August 12, 1929 - March 25, 2006
Sherman, Texas

Buck Owens instantly qualifies for any list of true country music superstars. His ground-breaking music that pioneered the Bakersfield sound of country music in the 1960's; his sixteen years as co-host of HEE HAW; and his remarkable business acumen have made Buck's career one of the most multi-faceted and enduring success stories in country music.

Buck grew up following the path of scores of Depression-era families from the Dustbowl who migrated west. He began his musical career playing in honky-tonks in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. There he absorbed cowboy music, western swing, rhythm & blues, and the emerging genre of honky-tonk, all of which he incorporated into his music. Moving to Bakersfield, California, in 1951, Buck became guitarist and singer for the house band at the Blackboard, center of a vibrant and growing music scene. His proximity to Los Angeles allowed him to establish himself as a session guitarist, and in 1957 Buck signed with Capitol Records. Early on he forged a friendship with a young fiddle player named Don Rich. The two men fed off each other and found their musical inspiration in their collaboration; Don's vocal harmony and guitar style became an unmistakable trademark of the Buck Owens' sound. Don worked with Buck as guitarist and leader of the Buckaroos until his death in 1974.

In 1963, Buck scored his first #1 hit with "Act Naturally." Thus, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame's Encyclopedia of Country Music, began a six-year period in which Buck consistently had at least one song in the #1 chart position, and usually had three songs vying for the spots. In his website official biography, Buck refers to his sound as the "freight train" sound, defined as an upbeat 2/4 rhythm rooted in the dance beat of Bob Wills. He explains, "I always had a lot of driving-type music in my bones. I always loved music that had lots of beat…I found a sound that people really liked. I found this basic concept and all I did was change the lyrics and the melody (and chord progression) a little bit." Other hits followed: "Love's Gonna Live Here," "My Heart Skips A Beat," "Together Again," "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail," "Sam's Place," and more.

In 1966 Buck had his own syndicated television show, Buck Owens' Ranch, produced in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. By 1969 Buck had a massive following, with a magazine published regularly by his fan club and merchandising that included guitar method books and a guitar instruction record. That same year Buck received an offer from two Canadian TV producers, Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth, to star in HEE HAW, a country music TV variety/comedy program version of NBC's Laugh-In. The Buckaroos served as house band, and suddenly Buck was getting national television exposure every week.

Musically Buck began to experiment with diverse new sounds, covering material by artists from Simon & Garfunkel to Donovan. 1971 saw Buck signing his final four-year contract with Capitol, adding a banjo to the Buckaroos and recording some bluegrass standards. He made his final #1 solo recording in 1972 with "Made in Japan." Meanwhile, CBS cancelled HEE HAW, but the show went into syndication and succeeded far beyond what it had achieved with CBS, cementing Buck's career as a country superstar and household name far beyond the country music world.

In 1974, Buck's beloved musical partner Don Rich died in a motorcycle accident. If Buck's musical career had seemed on the wane, Don's death cemented it. Buck admits, "…From the day of Don's death, I went through the paces…It never did pick up." Buck continued to co-host HEE HAW until 1986. In his bio, Buck remembers, "I was always very grateful to 'em and am grateful to 'em now."

In 1986, as a new wave of traditionalists hit Nashville's country scene, Buck found himself listening to a young talent named Dwight Yoakam whose style had Buck's indelible print, and whose interviews rarely failed to mention the influence Buck Owens had on his music. Dwight and Buck met, and in 1988 sang a duet of Buck's 1972 recording of "Streets of Bakersfield." In fall 1988 the song hit #1.

Buck Owens' tremendous influence on modern country music was officially recognized upon his 1996 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.