farm. He also wanted to start a music career. In 1945, he co-hosted a radio show called Buck and Britt. He also played in local bars.
In the late 1940s, Buck became a truck driver. This job took him through California's San Joaquin Valley. He was very impressed by the town of Bakersfield. He and his first wife moved there in 1951.
Soon, Buck Owens often traveled to Hollywood for recording jobs. He played backup guitar for many famous singers. These included Tennessee Ernie Ford and Wanda Jackson.
In 1958, Owens met Don Rich in Tacoma, Washington. Buck saw Don perform and asked him to play together. Don Rich started playing fiddle with Buck at local places.
In 1959, Buck's career really took off. His song "Second Fiddle" reached No. 24 on the Billboard country chart. Soon after, "Under Your Spell Again" went to No. 4. Capitol Records wanted Buck to return to Bakersfield, California.
Don Rich joined Buck in Bakersfield in December 1960. Their song "Above and Beyond" then hit No. 3 on the charts.
Becoming a Country Music Star
In early 1963, Buck Owens was given the song "Act Naturally". At first, he didn't like it. But his guitarist and friend Don Rich loved it. Don convinced Buck to record it with the Buckaroos.
They recorded the song on February 12, 1963. It was released on March 11. By June 15, it became Buck Owens' first No. 1 hit song. The Beatles later recorded their own version of "Act Naturally" in 1965. Ringo Starr sang the lead. Ringo Starr even recorded a duet of the song with Buck Owens in 1988.
The 1966 album Carnegie Hall Concert was a huge success. It made Buck Owens a top country band. Even R&B singer Ray Charles recorded two of Owens' songs. These were "Crying Time" and "Together Again".
In 1967, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos toured Japan. This was very rare for a country music band back then. Their live album from Japan was one of the first country albums recorded outside the U.S.
In 1968, Owens and the Buckaroos performed at the White House for President Lyndon Johnson. This performance was also released as a live album.
In 1969, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos had two more No. 1 songs. These were "Tall Dark Stranger" and "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass". They also recorded a live album in London.
During this time, Hee Haw became very popular. The show ran for many years. It had 231 episodes over 24 seasons.
In the early 1970s, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos had many hit duets with Susan Raye. She was a singer Buck helped to become famous.
In 1972, after three years, Buck Owens and the Buckaroos had another No. 1 song. It was called "Made in Japan". Buck Owens brought back the classic country sound with fiddle, steel, and electric guitars.
The Sad Loss of Don Rich
On July 17, 1974, Buck Owens' best friend, Don Rich, died. Don was the Buckaroos' guitarist. He was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Buck Owens was heartbroken by this loss. He said, "He was like a brother, a son and a best friend." He also said, "I think my music life ended when he died." Buck Owens never fully got over this tragedy. It affected his music and his feelings for many years.
Buck Owens' Businesses
Before the 1960s ended, Buck Owens started focusing on his financial future. He bought several radio stations. These included KNIX-FM in Phoenix and KUZZ-FM in Bakersfield. He owned KUZZ until he passed away.
Buck Owens also started Buck Owens Enterprises. He produced records for other artists. By the 1980s, he stopped recording music himself. He spent his time managing his businesses from Bakersfield. He left the Hee Haw show in 1986.
Later Career and Influence
Country artist Dwight Yoakam was greatly influenced by Buck Owens' music. In 1988, they sang a duet of "Streets of Bakersfield" together. This song became Buck Owens' first No. 1 hit in 16 years.
Dwight Yoakam said he was "really flattered and thrilled" that Buck Owens had been watching his career.
In the 1990s, many of Buck Owens' old recordings were re-released. He had bought the rights to these songs back in 1974. He even had many of his original albums stored away. He often gave them as gifts or sold them at his nightclub.
In August 1999, Buck Owens brought together the remaining members of his original Buckaroo Band. They celebrated his 70th birthday at his Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. They played old hits like "Tiger by the Tail" and "Act Naturally".
The "Bakersfield sound" that Buck Owens created influenced many artists. These include Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, and Brad Paisley. This sound was often made with two special silver-sparkle Fender Telecaster guitars. Buck Owens and Don Rich often played these guitars at the same time.
After Don Rich died, Buck Owens often used a red, white, and blue acoustic guitar. He also had a special car called a "Nudiemobile." It was decorated with pistols and silver dollars.
Buck Owens would give out copies of his special acoustic guitar to friends and fans. Each guitar had a gold plaque with the person's name on it.
Buck Owens' Family and Final Years
Buck Owens was married four times. He had three sons. One of his sons, Buddy Alan, also became a recording artist. Buddy Alan appeared with his father many times on Hee Haw.
Buck Owens successfully recovered from oral cancer in the early 1990s. But he had more health problems later in the 1990s and early 2000s. These included pneumonia and a small stroke in 2004. Because of his health, he had to stop his regular weekly performances at his Crystal Palace.
Buck Owens passed away in his sleep on March 25, 2006. He was 76 years old. He died just hours after performing at his club.
Buck Owens was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He was ranked No. 12 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003. His band, the Buckaroos, was ranked No. 2 on CMT's 20 Greatest Bands in 2005.
A part of US Highway 82 in Sherman, Texas, is named the Buck Owens Freeway in his honor.
Books About Buck Owens
In November 2013, a book about Buck Owens was released. It was called Buck 'Em! The Autobiography of Buck Owens.
There are other books about him too. Buck by Kathryn Burke was published in 2007. Buck Owens: The Biography by Eileen Sisk came out in 2010.
Discography
Songs Covered by Other Artists
Many artists have recorded their own versions of Buck Owens' songs:
- Singer Johnny Rivers recorded a rock version of "Under Your Spell Again" in 1965.
- Country singer Emmylou Harris recorded "Together Again" in 1976.
- The Beatles recorded "Act Naturally" in 1965. Later, Ringo Starr recorded it as a duet with Buck Owens in 1988.
- After Buck Owens died, a group called the Buck Owens All Star Tribute played a medley of his songs.
- Country artist Dwight Yoakam has recorded several of Owens' songs. He sang "Streets of Bakersfield" as a duet with Owens. In 2007, Yoakam released a tribute album called Dwight Sings Buck.
- Mark Lanegan covered "Together Again" in 1999.
- Filipina singer Jolina Magdangal covered "Crying Time" in 2000.
- The band Cake covered "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got a Heartache)".
- In 2007, the band The Derailers released an album called Under The Influence of Buck. It had 12 covers of Owens' songs.
- In 2011, Ben Gibbard covered "Love's Gonna Live Here".
|
See also
In Spanish: Buck Owens para niños
