Country Legends: Buck Owens

Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), known to everyone as Buck Owens, was a founder of what became ‘The Bakersfield Sound’, and with his band the Buckeroos had 21 number one hits on the Billboard country music charts.

Buck Owens

His signature style was based on simple storylines, infectious choruses, a twangy electric guitar, an insistent rhythm supplied by a drum track placed forward in the mix, and high two-part harmonies featuring Owens and his guitarist Don Rich.

In the early 60’s, with the ‘Nashville Sound’ becoming ever more popular, Buck Owen and the Buckaroos decided to do their own thing and began mixing a honky-tonk hillbilly sound with a Mexican polka sound he’d heard on border radio stations as a kid. The ‘Bakersfield Sound’ was born.

Recorded in 1963, "Act Naturally" became Buck Owens and the Buckaroos' first No. 1 hit. The Beatles later recorded a cover of it in 1965, with Ringo Starr as lead singer. Ringo Starr later re-recorded the song as a duet with Owens in 1988.

The album ‘Carnegie Hall Concert’, released in 1966, was a smash hit and proved that Owens and his band were a lot more than just another honk-tonk country band. Ray Charles released cover versions of two Owens songs, also in 1966, ‘Crying Time’ and ‘Together Again’ that both became pop hits.

Owens’ musical career took a severe jolt in July ’74 when his best friend and Buckaroos guitarist Don Rich was killed in motorcycle accident. Although he carried on, he admitted in the late 1990’s that the death of his friend had a profound effect on him “He was like a brother, a son and a best friend…. but I think my music life ended when he did. Oh yeah, I carried on and I existed, but the real joy and love, the real lightning and thunder is gone forever."

Buck Owens died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack on March 25, 2006, only hours after having his favourite chicken-fried steak meal and performing at his Crystal Palace restaurant, club and museum in Bakersfield. Not feeling well, Owens had decided not to go on stage that night, but on hearing that some fans had travelled many miles to see him, he changed his mind.

Buckaroos keyboard player Jim Shaw recalled Owens telling the audience, "If somebody's come all that way, I'm gonna do the show and give it my best shot. I might groan and squeak, but I'll see what I can do."

Shaw added, "So, he had his favourite meal, played a show and died in his sleep. We thought, that's not too bad."

To find the music of Buck Owens and the Buckaroos just go to the search box on the right and enter his name or go to my website and look there by going to www.countrysongscountrysingers.com – the choice is yours!

Country Legends: Kitty Wells

Born Ellen Muriel Deason in Nashville on August 30 1919, Kitty Wells was the first female country singer to be dubbed ‘Queen of Country’.

Kitty Wells

In 1952 her recording of ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’ took her to the top of the country charts and turned her into the first female country star. She inspired many of the female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960’s, including Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker and Tammy Wynette.

 Having one of the longest celebrity marriages known (they married in 1937), Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright had three offspring Ruby, Carol Sue and Bobby.

All three children tried to follow their mother into country music with varying success. Kitty and Carol Sue released a duet ‘How Far is Heaven’ in the mid 50’s which reached No. 11, and although both Ruby and Bobby released separate albums, they never really had much success. Ruby died in 2009 at age 70.

Kitty’s success during the 50’s and 60’s turned her into the sixth most successful female artist of the Billboard Country Charts history, and was instrumental in her being awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and at the time of writing is currently  its oldest member at the age of 91 (2011).

If you want to find the music of Kitty Wells, or any of your favourite country singers just enter their name in the search box on the right, or go to my website at www.countrysongscountrysingers.com   

Country Legends: Bill Monroe

William Smith Monroe (September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was the creator of ‘bluegrass’ music, and known throughout music circles as ‘The Father of Bluegrass’.

Bill Monroe

The name ‘bluegrass’ comes from the band he formed called the ‘Bluegrass Boys’ in 1938 and although the sound they produced was different from anything else at the time, it didn’t achieve it’s full ‘bluegrass’ style until banjo prodigy Earl Scruggs joined in 1945.

Scruggs played the instrument with a distinctive three-finger picking style that immediately caused a sensation among Opry audiences. Scruggs joined a highly accomplished group that included singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, fiddler Chubby Wise, and bassist Howard Watts, who often performed under the name "Cedric Rainwater."

During 1946 and 1947 this ‘new’ band produced no less than 28 recordings that would be classics of their time. The most notable of these were ‘Toy Heart’, ‘Blue Grass Breakdown’, ‘My Rose of Old Kentucky’ and Bill Monroe’s most famous song ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’.

‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’ was actually recorded by Elvis Presley in 1954, appearing as the B-side of his first single for Sun Records. Monroe gave his blessing to Presley's rock-and-roll cover of the song (originally a slow ballad in waltz time), and in fact re-recorded it himself with a faster arrangement after Presley’s version became a hit.

Following a serious car accident in 1953, Monroe was unable to play and it took over four months to recover. In the meantime Charlie Cline and Jimmy Martin kept the band together.

With the rise of rock-and-roll and the introduction of the new ‘Nashville Sound’ becoming ever more popular, bluegrass took a back seat and Bill Monroe’s commercial fortunes began to diminish. Live performances began to get fewer and fewer and he struggled to keep the band together.

In order to keep the ‘bluegrass’ sound alive Monroe founded a bluegrass festival at Bean Blossom, Indiana in 1967. This ultimately became known as the ‘Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival’ and subsequently the world’s oldest continuously running annual bluegrass festival.

Made an honorary Kentucky colonel in 1966, Bill Monroe was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as an "early influence") in 1997.

Bill Monroe died in September 1996 following a stroke in April of that year, and only four days before his 85^th birthday. Emmylou Harris said of Monroe after his death:

“……We all knew that if he ever got to the point that he couldn't perform that he wasn't going to make it. Music was his life…….”

To find Bill Monroe and Bluegrass music just go to the search box on the right and enter his name or go to my website at www.countrysongscountrysingers.com