Country Music Great Buck Owens Dies at 76

Both the country music world and the world of television lost a legend in Buck Owens. As a country music honky-tonk legend, Owens sold more than 16 million albus over his career. As a television personality, Owens was most notable as his role as the co-star of the country music variety show, Hee-Haw.

Musicians from all genres and all generations paid tribute to Buck Owens. Dwight Yoakum, who had done a #1 duet with Owens in 1988, entitled "Streets of Bakersfield", was quoted by Forbes as saying, "Even though he seemed in a somewhat fragile physical state, he was emotionally exuberant and still living life in a forward motion, discussing a variety of plans for his future." Yoakum went on to say "I will cherish, forever, the musical moments he graciously shared with me during his life. I will be eternally grateful for his fatherly chastisements, encouragement and, ultimately, his friendship and love."

Jim Shaw, Buck Owens' spokesman and keyboard player for Owens' bad, the Buckaroos, released a statement, which People quoted as "I think the reason he was so well known and respected by a younger generation of country musicians was because he was an innovator and rebel." He went on to say "He did it out of the Nashville establishment. He had a raw edge."

Born Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr., Buck Owens got his start in music playing gigs in various bars for $5 a night. He went on to get on a local Mesa, Arizona radio show, with fellow guitarist Theryl Ray Britten, calling their segment "Buck and Britt". After gettind married at a young age, and having children, Buck Owens found Bakersville, California, and moved his family there. The thriving community also had a thriving honky-tonk scene, and that's were Buck Owens would start his career.

After years of playing in house bands to feed his family, Buck's big break would come when he teamed up with singer-songwriter Tommy Collins. He'd go with Collins to the Grand Ole Opry. Owens rode the wave of relative success to various record deals with Pep (releasing tracks under the name Corky Jones), and eventually signing with Capitol Records. This partnership fizzled with very little success, leading Owens to believe he had had his shot, and that he was done.

However, he continued recording tracks, and eventually success found him. "Second Fiddle" would make it to #24 on the Billboard Country chart, and would be followed by "Under Your Spell Again", which would find the #4 spot on the same chart. In 1960, "Above and Beyond" would find the #3 spot, and Buck Owens would dedicate himself to his music career once more. As the story is told on The Buck Owens Website, in 1960, "Foolin' Around" would become Buck's first number one hit on the Cashbox charts, and would hit #2 on Billboard. In 1963, after changing his style around, he would score his first all-around #1 hit with "Act Naturally", which would stay up at #1 for four weeks. Ringo Starr would wind up singing that song in a cover done by The Beatles for their Help! album. The Beatles would do very little in changing the song for their cover, and would only add to Buck Owens' place in music history.

The 1960s were Buck Owens'. He would record 15 straight #1's from 1963-1967 and would sell millions of albums. His successes would spin off into many different areas. He hosted a syndicated TV show, Bucks Owens' Ranch for six years, starting in 1966. He would start his own recording studio, music publishing company, several radio stations, including KNIX and KESZ in Phoenix, Arizona and KUZZ in Bakersfield. He would eventually sell his Phoenix radio stations, but never gave up KUZZ. Eventually, he would establish Buck Owens Enterprises, and would produce several of the records that would come out under Capitol Records.

As well as the business decisions he made throughout the 1960s, Buck Owens would play some of the most prestigious venues in the world. Buck Owens played a sold out show at Carnegie Hall, as well as one at the London Palladium. Owens went on to be the first country music star to play at the White House, at the invitation of President Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1968.

In 1969, he agreed to host Hee-Haw, which was billed as a hillbilly version of Laugh-In. As Reuters reports, "Owens made an unusual career detour by signing to host the country comedy television show "Hee Haw," a move he knew would hurt his career since it would typecast him as a hillbilly clown. But the money was worth it. He recalled taping a year's worth of shows in two one-week stints, and being paid $200,000 at the end of each stint."

Other than his trademark red, white and blue guitar, Owens could be known all throughout the music industry. Creedence Clearwater Revival referenced him in their song, "Lookin' Out My Back Door", saying that listening to Buck Owens was one of life's great pleasures. Owens was entered into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.

In a quote from NME.com, Owens said in 1992 that"I'd like to be remembered as a guy that came along and did his music, did his best and showed up on time, clean and ready to do the job, wrote a few songs and had a hell of a time"

Buck Owens is survived by his sons, Buddy Alan, Michael Owens and John Owens.

[Additional Sources: Forbes, People, BuckOwens.com, Reuters, NME.com]