Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens, Jr.was an American musician, singer, songwriter and band leader who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band the Buckaroos. They pioneered what came to be called the Bakersfield sound, a reference to Bakersfield, California, the city Owens called home and from which he drew inspiration for what he preferred to call American music...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCountry Singer
Date of Birth12 August 1929
CitySherman, TX
CountryUnited States of America
I didn't say I wasn't gonna do rockabilly. I just said I ain't gonna sing no song that ain't a country song. I won't be known as anything but a country singer.
I got to realizing that I wanted to record, I wanted to experiment. And doing those same old songs the same old way - I said, 'I think it's time for me to have some fun.'
I found a sound that people really liked - I found this basic concept and all I did was change the lyrics and the melody a little bit. My songs, if you listen to them, they're quite a lot alike, like Chuck Berry.
A guy said to me, 'You're so lucky. You have people like Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand and The Beatles doing your songs.' I figured out, though, the harder I work the luckier I get. The secret of anything is to surround yourself with good people if you want a good product.
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,
I was in a zombie -like mode and I went through the motions up until January 1, 1980. And I knew I couldn't go through that anymore, so I called the guys together. I told 'em, "I'm gonna still play some dates, but I'm not gonna do anything near like I did it before.
What a wonderful opportunity was presented to me to be able to make a living and pay my bills while I'm learning my trade.
I enjoyed the Hee Haw people, but from 1980 on I didn't enjoy it and thought about leavin', and thought, hell, it's an easy job and pays wonderful. I kinda just prostituted myself for their money.
We were sharecroppers - we were a little bit of everything. We farmed and tried to make something.
We used to get one room and we'd park the vehicle outside, everybody would all take showers and we'd steal towels because we knew we wasn't gonna have enough towels for all five of us to shower.
The last 16 years of my daddy's life, he got to work for me, and that made him his own boss and he like that.
And I said, 'Why not? It's the truth! Why can't I say I'm a Beatles fan?' I used to get criticized for that.
I'd like just 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.
You get up about 2-3 o'clock in the morning and get through about 7 or 8 and 12 hours later you start all over. That's the worst kind of work a person can do. You have to do these two shifts to get one day.