BUCK OWENS PASSES AWAY

One Bakersfield ^ | March 25th, 2006 | Kyle Brown

[prisoner6]

BUCK OWENS PASSES AWAY

Bakersfield, Ca By: Kyle Brown

1:36 PM Saturday, March 25th, 2006

03-25-2006 KUZZ Radio owner and Country Music Hall of Fame musician Alvis E. "Buck" Owens died early Saturday morning at his Bakersfield, CA home. His family says Buck died in his sleep and the cause of death is not yet known. Buck was born on August 12, 1929 in Sherman, Texas. The son of a sharecropper, Buck traveled with his family to the Phoenix, Arizona area in 1937 as they searched for a better life. Eventually, they traveled to California's San Joaquin Valley, doing farm work. At a young age Buck vowed that when he grew up, he would not be poor. He found a way out of his family's poverty through his musical talent.

That talent blossomed after Buck moved to Bakersfield in 1951. Within months he was a member of the hottest honky-tonk band in town, Bill Woods & The Orange Blossom Playboys, who held forth at the legendary Blackboard night club. He began playing a Fender Telecaster guitar, which provided a unique new sound in country music. Soon he was playing for recording sessions at Capitol Records. His first session as a leader came in 1957, but the session produced no hits

Shortly thereafter, Buck began his other career, as a broadcaster. He moved to the Tacoma, Washington suburb of Puyallup and bought part-interest in a radio station, where he worked as a DJ and ad salesman as well as playing gigs in the area. He also had a live TV show in Tacoma.

Buck's first Top 10 record, "Under Your Spell Again," was released in 1959. In 1960, he sold his interests in Washington state and returned to Bakersfield, which was his home until he died. From 1962 to 1968 Buck released a series of #1 records that established him as one of the greatest country entertainers of all time.

[prisoner6]

What's up with this not being posted yet? WHERE ARE ALL THE FREEPER >REAL< C&W FANS? I searched for Buck, Owens and finally country and came up empty. That being the case I went ahead and posted this admittedly thin obit. There is SO much more that can be said about Buck, but not by me. I still haven't gotten over losing Johnny C.

Another national treasure gone. It sux to be my age and see all my heros pass. God Bless ya Buck. I'm sure The Good Lord likes a little pickin' (and grinin') too.

SAL-UTE!

prisoner6

[pipecorp]

call br-549

[JennysCool]

A great entertainer! Some pickin' and grinnin' going on in heaven tonight!

[Admin Moderator]

http://freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=all;o=time;s=buck%20owens

[LS]

"They're gonna put me in the movies . . . ."

[Porterville]

Sad day.

[manwiththehands]

How sad. Are any of these folks left?

[WorkingClassFilth]

Why did you leave me and where have you gone? I searched the world over and thought I found true love, but you met another and [thppppppppppp] you was gone.

BTW, what the heck is Ernest Borgnine doing in that picture?

[prisoner6]

Hmmm VERY curious...I've had so much trouble recently with search. Obviously it's me. It's made me very reluctant to post. prisoner6

[Richard Kimball]

Owens put together some of the best musicians in country music in his band. He had a guy, Don Rich, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, that I thought was one of the best fiddle and steel guitar players ever.

A good life, but hate to see him go.

[prisoner6]

IIRC he was a guest on one of the shows. Even though I was in my 20's at the time he guested I barely recall the episode.

prisoner6

[MinuteGal]

The Hee Haw TV program which regularly starred talent like Buck's was a national treasure just as Buck was.

It's sad that a lot of folks who watched the show were too young or too dumb to realize it at the time. Many just thought the show was corny and too unsophisticated for their more modern and snooty tastes.

Not me. I loved the show and I loved watching him play. He was an amazing musician.

RIP, Buck.

Leni

[Soaring Feather]

Oh sad indeed. I always enjoyed his music.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Sounds like you might be searching by key word. On current stories like this one, searching for title by date usually work pretty well for me.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I don't remember that episode at all but if Ernie is a C&W fan, all the better. I enjoyed the show for its non-PC factor as much as the music. Roy Clark was astounding to watch, too.

[Number57]

The Hee Haw TV program which regularly starred talent like Buck's was a national treasure just as Buck was.

I agree. I wanted to buy the DVD set advertised on TV, but couldn't justify the expense. R.I.P. Buck

[Mark was here]

Where oh where are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone,
I've searched the world over and thought I've found true love,
You met another and .... you were gone!

How I recall this great American poem. Thanks for the reminder.

[redhead]

"The Hee Haw TV program which regularly starred talent like Buck's was a national treasure just as Buck was."

I agree. Unlike shows like "Laugh-In," "HeeHaw" is just as funny now as it was 25 years ago. The jokes were timeless, corny, and hilarious, and the music was awesome. I'd watch it again in a heartbeat.

[Viking2002]

A great entertainer! Some pickin' and grinnin' going on in heaven tonight!

Since when did Roy Clark take The Big Shit? I thought he was still kicking around Branson, or Nashville, or something.

[basil]

Thanks for posting it, Prisoner--otherwise I would not have heard about it yet. I have been a Buck Owens fan for years.

Our loss is heaven's gain.