What's your favorite Buck Owens song? I really dig Above And Beyond, Crying Time and Loves Gonna Live Here Again, but I could probably name a dozen others. What are your favorite Buck songs?
Love’s Gonna Live Here is probably my favorite. I just downloaded Buck’s “Live At Carnegie Hall” album last week. It’s really excellent and it reminded me of when you recommended Charley Pride’s live album (which I immediately downloaded) and asked your subscribers if they knew of a better live country album. I won’t say that one is better than the other but they are both top notch. The Carnegie Hall album’s recording quality is really good too.
“Act naturally,“ that’s my favorite song Otis, and you are the best storyteller, mind you a pretty good musician too! Up the good work and visit me in Yosemite if you come out to the peoples Republic someday. We’ll throw a big party for you!
I recall reading an interview where Paul Simon was asked about that line. Apparently, his first wife had found she had a gray hair and wasn't taking it well, and that's what inspired the line.
Great piece of info, had no idea a grey hair inspired the line. It's a metaphor for shining. Boneheads who thought it was about heroin are just wowfully fearful. Great stuff, Otis, rant on. @@marlonstjohn
I love Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart and Merle and all the Bakersfield sound and was so happy Dwight brought Buck back in the public eye. RIP Maestro. Post script Don Rich and Buck’s harmonies were amazing!!!
Buck had a lot of really great songs... and he did it his way, I respect that. The streets of Bakersfield has to be one of my favorite songs of his. RIP Buck Owens..
It's humorous to me how my perception of Buck Owens changed as I became an adult. As a kid I only knew him as half of the big Hee Haw duo. Sure, I was a fan, but at that time nobody was as cool to me as Eddie Van Halen. As an adult I appreciate that Buck Owens was as cool as anybody, and is one of the all-time Greats. Brilliant stuff.
So true Most thumbs up underrated comment. Most people will attest that it wasn't until a maturing moment in a persons life that 'cool' was truly understood. Amazing talent on top of super cool is a rare gem indeed.
When don rich died I think a lot of bucks passion went with him. I like to imagine sometimes what they could’ve accomplished if he hadn’t passed so early.
If you watch any footage of Don and Buck playing live together, you can see their chemistry and affinity for each other. They must have really been best friends, and I can't imagine the heartbreak he must have felt when Don died.
I worked on the set of Hee Haw for a while , Got to know Buck pretty well , But my facinstion was with Don Rich , He was so easy to talk to , I was a big Tele fan and DON taught me a lot about getting the best sound out of it, I was there when Don died , The look in Bucks eyes was no more , Buck was like a brother to Don , They both hated Nashville , Buck had the best band in country music , He didnt pay the standard wages , He believed in taking care care of his band
Hi again Otis I’ve lived all my lifeon the coast of BC Canada. In 1964 and friend of mine signed on to a Swedish freighter that carried newsprint from BC to Long Beach CA. There was a bar there called Hollywood on the Pike The stage was right behind the bar elevated a bit. This was my first interest the Buck Owens style. The guitar player did all the Don Rich stuff. I got to do some tunes there with them more than once and really enjoyed it. I hadn’t really clued into Buck. A few years later I joined a band near Vancouver playing little halls in the Fraser Valley. The guy whose band it was loved Buck Owens so I sang a lot of Buck. Love’s Gonna Live Here, My Heart Skips a beat Together Again and a dozen more We went to see Buck and his Buckaroos in quite a small arena compared to now. Later I was playing in a club in Vancouver. While I was there the Buckaroos played the large room I got to meet and talk with Don Rich. He was so down to earth it was talking to your neighbour. I was really sad when he died. There isn’t really a point to this email. I’m just sharing some my experiences over my 81 years. Well as you know Merle Haggard came along at that. Of we did his early songs. Merle a club Vancouver with the Strangers just as he really breaking out. We got see him in almost a living room atmosphere. I had brought a tape of a song I wrote. We went back stage in intermission. We met Roy Nichol and talked with him. Nice guy too. When Merle was available I just said Hi and he said Hi in the same friendly tone. I gave him my tape. How lucky we were to meet these guys when we did. I eventually wrote songs and recorded here in Canada Happy to write again if you’d like A lot of us are sad about the passing of Ian Tyson I’ve played and recorded with Ian’s long time guitar player Nathan Tinkham I’ll end with a story about Ian Tyson’s song Summer Wages In it he says “I’ll work on your tow boats in my slippery city shoe That I said I would never do again In your grey fogbound straits where the cedars stand watching I’ll be far off and gone like summer wages The late Ian Tyson wrote about working on the towboats in his “slippery city shoes” in Summer Wages My slippery city shoes will always be that pair of brown oxfords that I wore as a young teen. My default shoes when I wasn’t wearing gum boots in Pender Harbour I made the six and a half hour run from the Harbour to Vancouver with my Dad, being extra careful when I untied the lines and walked on deck in those leather soled shoes They showed the salt on them and they looked really bad When we got to town my Dad took me to a shoe shine stand on Granville. Well the guy polished those salt stained shoes till I could almost see my face in them! The last memory I have I was struggling to get my growing feet into them My Dad said “There’s too much Swede there for those shoes” Time for new shoes😊 All the best Alan
Otis Gibbs, I love your music as much as your story telling. I'm a fan of great music and great stories. You seem to encapsulate it all. With that said, here's my Buck Owens story... So to speak... I grew up in Tulsa, Ok. I'm 51, born in 1971. When I was a baby / toddler , we as a family would watch the weekly television programming. We always watched "Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins. Austin City Limits on PBS, and Hee-Haw. My dad grew up in Tulsa and was an acquaintance with Roy Clark. They would run into each other at "Brookside Billiards" along with Gary Busey.... I digress.... Anyhow, we always watched Hee-Haw. So when I was still on the baby bottle, It had to have been 1972 maybe into 1973? I would yell or scream " Buck Owens" (told to me by mom & dad) More like a one word kind of saying. "BuhkOwns".... It took a little while, but my folks finally figured out that I was hungry. I was yellin' for my baby bottle... Food! So it's always been kind of a family joke. If someone wanted milk, they'd just yell "Buck Owens", and they'd get milk... That's my Buck Owens story!!! - "Friend", keep the music & stories comin'...... Sincerely, From Lancaster, PA...
Tiger by the tail! There is a wry humor in all his deliveries of tunes! I loved HeeHaw. And yes gotta appreciate how the Fab4 covered Carl Perkins and paid homage to early american rock. I too and like many appreciate all kinds of music. I am lucky at 69 to be playing with some younger dudes that in an evening will cover Buck, Elvis, Cash,Beatles, Stones STP , Pearl Jam, Alice in chains, the list could go on and on as well as a pile of originals. Thanks for illuminating these insights into the music!
I grew up in Bakersfield back in the day. I saw Buck and Don and the Buckaroos, Merle Haggard and the Strangers and so many more. It was the best time in the best place. I am grateful for my life there.
In the seventies I was a Black Sabbath fan. My parents talked me into attending a show with Buck and Roy Clark. I'll never forget that day. It truly was an incredible performance. Buck always get's turned up to eleven. 🎶🎵
As a kid I saw him on the old Jimmy Dean show and was hooked on his music. Now, I've watched those same reruns on the RFTD channel. As an adult I can appreciate it more.
That book is great. It's interesting how fighting about what is and isn't country has been there the whole time. My favorite Buck tunes are Together Again, Tall Dark Stranger, and Cryin' Time
We'd be a lot better off if folks would stop arguing over genres and just like whatever they like. Having said that, I don't expect it to happen anytime soon. : )
Hi Otis, Lance Tolman again...So growing up in Alabama in the 1960's, we had 3 TV channels, & HeeHaw seemed be on all 3 on Fri, Sat AND Sunday at 6:30pm,...& I hated it...!! Especially the Pickin anda Grinning segments with Roy Clark & all the cornfield/cornpone humor. Not until I got my first acoustic at age 10 in 1971 did I realize just how great they both were, & after living & playing in Nashville from 1980 til now in 2022, I'm still learning from you here just how great an artist, trailblazer, businessman & star Buck Owens was for decades. So many thanks as always, anything with Don Rich on guitar is ok with me, & just fyi, Buck Owen's long time initial Buckaroo drummer was my teenage son's snare drum instructor in the late 2000's, so things Do come back around, & I'm sure Buck knew that about his "Country Music" in 1965... Keep Actin Naturally, Otis!!
Hi Otis, just watched your video on Buck Owens and Paul Simon's line "Silver Girl" in "Bridge Over Troubled Water". I wish I could remember where, but I heard or read that the line was Simon teasing Kathy his girlfriend who had recently discovered that she had a gray hair. Apparently, she was upset about it and he was needling her a little. Love your channel. You are doing a great job. Joe
Hey, Happy Birthday! I really dig this channel so much. I'm a pay it forward guy. On my birthday someone bought me a cake. If Mr. Gibbs doesn't mind of course. I'd like to pay it forward and chip in on a slice. Who's gonna match me? We can get this man a cake or something. May sound strange, but really happened to me right here on youtube and I'm willing to pay it forward fellow friend of Otis.
Otis...alot of good stuff there. I'm going to go and have a listen to that myself. I listened to his Carnegie Hall concert. Was great to listen to and some fun stuff in there. Thanks.
There is a u tube clip of Buck and his band doing TENDER LOVING CARE on Mike Douglas in 1967. I have never seen such an incredible yet straightforward and natural performance by any one!
Buck was the real deal and he was a rocker too. Had the privilege of seeing him once here in Seattle . He was amazing artist bridge over troubled waters was playing at my fathers funeral in 1971 sad that somebody turned his version into something that it wasn’t. My fondest memories of Buck Owens was watching He Haw with my father enough said this man will always have my respect😎
I am so happy I recently stumbled upon your channel Mr. Gibbs--It is truly heartwarming and connects the dots for me and I am sure many folks watching. This story about Buck Owens reminded my of how lucky I was to (maybe?) have seen him live in the early 1970's (at least in my mind) as a young boy. My father was a pressman (printer) for the local Duluth, MN newspaper--we were not well off at all, but the year my father was president of the printers union, he received a little extra money (I believe) to travel to the annual national pressman's conference. It happened to be in Orlando, FL, so we packed up a little blue car (I can't recall the make or model) and along with my older brother and little sister (and my mom) the five of us drove to Orlando over 4 or 5 days). When we passed through Nashville, my father--who LOVED Johnny Cash, wanted to spend the night and bring us all to the Grand Ole Opry. At the time, I was teaching myself how to play drums on stacks of old Montgomery Wards and Sears Catalogs (I didn't have a drum set yet). I wish I could remember all the acts we saw that night--My father passed 7 years ago and my mom, who is 82 now, cannot recall everyone. By 14 years old, I was performing in a local adult cover band with 3 30-ish year old brothers. And I still play today at 59 years old (in Japan). Anyhow, thank you for your stories--I will watch them all!.
Cryin’ Time, Tiger By The Tail, Loves Gonna Live Here are some of my faves ❤ Obviously, there are many more Buck and Don Rich (to me) emulated what I perceived as pure country music both as a kid and an adult. Oh there are others I enjoy, but Buck and Don are it. Can’t wait to grab a copy of that book 😊 Thanks for the post Otis, love your vids and commitment to all music 👍🏼
Another cool and interesting video my friend. I grew up in So.Cal in the 70's, and country music just wasn't part of mine or my friends lives. I only knew Buck from seeing him on "Hee Haw", so I thought he was some "tv guy" that played guitar and sang a bit. Luckily as I got older and started playing in bands, I was introduced to a lot of music that I wasn't aware of by different musicians that I played with. One time one of them asked me if I liked Buck Owens and I said "you mean that guy from Hee Haw?" and my friend said "yes, but he is a great musician that just happened to be on tv". At one of our next practices he handed me a Buck Owens album and a Roy Clark album and told me to give them both a good listen. Thank goodness he did that! It opened my eyes to country music like never before which led me to so much good stuff and great artists. I am thankful to him to this day. Btw, that "silver girl" being a syringe deal is a bunch of crap I think, but even if it is true, I agree with you that it's a beautiful song and a possible passing reference takes nothing away from that beauty. Peace.
The Beatles were very much influenced by country music and the Everly Brothers in particular. Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens playing together are another example on the good influence of Buck Owens. 'Together Again' is one of my favorite songs.
If it wasn't for the Beatles I would never have heard Act Naturally and found the original. Buck Owens and Don Rich's harmonies (and guitar playing) still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.. Together Again and Tiger by the Tail are my favourites. :)
Simply wonderful. Thank you so much for this/these Otis, you really are a UA-cam treasue. On and on I sure hope these will continue, you have so much to offer here. Your a wealth of info and a natural at broadcasting. We've all struck gold by finding your channel. 😎 🙏😎
Once I learned how to play "Buckaroo" ('65) I couldn't stop playing it, because it's so much fun to play, and it impresses the hell out of peeps listening. Every guitar picker should own at least one Tele, for that Buck Owens and Don Rich twang. Cheers Otis !
Otis, I grew up in the 60's, the draft, Viet Nam and there were two sides, no grey area during that time, you were either very conservative or liberal. The Beatles were very controversial when they first appeared on Ed Sullivan, I remember it well, it was before FM radio, and It was a challenging time. Music was evolving, battle of the bands etc., even underground stations, so I am not surprised. It was a great time to be a teenager, miniskirts, midnight special etc. I had never heard that story before about Buck Owens and wasnt aware he recorded that group if songs so now I have to pull it up and listen to it. Thank you for your deep diggging on these artist and sharing with us.
Hey Otis, while there are quite a few Buck Owens songs I love more than this one, Truck Drivin' Man holds a special memory for me. I was in Orange County with my band, in the early / mid 1990's, and we had some days off. Our pal Linda, from Linda's Doll Hut, rented a Cadillac, and we piled in and headed to Bakersfield, to see Buck perform at the Crystal Palace. At some point, someone in our group sent a note to the stage, with a song request for Truck Drivin' Man. The memory of Buck sending that song out to "my friends who came all the way from the great state of Texas to be here tonight" is something I think of, each time I hear that song. As I am typing this, I just realized that my YT profile pic is me playing my red, white, and blue Jazz Bass, part of a fiddle / guitar / bass set that I had custom painted, years ago. Thanks for doing this video!
My Father absolutely loved Buck Owens! He had two favorite act's, Marty Robbins & Buck, but at the end of the day, Buck Owens & The Buckaroos were #1 to him. Like Dad, I too loved Ol' Buck & Marty, just maybe not quite as much as Pop, as Waylon was/is my fav. Dad loved just about every song Buck did, but his favorite was "Loves gonna live here" whilst mine is "Tall, dark stranger" As for Marty ( I know, I know, you didn't ask 😂 ) Pop loved "Strawberry roan" but I alway's loved "The ballad of Mr Shorty" Thanks for another great video, this time about my father's all-time fav, Buck Owens! 💪👍 Special shout-out to the memory of Don Rich, gone much too soon & really hard to talk about Buck at the peak of his success, without talking about the great DR 🙏
As soon as you started talking about Homeward Bound, I immediately paused your video and checked it out. Holy Smoke! What a fantastic tune that I missed as well. Thanks man for turning me onto a great tune!
Never knew why Buck was on the outs with the Nashville establishment. Story makes total sense, for that time. People are stupid, it's still happening. Love Buck, and the fact that he did his thing, his way. Getting the book right now. Thanks Otis.
When I was a kid Buck played our small California town. My dad, a fan, took me with him. Buck Owens/Don Rich playing on a big flatbed truck, hay bales stacked around to add to that country feel, as if hay was needed. They are all gone now and I'm getting old but that stands as one of my more vivid childhood memories. As for the album, indeed obscure, I'd say my favorite cut would be Love Minus Zero/No Limit, the song a good fit for him plus the cool surprise of Buck covering Dylan.
Thanks for doing this video about Buck. I met him at a store in Bakersfield about 40 years ago. We had a very nice conversation about music. In those days I was playing my version of Rock'N'Roll. This video sparked a great memory. Thanks again.
Just moved but past 9 years lived in Bakersfield and many many times drive on Buck Owens blvd… also, the hag is from nearby Lamont, aka, weedpatch, ca.
Otis, I lived in Bakersfield as a kid 1966-1970. Anyway just bought the book myself and I’m getting ready to read and see how it falls in line with my memories. I have been a Buck fan most of my 56 years. Great times and great music. Sure miss old Don rich though.
Pulled up next to Buck at a red light in Brentwood and went total geek... He rolled down his window and spoke to me like somebody..nice guy love Streets of Bakersfield..keep em coming Otis!
I think Marty Stewart and his band do a fine job with the Bakersfield sound, too. Then the video of Buck and Ringo goofing around together while singing Act Naturally...that says a lot to me.
awesome, I read this a few years back, by far one of the most entertaining books i've ever read. being i grew up with heehaw and am a guitar player, made the whole thing that much more interesting. so much great music from Buck....
Well, it may not be the most representative of his music, but my favorite Buck Owens song is “Made In Japan”, so damn catchy! - “My transistor radio comes from far awaay....”
For early Buck Owens inspiration have a listen to The Maddox Brothers and Rose ("America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band"). Buck , before Nashville, made a duet album with Rose Maddox.
Great post Otis! And thanks for the book recommendation. I’ve just finished To Live’s To Fly - Ballad of the Life of Townes Van Zandt, so I’ll be ordering this next. I’d have to say ‘Trouble and Me’ as far as Buck Owens goes, it’s a great song!
Love's Gonna Live Here and Waitin' in Your Welfare Line. Great book. Loved Buck, loved Don. Sons Michael and Buddy managed Buck's station here in Phoenix. Nice family. Thank you for this Otis.
This is a gem of a channel. Kudos Otis. Also loved your jerry Jeff stuff. Seeing David Bromberg many times he would intro mr bojangles saying that Jerry Jeff wasn’t in the parish jail on a research mission. And Jerry Jeff’s version of “ One too many mornings “ is as good as it gets. Peace and love.
My three-year-old daughter tells everyone that Buck is her favorite singer. She is a big hit amongst my friends, but not so much with her little friends at daycare...
Buck and the Buckaroos was my first concert, 1964...I was nine. A couple of years later when I got my first acoustic, I gave it a Buck Owens paint job.....
I try to drive up 4hrs to Bakersfield once a month just to put flowers at Buck's resting place and spend the evening at his Crystal Palace listening to his son sing. They call me "Shimmy Shakin' Tina -Buck's biggest fan" there. I've got Buck's red white and blue guitar tattooed on the calf of my leg . 🥰🥰🤭🤭💋💋❤️❤️❤️🎶🎵🎶
Great video and love your opinion! As an DJ and now radio station owner, Buck has been one of my favorites through out the years! My favorite Buck Owen song had to be “The Streets of Bakersfield” great song and it was written by Homer Joy from Heber Springs Arkansas about 30 miles across Greers Ferry Lake from me!
Thank you Otis for another great book review. I am definitely going to get a copy of this one. I was a Buck fan from song one to his final day and Don Rich taught me how to play my Telecaster...it is a debt I can never repay.
I’m old enough to recall watching “Hee-Haw” on tv. I remember what appeared to be a “hick” and a “rube” talking back and forth like rural Smothers Brothers. The former picking on banjo strings and the latter with his guitar and buttermilk voice. The Texan and the Bakersfield Cowboy picking an’ a grinning they called it. It was very bizarre.
Great book on a great man; I loved Buck Owens when I was a kid and barely paid attention country music. Frank Sinatra must have written I Did It My Way about Buck. Buck is a true American rags to riches story, and I'll submit that in spite of the disrespect aimed his way because of his depiction as a rube on Hee Haw, his music crossed over to the pop / rock market in the 60's because they were fun, funny, twangy, and rocking. Buck was a consummate businessman, and won big time in that game as well. I say Buck 'Em if you don't love Buck!
Otis, just love what you do. Love the Buckaroos. Their version of Johnny B. Goode on one their live albums is just killer. I discovered Buck through the Beatles.
'Sail on silver' is prob a reference to moon on water in darkness. Or the sun. Whatever. You didn't pile on hard enough, Otis but just right for the even keel you maintain. I love your hilarious references to music theory (is cover photo). Thanks again.
I really enjoyed that Otis, I wasn't familiar with him until now. I'll order the book. I just finished the Don Felder book you recommended, great read. Keep em coming, take care 😎
After watching this video, I listened to all the covers on this album. They're all brilliant. Thank God for genre-crossing covers!! To my mind, what makes American music so special is the way it incorporates influences from cultures that span the globe. As far as Bridge Over Troubled Waters is concerned, I've always heard it as a kind of hymn. What's more sacred than giving comfort to those who suffer?
First Buck Owens tune I ever heard was Act Naturally and it's still my favorite. I sang it at a karaoke bar and someone told me that they liked the Beatles song I did. I didn't even know at the time that the Beatles had covered it!
I think my guitar nerd friends will enjoy this video/channel. It's a nice discussion of Buck Owens and Don Rich as guitar players. I don't know Zac, but he's a knowledgeable cat and I enjoy his videos. Feel free to tell him that Otis sent ya. ua-cam.com/video/Z7RUbUR8Pow/v-deo.html
I'm glad you did this piece on Buck Owens. I have heard that a lot of people in the music business attribute Buck Owens as a great influence on their music even though they weren't county. To me it's not about the genre; it's about the music. Sometimes a folk song hits the right chord with me I like it and other times it's a Rock song, a Country tune, a Western Swing, or a Blue Grass tune. I am a Soul man, a Blues fan, and a Pop Music man too. Nothing wrong with that. I guess the music I tune in to most often is a mixture of Outlaw Country and Rock and Roll but if something catches my ears the right way I don't care what it's labeled, I care that I like it or it tells a story I can relate to. I quit being a fan of old school Country in the 60's when music woke me up by sharing that other people (like my generation) didn't have to be postage stamped copies of their parents but could have their own experience in life. My favorite Buck Owens song is probably silly but it's "I've got a Tiger by the Tail!" It has to do with a girl friend I had at the time.
A friend of mine has a red white and blue “American guitar company” (made in china) guitar. He doesn’t play it, but whenever I go over there and see it sitting in the corner I’m reminded of pickin and grinnin With Roy Clark. Historic americana that I grew up with
❤️ Otis here is a loose connect to Buck Owens for me. My very first musical experience, which primed my little one year old musical heart for LIFE for live live music was in a dark theater in Olympia Washington from the lap of young musical prodigy Donnie Ulrich’s mother. Never was the same after watching a young Don Rich ❤️
Hi Otis, Loved your hour long Sermon from the Mount. Hope your voice has recovered. You made some very good points about the categorisation and commodification of music. Like you, in my teen, I’d play an album of English folk music, followed by Led Zepplin with some Bubblegum Pop afterwards. I also agree with you about Fables of the Reconstruction being REMs best album. I had been reading a book on Murmur (from the 33 and a third) series and decided to revisit all of their albums but didn’t get past Fables. I preferred their earlier underproduced albums. A fan of theirs from the earliest days said: “we didn’t always know what they said in their songs it we always knew what they meant”. When the lyrics became more audible and discernible, much of the mystery was lost and a a certain level of triteness crept in. As for Buck Owens: the man a genius. He was a “true” outlaw (or unintended rebel) as he refused to conform to the mores of the, then, country music industry. My favourite songs? They’re all so good it’s hard to favour any but at a pinch it would be “Loves gonna live here again” and “Tiger by the tail”. His voice has that “lived in” sound and the music just makes you want to dance.
Buck Owens 1st came to my attention when John Fogerty mentioned him on Look'in Out My Back Door. Tiger By the Tail is a classic. I often think of my significant other as a tigress. Buck nailed it. RIP
I'm a huge Buck fan - really happy to see this video today, Otis. I used to write a blog called the Bigfoot Diaries - I took a serious deep dive into Buck, Don Rich and the Bakersfield sound. ( It's still live on the web if you ever get a notion to Google it. ) My fave songs are "Tall Dark Stranger," "Made in Japan" and "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass."
"Although he didn't write "Hello Trouble" , Buck's version of that song is one of my all time favorite songs. It always reminds me of my old girlfriend, Stephanie O. She was the best "trouble" I ever ran up against. RIP, Steph. I have missed you very much these last 30 years.
Buck is another of my honky tonk heroes. Above and Beyond reminds me of the Everly Brothers. My favorite is still "Close Up The Honky Tonks." I love that the intro to the original mimics Hank's "Cold Cold Heart" on the steel, then transitions to the song itself. Now I have to go and buy his autobiography. Thanks again for all the reading you're turning me on to.
I was/am such a fan. My Grandma called me Buck til she died. Hunted all over Schoolkids Records in 92 til I found the Rhino box set. Really told Nashville to suck it. Love him! Got the hungries, Hot dog, Cryin time. He turned me into a music man
Right..So the Blending of the Rock//Country is better known as the "Bakersfield sound"..The Bakersfield sound is a sub-genre of country music developed in the mid-to-late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield was the first subgenre of country music significantly influenced by rock and roll, relying heavily on electric instrumentation and a strongly defined backbeat. Wikipedia
I grew up watching Hee Haw and can't think of Buck without thinking about Don Rich. Truly his soul brother. I wouldn't even begin to pick a favorite song but live at Carnage Hall and his "bluegrass" record are pretty good! That's a good book.
Buck Owens used to do Rockabilly( or at least one rockabilly type song) under the name Corky Jones for a song called Hot Dog. They sold a 45 copy on eBay about a couple weeks ago. It went for $400. It's also on Buck Owens Act Naturally box set for Bear Family Records
Here's a interesting guitar fun fact - In Spring of 2005 Bob Dylan was doing a U.S. tour with Merle Haggard. On March 11th of that tour Buck Owens was visiting with Haggard before the show, & they decided to go say a quick hello to Mr. Bob & his band. During that visit Buck Owens gave Dylan one of his red, white, & blue signature Tele's made from 1998- 1999. ... Only 250 of em were crafted. The guitar was equipped with a solid basswood body, a pair of Texas Special single-coils, 4-way switching, gold hardware, brass pickguard, maple neck rosewood fingerboard, and 21 vintage frets. .... Anyways, just Google the subject if you want to see pictures/stories of the moment & the guitar itself. - 🤘✌️
@@whiskeycitydiggers LoL, that's awesome. Always love to hear there's others out there digging Mr. Bob's modern live sounds. ... And knowing anybody bothers checking out my little low-key collection brings a smile for sure. .... Thanks for letting me know. Tis appreciated 🙏. - Be well ✌️
then after that tour that was pretty good actually dylan did merle dirty and said buck was the only good thing to come out of bakersfield... merle and buck are 2 of the best and better than bob dylan in my opinion
@@Cletus-so5gr Merle also had some remarks about Dylan saying he wasn't a gentleman because he didn't visit & kept to himself (something like that). Can't remember if he said it it from the stage or an interview [?]. ... bla, bla, bla. All silly noise that doesn't really equal to a whole lot.... in my opinion at least. ... From my understanding they are both known to be salty characters that tend to say what's what now & again. And happy to know you think Merle & Buck are better than Dylan. ... Don't believe history shall share your opinion, but whatever. To each their own & all. ... LoL, actually do recall a lot of Merle fans beating the same drum during that tour. ... Seemed like they didn't take kindly to him being the opening act. I fortunately caught the third show of the Boston run & am thankful to have seen Merle perform. ... Don't believe I ever would have otherwise. The Orpheum was a-buzzing that night as well. I've seen Dylan almost 30 times (mostly '97 - '07) & that show definitely had a different energy to it than any other I attended. .... Between Merle Haggard opening, first tour without Larry Campbell on guitar, fan speculations on Dylan "dating" the new young fiddle player in his band, a new Apple TV spot airing a yet to be released Modern Times song (Someday Baby), and Bob playing nearly ALL different songs the previous 2 Boston shows before it all equaled to a truly outstanding atmosphere. .... Concert matched it as well. ... Still vividly remember Hard Rain. The build up during the last verse made the hairs on my neck stand. ... Great times & all around one of the best shows I've ever seen. - Be well & enjoy yourself
Here's some scattered info put together by someone that worked on the tour: www.studioclub.com/events/Dylan%20Haggard%20Tour/DylanHaggardJournal.htm ... Judging by the end & it stating the author was on the whole tour I'm guessing there's more story, but if there is, I can't find it. .... If anyone else finds it please post it here. ... Love to check it out.
One of the first guitar pieces I struggled to learn when I started was "Buckeroo " and I still play it today and use parts of it in "Act Naturally " when I play it . It's of my practice regime . Love Buck and Don Rich too !
Always loved Buck.. ever since HeeHaw as a kid.. UA-cam algorithm... I listened to your video while driving today.. what pops up? Buck Owens Homeward Bound!
I love your dedication to telling real stories about he REAL artists...with some authority. This Pledge was because of the Bridge over troubled water.....a great album
Because of Hee Haw, people sometimes forget what a huge star he was. Top 5 GOAT. Such a clean voice with great harmonies. Innovative with the telecaster twang and driving sound on AM radio. Buckaroos were the greatest band of all time (even above The Strangers). Stuck it to those sugar eaters in Nashville.
He has a song I liked called Think of me and 'Loves going to live here 'and 'People like you make people like me.' and even his version of Johnny B Goode. Even his Buckaroos had a solo instrumental hit.
When I was in 6th grade in Richmond VA, my friend's mother was driving us to Boy Scouts when a Beatle song came on the radio, she adamantly declared "that's country music!" I was horrified and argued with her. She said she grew up in the Shenandoah mountains and knew country. I came to know how right she was.
The guy wrote Streets of Bakersfield! Given Buck’s background, I’ve always believed it to be one of the all-time great statement songs. Art imitating life. Absolutely love this song!
@@briangordon8602 I just learned that fact today after my comment. I always supposed it was Buck’s greatest song. Guess it was Homer Joy’s greatest work. Hell of a song regardless.
At first, I would say all of Buck's songs. Then I thought a few I really did not care for. Sam's Place if a favorite. But the're are so many, when I think about it.
What's your favorite Buck Owens song? I really dig Above And Beyond, Crying Time and Loves Gonna Live Here Again, but I could probably name a dozen others. What are your favorite Buck songs?
Hello Trouble
.......
- Have a good one, Otis
✌️
Streets of Bakersfield is probably my favorite.
Made in japan
Love’s Gonna Live Here is probably my favorite. I just downloaded Buck’s “Live At Carnegie Hall” album last week. It’s really excellent and it reminded me of when you recommended Charley Pride’s live album (which I immediately downloaded) and asked your subscribers if they knew of a better live country album. I won’t say that one is better than the other but they are both top notch. The Carnegie Hall album’s recording quality is really good too.
“Act naturally,“ that’s my favorite song Otis, and you are the best storyteller, mind you a pretty good musician too! Up the good work and visit me in Yosemite if you come out to the peoples Republic someday. We’ll throw a big party for you!
I'm very disappointed in myself that I didn't end this video by waving at the camera and saying, "sail on silver girl."
I've listen to the song many times and I've never once thought about shoving a needle into my veins! Just the opposite!
Spot on!
And long live Bakersfield.
I love this channel! Can you talk about the Carter family and their influence on American music? Thanks!❤
I recall reading an interview where Paul Simon was asked about that line. Apparently, his first wife had found she had a gray hair and wasn't taking it well, and that's what inspired the line.
Great piece of info, had no idea a grey hair inspired the line. It's a metaphor for shining. Boneheads who thought it was about heroin are just wowfully fearful. Great stuff, Otis, rant on. @@marlonstjohn
I love Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart and Merle and all the Bakersfield sound and was so happy Dwight brought Buck back in the public eye. RIP Maestro. Post script Don Rich and Buck’s harmonies were amazing!!!
Buck had a lot of really great songs... and he did it his way, I respect that. The streets of Bakersfield has to be one of my favorite songs of his. RIP Buck Owens..
Simon says that "silver girl" was an inside joke about his first wife whose hair started turning grey at age 30.
It's humorous to me how my perception of Buck Owens changed as I became an adult. As a kid I only knew him as half of the big Hee Haw duo. Sure, I was a fan, but at that time nobody was as cool to me as Eddie Van Halen. As an adult I appreciate that Buck Owens was as cool as anybody, and is one of the all-time Greats. Brilliant stuff.
So true Most thumbs up underrated comment. Most people will attest that it wasn't until a maturing moment in a persons life that 'cool' was truly understood. Amazing talent on top of super cool is a rare gem indeed.
When don rich died I think a lot of bucks passion went with him. I like to imagine sometimes what they could’ve accomplished if he hadn’t passed so early.
If you watch any footage of Don and Buck playing live together, you can see their chemistry and affinity for each other. They must have really been best friends, and I can't imagine the heartbreak he must have felt when Don died.
I worked on the set of Hee Haw for a while , Got to know Buck pretty well , But my facinstion was with Don Rich , He was so easy to talk to , I was a big Tele fan and DON taught me a lot about getting the best sound out of it, I was there when Don died , The look in Bucks eyes was no more , Buck was like a brother to Don , They both hated Nashville , Buck had the best band in country music , He didnt pay the standard wages , He believed in taking care care of his band
@@bellesmom238 can’t even imagine Don Rich giving me tone tips, let alone just hanging out with him.
@@capajo02 They were very close Buck was devastated by Don's passing. He never had the same drive or passion after he died!
Hi again Otis
I’ve lived all my lifeon the coast of BC Canada. In 1964 and friend of mine signed on to a Swedish freighter that carried newsprint from BC to Long Beach CA. There was a bar there called Hollywood on the Pike The stage was right behind the bar elevated a bit. This was my first interest the Buck Owens style. The guitar player did all the Don Rich stuff. I got to do some tunes there with them
more than once and really enjoyed it. I hadn’t really clued into Buck.
A few years later I joined a band near Vancouver playing little halls in the Fraser Valley. The guy whose band it was loved Buck Owens so I sang a lot of Buck. Love’s Gonna Live Here, My Heart Skips a beat Together Again and a dozen more We went to see Buck and his Buckaroos in quite a small arena compared to now.
Later I was playing in a club in Vancouver. While I was there the Buckaroos played the large room
I got to meet and talk with Don Rich. He was so down to earth it was talking to your neighbour. I was really sad when he died.
There isn’t really a point to this email. I’m just sharing some my experiences over my 81 years.
Well as you know Merle Haggard came along at that. Of we did his early songs. Merle a club Vancouver with the Strangers just as he really breaking out. We got see him in almost a living room atmosphere. I had brought a tape of a song I wrote. We went back stage in intermission. We met Roy Nichol and talked with him. Nice guy too. When Merle was available I just said Hi and he said Hi in the same friendly tone. I gave him my tape. How lucky we were to meet these guys when we did.
I eventually wrote songs and recorded here in Canada
Happy to write again if you’d like
A lot of us are sad about the passing of Ian Tyson
I’ve played and recorded with Ian’s long time guitar player Nathan Tinkham
I’ll end with a story about Ian Tyson’s song Summer Wages
In it he says
“I’ll work on your tow boats in my slippery city shoe
That I said I would never do again
In your grey fogbound straits where the cedars stand watching
I’ll be far off and gone like summer wages The late Ian Tyson wrote about working on the towboats in his “slippery city shoes” in Summer Wages
My slippery city shoes will always be that pair of brown oxfords that I wore as a young teen. My default shoes when I wasn’t wearing gum boots in Pender Harbour
I made the six and a half hour run from the Harbour to Vancouver with my Dad, being extra careful when I untied the lines and walked on deck in those leather soled shoes
They showed the salt on them and they looked really bad
When we got to town my Dad took me to a shoe shine stand on Granville. Well the guy polished those salt stained shoes till I could almost see my face in them!
The last memory I have I
was struggling to get my growing feet into them
My Dad said “There’s too much Swede there for those shoes”
Time for new shoes😊
All the best
Alan
Thanks for helping keep the music and history alive Otis. Really appreciate it.
Thank you!
Awesome life, that Buck Owens!
Thank you for truth, you are a wonderful spokesperson! I will always remember that great country singer, Buck Owens!
Otis Gibbs, I love your music as much as your story telling.
I'm a fan of great music and great stories. You seem to encapsulate it all.
With that said, here's my Buck Owens story... So to speak...
I grew up in Tulsa, Ok. I'm 51, born in 1971.
When I was a baby / toddler , we as a family would watch the weekly television programming.
We always watched "Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins. Austin City Limits on PBS, and Hee-Haw.
My dad grew up in Tulsa and was an acquaintance with Roy Clark. They would run into each other at "Brookside Billiards" along with Gary Busey.... I digress....
Anyhow, we always watched Hee-Haw.
So when I was still on the baby bottle, It had to have been 1972 maybe into 1973?
I would yell or scream " Buck Owens" (told to me by mom & dad)
More like a one word kind of saying. "BuhkOwns"....
It took a little while, but my folks finally figured out that I was hungry.
I was yellin' for my baby bottle... Food!
So it's always been kind of a family joke. If someone wanted milk, they'd just yell "Buck Owens", and they'd get milk...
That's my Buck Owens story!!!
-
"Friend", keep the music & stories comin'......
Sincerely,
From Lancaster, PA...
Tiger by the tail! There is a wry humor in all his deliveries of tunes! I loved HeeHaw. And yes gotta appreciate how the Fab4 covered Carl Perkins and paid homage to early american rock. I too and like many appreciate all kinds of music. I am lucky at 69 to be playing with some younger dudes that in an evening will cover Buck, Elvis, Cash,Beatles, Stones STP , Pearl Jam, Alice in chains, the list could go on and on as well as a pile of originals. Thanks for illuminating these insights into the music!
I grew up in Bakersfield back in the day. I saw Buck and Don and the Buckaroos, Merle Haggard and the Strangers and so many more. It was the best time in the best place. I am grateful for my life there.
In the seventies I was a Black Sabbath fan. My parents talked me into attending a show with Buck and Roy Clark. I'll never forget that day. It truly was an incredible performance. Buck always get's turned up to eleven. 🎶🎵
I always felt that Dwight Yoakam was the closest my generation would ever get to having a Buck Owens. "I don't care" is one of my favorites.
I whole heartedly agree 👍
As a kid I saw him on the old Jimmy Dean show and was hooked on his music. Now, I've watched those same reruns on the RFTD channel. As an adult I can appreciate it more.
That book is great. It's interesting how fighting about what is and isn't country has been there the whole time. My favorite Buck tunes are Together Again, Tall Dark Stranger, and Cryin' Time
We'd be a lot better off if folks would stop arguing over genres and just like whatever they like. Having said that, I don't expect it to happen anytime soon. : )
Hi Otis, Lance Tolman again...So growing up in Alabama in the 1960's, we had 3 TV channels, & HeeHaw seemed be on all 3 on Fri, Sat AND Sunday at 6:30pm,...& I hated it...!!
Especially the Pickin anda Grinning segments with Roy Clark & all the cornfield/cornpone
humor.
Not until I got my first acoustic at age 10 in 1971 did I realize just how great they both were, & after living & playing in Nashville from 1980 til now in 2022, I'm still learning from you here just how great an artist, trailblazer, businessman & star Buck Owens was for decades.
So many thanks as always, anything with Don Rich on guitar is ok with me, & just fyi, Buck Owen's long time initial Buckaroo drummer was my teenage son's snare drum instructor in the late 2000's, so things Do come back around, & I'm sure Buck knew that about his "Country Music" in 1965...
Keep Actin Naturally, Otis!!
Hi Otis, just watched your video on Buck Owens and Paul Simon's line "Silver Girl" in "Bridge Over Troubled Water". I wish I could remember where, but I heard or read that the line was Simon teasing Kathy his girlfriend who had recently discovered that she had a gray hair. Apparently, she was upset about it and he was needling her a little. Love your channel. You are doing a great job. Joe
Today(April 9) is my birthday. What a great gift, a new video from Mr. Otis Gibbs. My favorite UA-cam channel & uploader!
Happy Birthday, Raleigh! : )
Hey, Happy Birthday! I really dig this channel so much. I'm a pay it forward guy. On my birthday someone bought me a cake. If Mr. Gibbs doesn't mind of course. I'd like to pay it forward and chip in on a slice. Who's gonna match me? We can get this man a cake or something. May sound strange, but really happened to me right here on youtube and I'm willing to pay it forward fellow friend of Otis.
Otis...alot of good stuff there.
I'm going to go and have a listen to that myself.
I listened to his Carnegie Hall concert.
Was great to listen to and some fun stuff in there.
Thanks.
There is a u tube clip of Buck and his band doing TENDER LOVING CARE on Mike Douglas in 1967. I have never seen such an incredible yet straightforward and natural performance by any one!
Buck was the real deal and he was a rocker too.
Had the privilege of seeing him once here in Seattle .
He was amazing artist bridge over troubled waters was playing at my fathers funeral in 1971 sad that somebody turned his version into something that it wasn’t.
My fondest memories of Buck Owens was watching He Haw with my father enough said this man will always have my respect😎
Thank you for your videos, Otis. Your content is amazing and a treasure chest for us folks who are addicted to everything music.
Thank you!
I am so happy I recently stumbled upon your channel Mr. Gibbs--It is truly heartwarming and connects the dots for me and I am sure many folks watching. This story about Buck Owens reminded my of how lucky I was to (maybe?) have seen him live in the early 1970's (at least in my mind) as a young boy.
My father was a pressman (printer) for the local Duluth, MN newspaper--we were not well off at all, but the year my father was president of the printers union, he received a little extra money (I believe) to travel to the annual national pressman's conference. It happened to be in Orlando, FL, so we packed up a little blue car (I can't recall the make or model) and along with my older brother and little sister (and my mom) the five of us drove to Orlando over 4 or 5 days).
When we passed through Nashville, my father--who LOVED Johnny Cash, wanted to spend the night and bring us all to the Grand Ole Opry. At the time, I was teaching myself how to play drums on stacks of old Montgomery Wards and Sears Catalogs (I didn't have a drum set yet). I wish I could remember all the acts we saw that night--My father passed 7 years ago and my mom, who is 82 now, cannot recall everyone. By 14 years old, I was performing in a local adult cover band with 3 30-ish year old brothers. And I still play today at 59 years old (in Japan).
Anyhow, thank you for your stories--I will watch them all!.
Thank you, James!
Cryin’ Time, Tiger By The Tail, Loves Gonna Live Here are some of my faves ❤ Obviously, there are many more Buck and Don Rich (to me) emulated what I perceived as pure country music both as a kid and an adult. Oh there are others I enjoy, but Buck and Don are it. Can’t wait to grab a copy of that book 😊 Thanks for the post Otis, love your vids and commitment to all music 👍🏼
Another cool and interesting video my friend. I grew up in So.Cal in the 70's, and country music just wasn't part of mine or my friends lives. I only knew Buck from seeing him on "Hee Haw", so I thought he was some "tv guy" that played guitar and sang a bit. Luckily as I got older and started playing in bands, I was introduced to a lot of music that I wasn't aware of by different musicians that I played with. One time one of them asked me if I liked Buck Owens and I said "you mean that guy from Hee Haw?" and my friend said "yes, but he is a great musician that just happened to be on tv". At one of our next practices he handed me a Buck Owens album and a Roy Clark album and told me to give them both a good listen. Thank goodness he did that! It opened my eyes to country music like never before which led me to so much good stuff and great artists. I am thankful to him to this day. Btw, that "silver girl" being a syringe deal is a bunch of crap I think, but even if it is true, I agree with you that it's a beautiful song and a possible passing reference takes nothing away from that beauty. Peace.
I agree with you that it's a bunch of crap. Of all songs to get up in arms about that guy chose that one? Sheesh! ; )
@@otisgibbs i know, right? BOTW is just about a religious song. I mean just check out the opening lyric. People are crazy.
The Beatles were very much influenced by country music and the Everly Brothers in particular. Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens playing together are another example on the good influence of Buck Owens.
'Together Again' is one of my favorite songs.
If it wasn't for the Beatles I would never have heard Act Naturally and found the original. Buck Owens and Don Rich's harmonies (and guitar playing) still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.. Together Again and Tiger by the Tail are my favourites. :)
Together Again is hard to beat!
Simply wonderful. Thank you so much for this/these Otis, you really are a UA-cam treasue. On and on I sure hope these will continue, you have so much to offer here. Your a wealth of info and a natural at broadcasting. We've all struck gold by finding your channel. 😎 🙏😎
Thank ya kindly, Neal!
Once I learned how to play "Buckaroo" ('65) I couldn't stop playing it, because it's so much fun to play, and it impresses the hell out of peeps listening. Every guitar picker should own at least one Tele, for that Buck Owens and Don Rich twang.
Cheers Otis !
Another inspirational video, all smiles. Thanks Otis,
Otis, I grew up in the 60's, the draft, Viet Nam and there were two sides, no grey area during that time, you were either very conservative or liberal. The Beatles were very controversial when they first appeared on Ed Sullivan, I remember it well, it was before FM radio, and It was a challenging time. Music was evolving, battle of the bands etc., even underground stations, so I am not surprised. It was a great time to be a teenager, miniskirts, midnight special etc. I had never heard that story before about Buck Owens and wasnt aware he recorded that group if songs so now I have to pull it up and listen to it. Thank you for your deep diggging on these artist and sharing with us.
Thank you, Mojo!
Hey Otis, while there are quite a few Buck Owens songs I love more than this one, Truck Drivin' Man holds a special memory for me. I was in Orange County with my band, in the early / mid 1990's, and we had some days off. Our pal Linda, from Linda's Doll Hut, rented a Cadillac, and we piled in and headed to Bakersfield, to see Buck perform at the Crystal Palace. At some point, someone in our group sent a note to the stage, with a song request for Truck Drivin' Man. The memory of Buck sending that song out to "my friends who came all the way from the great state of Texas to be here tonight" is something I think of, each time I hear that song. As I am typing this, I just realized that my YT profile pic is me playing my red, white, and blue Jazz Bass, part of a fiddle / guitar / bass set that I had custom painted, years ago. Thanks for doing this video!
Thank you, Steven!
My Father absolutely loved Buck Owens! He had two favorite act's, Marty Robbins & Buck, but at the end of the day, Buck Owens & The Buckaroos were #1 to him. Like Dad, I too loved Ol' Buck & Marty, just maybe not quite as much as Pop, as Waylon was/is my fav.
Dad loved just about every song Buck did, but his favorite was "Loves gonna live here" whilst mine is "Tall, dark stranger"
As for Marty ( I know, I know, you didn't ask 😂 ) Pop loved "Strawberry roan" but I alway's loved "The ballad of Mr Shorty"
Thanks for another great video, this time about my father's all-time fav, Buck Owens! 💪👍
Special shout-out to the memory of Don Rich, gone much too soon & really hard to talk about Buck at the peak of his success, without talking about the great DR 🙏
As soon as you started talking about Homeward Bound, I immediately paused your video and checked it out. Holy Smoke! What a fantastic tune that I missed as well. Thanks man for turning me onto a great tune!
Thanks for giving it a listen!
Good stuff, Otis. Favorite Buck Owens song is Love's Gonna Live Here.
Never knew why Buck was on the outs with the Nashville establishment. Story makes total sense, for that time. People are stupid, it's still happening. Love Buck, and the fact that he did his thing, his way. Getting the book right now. Thanks Otis.
When I was a kid Buck played our small California town. My dad, a fan, took me with him. Buck Owens/Don Rich playing on a big flatbed truck, hay bales stacked around to add to that country feel, as if hay was needed. They are all gone now and I'm getting old but that stands as one of my more vivid childhood memories. As for the album, indeed obscure, I'd say my favorite cut would be Love Minus Zero/No Limit, the song a good fit for him plus the cool surprise of Buck covering Dylan.
Great posting here. Good information on Buck being his own man. "Ole Slewfoot" is one of my favorite uptempo songs by Buck and the Buckaroos.
Thanks for doing this video about Buck. I met him at a store in Bakersfield about 40 years ago. We had a very nice conversation about music. In those days I was playing my version of Rock'N'Roll. This video sparked a great memory. Thanks again.
Just moved but past 9 years lived in Bakersfield and many many times drive on Buck Owens blvd… also, the hag is from nearby Lamont, aka, weedpatch, ca.
Otis,
I lived in Bakersfield as a kid 1966-1970. Anyway just bought the book myself and I’m getting ready to read and see how it falls in line with my memories.
I have been a Buck fan most of my 56 years. Great times and great music. Sure miss old Don rich though.
Great book currently reading it. Buck Owens and George Jones were the artist that hooked me into country music.
Pulled up next to Buck at a red light in Brentwood and went total geek... He rolled down his window and spoke to me like somebody..nice guy love Streets of Bakersfield..keep em coming Otis!
I think Marty Stewart and his band do a fine job with the Bakersfield sound, too. Then the video of Buck and Ringo goofing around together while singing Act Naturally...that says a lot to me.
Loves gonna live here again is my fav song by any artist.so positive .thanks brother Otis
Thanks Otis for your channel. I just love it!
awesome, I read this a few years back, by far one of the most entertaining books i've ever read. being i grew up with heehaw and am a guitar player, made the whole thing that much more interesting. so much great music from Buck....
Well, it may not be the most representative of his music, but my favorite Buck Owens song is “Made In Japan”, so damn catchy! - “My transistor radio comes from far awaay....”
Great song!
when it's night over here over there it's breaking dayyyyy... love that song too
For early Buck Owens inspiration have a listen to The Maddox Brothers and Rose ("America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band"). Buck , before Nashville, made a duet album with Rose Maddox.
Great post Otis! And thanks for the book recommendation. I’ve just finished To Live’s To Fly - Ballad of the Life of Townes Van Zandt, so I’ll be ordering this next. I’d have to say ‘Trouble and Me’ as far as Buck Owens goes, it’s a great song!
Love's Gonna Live Here and Waitin' in Your Welfare Line. Great book. Loved Buck, loved Don. Sons Michael and Buddy managed Buck's station here in Phoenix. Nice family. Thank you for this Otis.
This is a gem of a channel. Kudos Otis. Also loved your jerry Jeff stuff. Seeing David Bromberg many times he would intro mr bojangles saying that Jerry Jeff wasn’t in the parish jail on a research mission. And Jerry Jeff’s version of “ One too many mornings “ is as good as it gets. Peace and love.
I love the stories and the presentation. Keep these great videos coming, Otis. Thanks for all your efforts and research.
My three-year-old daughter tells everyone that Buck is her favorite singer. She is a big hit amongst my friends, but not so much with her little friends at daycare...
Thank you!
Buck and the Buckaroos was my first concert, 1964...I was nine. A couple of years later when I got my first acoustic, I gave it a Buck Owens paint job.....
I try to drive up 4hrs to Bakersfield once a month just to put flowers at Buck's resting place and spend the evening at his Crystal Palace listening to his son sing. They call me "Shimmy Shakin' Tina -Buck's biggest fan" there. I've got Buck's red white and blue guitar tattooed on the calf of my leg . 🥰🥰🤭🤭💋💋❤️❤️❤️🎶🎵🎶
And by the way otis i love your videos i really enjoy coming home from work & seeing whats new from you
Thank you, Tracy!
Thanks for making this video. Interesting insights.
Thank you, Paul!
Dwight Yoakams speech at Buck's funeral is worth finding and watching.
Great video and love your opinion! As an DJ and now radio station owner, Buck has been one of my favorites through out the years! My favorite Buck Owen song had to be “The Streets of Bakersfield” great song and it was written by Homer Joy from Heber Springs Arkansas about 30 miles across Greers Ferry Lake from me!
Outstanding video! Great stories! Nobody does it better than you!
"And all you gotta do is act naturally"
Thanks, Quin!
Thank you Otis for another great book review. I am definitely going to get a copy of this one. I was a Buck fan from song one to his final day and Don Rich taught me how to play my Telecaster...it is a debt I can never repay.
Thank you, Bob!
I’m old enough to recall watching “Hee-Haw” on tv. I remember what appeared to be a “hick” and a “rube” talking back and forth like rural Smothers Brothers. The former picking on banjo strings and the latter with his guitar and buttermilk voice. The Texan and the Bakersfield Cowboy picking an’ a grinning they called it. It was very bizarre.
Great book on a great man; I loved Buck Owens when I was a kid and barely paid attention country music. Frank Sinatra must have written I Did It My Way about Buck. Buck is a true American rags to riches story, and I'll submit that in spite of the disrespect aimed his way because of his depiction as a rube on Hee Haw, his music crossed over to the pop / rock market in the 60's because they were fun, funny, twangy, and rocking. Buck was a consummate businessman, and won big time in that game as well. I say Buck 'Em if you don't love Buck!
Otis, just love what you do. Love the Buckaroos. Their version of Johnny B. Goode on one their live albums is just killer. I discovered Buck through the Beatles.
'Sail on silver' is prob a reference to moon on water in darkness. Or the sun. Whatever. You didn't pile on hard enough, Otis but just right for the even keel you maintain. I love your hilarious references to music theory (is cover photo). Thanks again.
I really enjoyed that Otis, I wasn't familiar with him until now. I'll order the book. I just finished the Don Felder book you recommended, great read. Keep em coming, take care 😎
Thank you, Chris!
After watching this video, I listened to all the covers on this album. They're all brilliant. Thank God for genre-crossing covers!! To my mind, what makes American music so special is the way it incorporates influences from cultures that span the globe. As far as Bridge Over Troubled Waters is concerned, I've always heard it as a kind of hymn. What's more sacred than giving comfort to those who suffer?
First Buck Owens tune I ever heard was Act Naturally and it's still my favorite. I sang it at a karaoke bar and someone told me that they liked the Beatles song I did. I didn't even know at the time that the Beatles had covered it!
I think my guitar nerd friends will enjoy this video/channel. It's a nice discussion of Buck Owens and Don Rich as guitar players. I don't know Zac, but he's a knowledgeable cat and I enjoy his videos. Feel free to tell him that Otis sent ya.
ua-cam.com/video/Z7RUbUR8Pow/v-deo.html
Wow, I know what the next book I buy will be. Thanks
I'm glad you did this piece on Buck Owens. I have heard that a lot of people in the music business attribute Buck Owens as a great influence on their music even though they weren't county. To me it's not about the genre; it's about the music. Sometimes a folk song hits the right chord with me I like it and other times it's a Rock song, a Country tune, a Western Swing, or a Blue Grass tune. I am a Soul man, a Blues fan, and a Pop Music man too. Nothing wrong with that. I guess the music I tune in to most often is a mixture of Outlaw Country and Rock and Roll but if something catches my ears the right way I don't care what it's labeled, I care that I like it or it tells a story I can relate to. I quit being a fan of old school Country in the 60's when music woke me up by sharing that other people (like my generation) didn't have to be postage stamped copies of their parents but could have their own experience in life. My favorite Buck Owens song is probably silly but it's "I've got a Tiger by the Tail!" It has to do with a girl friend I had at the time.
You're doing it right, Wayne! : )
@@otisgibbs I apologize for the long winded comment but I was just being as honest as I could. Love your vids.
A friend of mine has a red white and blue
“American guitar company” (made in china) guitar. He doesn’t play it, but whenever I go over there and see it sitting in the corner I’m reminded of pickin and grinnin With Roy Clark.
Historic americana that I grew up with
I love Buck Owens I shook hands with him in Liverpool and all he wanted to talk about was the BEATLES. JOHN GREGORY
❤️ Otis here is a loose connect to Buck Owens for me. My very first musical experience, which primed my little one year old musical heart for LIFE for live live music was in a dark theater in Olympia Washington from the lap of young musical prodigy Donnie Ulrich’s mother. Never was the same after watching a young Don Rich ❤️
Hi Otis,
Loved your hour long Sermon from the Mount. Hope your voice has recovered. You made some very good points about the categorisation and commodification of music. Like you, in my teen, I’d play an album of English folk music, followed by Led Zepplin with some Bubblegum Pop afterwards.
I also agree with you about Fables of the Reconstruction being REMs best album. I had been reading a book on Murmur (from the 33 and a third) series and decided to revisit all of their albums but didn’t get past Fables. I preferred their earlier underproduced albums. A fan of theirs from the earliest days said: “we didn’t always know what they said in their songs it we always knew what they meant”. When the lyrics became more audible and discernible, much of the mystery was lost and a a certain level of triteness crept in.
As for Buck Owens: the man a genius. He was a “true” outlaw (or unintended rebel) as he refused to conform to the mores of the, then, country music industry. My favourite songs? They’re all so good it’s hard to favour any but at a pinch it would be “Loves gonna live here again” and “Tiger by the tail”. His voice has that “lived in” sound and the music just makes you want to dance.
Buck Owens 1st came to my attention when John Fogerty mentioned him on Look'in Out My Back Door. Tiger By the Tail is a classic. I often think of my significant other as a tigress. Buck nailed it. RIP
I'm a huge Buck fan - really happy to see this video today, Otis. I used to write a blog called the Bigfoot Diaries - I took a serious deep dive into Buck, Don Rich and the Bakersfield sound. ( It's still live on the web if you ever get a notion to Google it. )
My fave songs are "Tall Dark Stranger," "Made in Japan" and "Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass."
If I get me a free afternoon sometime soon, I'll go give Bigfoot a visit, Troy! : )
"Although he didn't write "Hello Trouble" , Buck's version of that song is one of my all time favorite songs. It always reminds me of my old girlfriend, Stephanie O. She was the best "trouble" I ever ran up against. RIP, Steph. I have missed you very much these last 30 years.
This was awesome love Buck....Hey Otis you have anymore Jerry Reed stories
I still want a red white and blue Telecaster
Thank you. i don't, but I might try to dig something up somewhere down the road. : )
Buck is another of my honky tonk heroes. Above and Beyond reminds me of the Everly Brothers. My favorite is still "Close Up The Honky Tonks." I love that the intro to the original mimics Hank's "Cold Cold Heart" on the steel, then transitions to the song itself. Now I have to go and buy his autobiography. Thanks again for all the reading you're turning me on to.
Thanks, Bob!
Really good book picked up a used copy couple years ago myself
Favorite song, I’ll have to study on that one now I got to go listen to that album
Gonna find that Bridge Over Troubled Water. Thanks!
I was/am such a fan. My Grandma called me Buck til she died. Hunted all over Schoolkids Records in 92 til I found the Rhino box set. Really told Nashville to suck it. Love him! Got the hungries, Hot dog, Cryin time. He turned me into a music man
Right..So the Blending of the Rock//Country is better known as the "Bakersfield sound"..The Bakersfield sound is a sub-genre of country music developed in the mid-to-late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. Bakersfield was the first subgenre of country music significantly influenced by rock and roll, relying heavily on electric instrumentation and a strongly defined backbeat. Wikipedia
I grew up watching Hee Haw and can't think of Buck without thinking about Don Rich. Truly his soul brother. I wouldn't even begin to pick a favorite song but live at Carnage Hall and his "bluegrass" record are pretty good! That's a good book.
Buck Owens used to do Rockabilly( or at least one rockabilly type song) under the name Corky Jones for a song called Hot Dog. They sold a 45 copy on eBay about a couple weeks ago. It went for $400. It's also on Buck Owens Act Naturally box set for Bear Family Records
Here's a interesting guitar fun fact - In Spring of 2005 Bob Dylan was doing a U.S. tour with Merle Haggard.
On March 11th of that tour Buck Owens was visiting with Haggard before the show, & they decided to go say a quick hello to Mr. Bob & his band.
During that visit Buck Owens gave Dylan one of his red, white, & blue signature Tele's made from 1998- 1999. ... Only 250 of em were crafted.
The guitar was equipped with a solid basswood body, a pair of Texas Special single-coils, 4-way switching, gold hardware, brass pickguard, maple neck rosewood fingerboard, and 21 vintage frets. .... Anyways, just Google the subject if you want to see pictures/stories of the moment & the guitar itself.
- 🤘✌️
I've listened to many hours of your uploads. Thanks for sharing highlights from all those great Bob shows! - Drift
@@whiskeycitydiggers LoL, that's awesome. Always love to hear there's others out there digging Mr. Bob's modern live sounds. ... And knowing anybody bothers checking out my little low-key collection brings a smile for sure. .... Thanks for letting me know. Tis appreciated 🙏.
- Be well ✌️
then after that tour that was pretty good actually dylan did merle dirty and said buck was the only good thing to come out of bakersfield... merle and buck are 2 of the best and better than bob dylan in my opinion
@@Cletus-so5gr Merle also had some remarks about Dylan saying he wasn't a gentleman because he didn't visit & kept to himself (something like that). Can't remember if he said it it from the stage or an interview [?]. ... bla, bla, bla. All silly noise that doesn't really equal to a whole lot.... in my opinion at least. ... From my understanding they are both known to be salty characters that tend to say what's what now & again.
And happy to know you think Merle & Buck are better than Dylan. ... Don't believe history shall share your opinion, but whatever. To each their own & all. ... LoL, actually do recall a lot of Merle fans beating the same drum during that tour. ... Seemed like they didn't take kindly to him being the opening act.
I fortunately caught the third show of the Boston run & am thankful to have seen Merle perform. ... Don't believe I ever would have otherwise.
The Orpheum was a-buzzing that night as well. I've seen Dylan almost 30 times (mostly '97 - '07) & that show definitely had a different energy to it than any other I attended. .... Between Merle Haggard opening, first tour without Larry Campbell on guitar, fan speculations on Dylan "dating" the new young fiddle player in his band, a new Apple TV spot airing a yet to be released Modern Times song (Someday Baby), and Bob playing nearly ALL different songs the previous 2 Boston shows before it all equaled to a truly outstanding atmosphere. .... Concert matched it as well. ... Still vividly remember Hard Rain. The build up during the last verse made the hairs on my neck stand. ... Great times & all around one of the best shows I've ever seen.
- Be well & enjoy yourself
Here's some scattered info put together by someone that worked on the tour:
www.studioclub.com/events/Dylan%20Haggard%20Tour/DylanHaggardJournal.htm
... Judging by the end & it stating the author was on the whole tour I'm guessing there's more story, but if there is, I can't find it. .... If anyone else finds it please post it here. ... Love to check it out.
One of the first guitar pieces I struggled to learn when I started was "Buckeroo " and I still play it today and use parts of it in "Act Naturally " when I play it . It's of my practice regime . Love Buck and Don Rich too !
I'm not the biggest country music fan but I love Buck Owens. I love a few other country musicians and singers, but Buck's my favorite.
My fav Buck Owens Song is the original Streets of Bakersfield about 1973.
Always loved Buck.. ever since HeeHaw as a kid..
UA-cam algorithm... I listened to your video while driving today.. what pops up? Buck Owens Homeward Bound!
Haha! They're always listening in. ; )
Thanks for this. buddy!
Otis, Buck was just a true artist playing his music his way, he was just acting naturally. I love the Streets of Bakersfield.
thanks as always.
I love your dedication to telling real stories about he REAL artists...with some authority. This Pledge was because of the Bridge over troubled water.....a great album
Because of Hee Haw, people sometimes forget what a huge star he was. Top 5 GOAT. Such a clean voice with great harmonies. Innovative with the telecaster twang and driving sound on AM radio. Buckaroos were the greatest band of all time (even above The Strangers). Stuck it to those sugar eaters in Nashville.
He has a song I liked called Think of me and 'Loves going to live here 'and 'People like you make people like me.' and even his version of Johnny B Goode.
Even his Buckaroos had a solo instrumental hit.
When I was in 6th grade in Richmond VA, my friend's mother was driving us to Boy Scouts when a Beatle song came on the radio, she adamantly declared "that's country music!" I was horrified and argued with her. She said she grew up in the Shenandoah mountains and knew country. I came to know how right she was.
The guy wrote Streets of Bakersfield! Given Buck’s background, I’ve always believed it to be one of the all-time great statement songs. Art imitating life. Absolutely love this song!
I agree 100%!
Homer Joy wrote Streets of Bakersfield. He'd been trying to get into see Buck for a week. Wrote the song about the frustration.
@@briangordon8602 I just learned that fact today after my comment. I always supposed it was Buck’s greatest song. Guess it was Homer Joy’s greatest work. Hell of a song regardless.
At first, I would say all of Buck's songs. Then I thought a few I really did not care for. Sam's Place if a favorite. But the're are so many, when I think about it.